Academics suspend action against VC
University academics, who occupied the Colombo University Vice Chancellor Kumara Hirimburegama’s office demanding his resignation, suspended their protest yesterday after the University Grants Commission (UGC) assured it would to take up the matter with Prsident Maithripala Sirisena. Colombo University Federation of Teachers’ Associations(CUFTA) President Professor Devaka K. Weerakoon said they met the new UGC Chairman Senior Professor Mohan de Silva yesterday and discussed what they saw as irregularities in the appointment of the Vice Chancellor and other charges against him. “We briefed the UGC Chairman on the issues that had arisen from appointing an unqualified person to this important post. The VC has been appointed violating the usual procedures that should be adopted when making such an appointment. The UGC Chairman agreed that there had been a breach of trust with the VC,” Prof. Weerakoon told a news conference held at College House. Prof. Mohan de Silva had assured the academics that the UGC would take up this contentious matter with President Maithripala Sirisena when he returned from England.
“He pointed out that at the end of the day, it was the President who appoints or removes Vice Chancellors and the UGC can only make recommendations to him,” Prof. Weerakoon said.
Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said the VC had so far not rejected any of the allegations levelled against him.
He said there was no hindrance caused to students sitting their examinations during the protest on Monday.
Meanwhile, Dr. Prabhath Jayasinghe said they had also briefed the UGC on charges levelled against a few other Vice Chancellors including those of the Eastern and South-Eastern Universities.
We briefed the UGC Chairman about the problems that had arisen as a result of appointing an unqualified person to the important post of University Vice Chancellor