New Universities Act Explained: What Sri Lankan Undergraduates Really Need to Know

When Parliament passed the latest amendments to Sri Lanka’s Universities Act, many students started wondering if this was political and if it will affect their degrees, lecturers or campus freedom.

According to Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, the answer is clear: this change is not meant to politicise but depoliticise universities.

What does this actually mean for undergraduates and what was changed in the Universities Act?

The amendments mainly focus on how academic leaders are chosen, especially Deans and Heads of Deparmtments (HoDs). Previously, only a narrow group of senior academics could be appointed as Deans but today, senior professors, professors, associate professors and senior lecturers (Grade I) are eligible.

Most Importantly, Deans will now be appointed by the faculty board, not imposed from outside.

The Minister also highlighted the term limits for Deans. A Dean can serve only two terms maximum and no one can hold the position indefinitely.

Limits on Heads of Departments are that a person cannot be Head of the same department for more than one term and no one can hold the HoD position for more than two consecutive terms. This encourages leadership rotation and fairness.

Why this is a Big Change is because in the past, leadership appointments were often criticised for being politically influenced, Top-down decisions and resistant to change. But under this new system, faculty members choose their own leaders, leadership becomes more democratic and transparent and political influence is reduced.