Colombo Uni. Council trio step down over new VC appointment

Thilak Karunaratne

Ajit Gunewardena

Sumith Cumaranatunga

Three appointed members of the Council of the University of Colombo have resigned over what they described as irregularities in the appointment of Vice Chancellor (VC). 

The trio are longstanding member Thilak Karunaratne, Ajit Gunewardena and Sumith Cumaranatunga. They tendered their resignations to University Grants Commission Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunga.

Recently, Senior Prof. H.D. Karunaratne was appointed as Vice Chancellor replacing Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne who served for three years. Colombo University Council comprises 27 persons of whom 14 are appointed members.  

Business leader Gunewardena in his resignation letter stated that it was on a matter of principle that the appointment of the Vice Chancellor did not follow the principles of good governance of which he is a firm believer. 

“The recommendation for the Vice Chancellor made by the Council was after following the set down selection protocol which was adhered to meticulously. I see no point in serving on the Council any further if recommendations as important as this are ignored and arbitrarily overruled for reasons that appear more political than logical,” he said. 

Gunewardena also said that during his short tenure in the Council, he found the former Vice Chancellor to be a very effective leader and in his view another term would have been highly beneficial to the University. 

“Her tenacity, commitment, passion and professionalism was apparent and it is indeed disappointing that Professor Chandrika Wijeyaratne who had the highest ratings by far in the transparent selection process was overlooked for reasons best known to the appointing authority,” Gunewardena added. 

Karunaratne, who served the Council for almost 15 years, in his letter noted that the past two Vice Chancellors Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake and Prof. Chandrika N. Wijeyaratne were totally apolitical and above the average of VCs and that Wijeratne was the better of the two. 

He said the Council undertook a very professional approach in the selection of VC and an in-depth evaluation and objective assessment of each candidate based on intelligible criteria as stipulated in the guidelines for marking. 

“This selection process resulted in Prof. Wijeyaratne obtaining 90%, Prof. Karunaratne 66% and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa 64% of the total marks, and making Prof. Wijeyaratne as the clear front tuner as the suitable person to be appointed to the post of VC.

“Unfortunately, it was not to be the case,” Karunaratne said, adding that sadly meritocracy had to make way for mediocrity. 

“This decision made by the appointment authority, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as with many of his other decisions was horrendously wrong.”