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The transition from pirivena to university gradually converted it to a secular center of learning.
The University Act and the New University
In 1956, following a change of government with Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike as the prime minister and following the policy of promoting national languages and culture, it was decided to establish two new universities by conferring university status on the Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Pirivenas. Accordingly, the Vidyodaya University and Vidyalankara University Act No. 45 of 1958 established the universities at the Vidyodyaya Pirivena at Maligakanda and the Vidyalankara Pirivena at Kelaniya. In 1958, it was reconstituted as the Vidyodaya University of Ceylon.Welivitiye Soratha Maha Thero, who was the principal of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, was appointed the first vice-chancellor of Vidyodaya University. The university was ceremonially opened on 16 February 1959. Sir Oliver Goonatilleke, the governor-general and ex-officio chancellor of the university, expressed its aims and objectives
“ This is a historic occasion. Today witnesses the renaissance of Pirivena education on a broader front. It is my good fortune that I am privileged to be here today to inaugurate the Vidyodaya University and to extend my best wishes to the Vice Chancellor and the staff. The granting of university status to the two principal Pirivenas of the Island is one of the most far-reaching achievements of the Government in the realm of education. Minister Dahanayaka will be remembered in the annals of this Island as the man who gave Oriental learning and its traditional seats the encouragement and support they needed to become an integral part of the educational set up of modern Lanka. The Buddhist priesthood, who had in the past contributed so much to the cause of oriental learning and culture, will now get the opportunity of widening their sphere of influence... ”
The university commenced its academic activities with five faculties: Buddhist Studies, Philosophy, Languages, Arts, and Ayurveda and Science. There were 22 departments of study. Some of the students of the Vidyodaya Pirivena were among the first students of the university. Adult candidates with the requisite minimum entry requirements were also selected for admission. Admission was restricted to males and the initial student population was composed mainly of bhikkus (Buddhist monks). The initial academic staff were drawn from the same Pirivena, or those who had been its outstanding alumni, and were mainly scholarly Buddhist monks. Pandit Wickramarachchi, a famous Ayurveda physician, was in charge of the minuscule department of science. These more secular subjects required the services of visiting lay staff.
New campus
Sri Lanka University
In 1961, a new location was selected at Gangodawila, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast from the center of Colombo and in walking distance of a main trunk road known as the High Level Road (A4). This road connects Colombo to Ratnapura and beyond. Part of these lands belonged to the nearby Sunethradevi Pirivena, associated with King Parakramabahu VI (1412–1467). The shift of the university to the new site was effected on 22 November 1961, under the direction of Sri Soratha Thera. The vice-chancellor invited the Department of the Government Archives to establish its archives within the campus, close to the University Library, to encourage research.
The Higher Education Act No. 20 of 1966 brought far-reaching changes to the university scene in Sri Lanka. As a result, admission to both universities was opened to female students. The post of vice-chancellor would no longer be restricted to the sangha, and all academic and administrative appointees had to satisfy criteria determined by the newly created National Council of Higher Education. This modernization process resulted in the restructuring of some of the faculties and departments of study, as well as of programmes of study. When Walpola Rahula was the vice-chancellor the university grew significantly in stature. When Rahula left the university in 1969, linguist D. E. Hettiarachchi took over. A noted employee of at this time was Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was chairman of the United Corporations and Mercantile Union local on the campus. He later went on to be President of Sri Lanka.Insurgency and merger
Following the insurgency of 1971, the university premises were taken over by the army and converted into a detention camp for suspected insurgents since many undergraduates had links with the insurgency. During this temporary occupation (1971–1972) the university functioned from temporary locations in Colombo, maintaining the basic academic and administrative services. Ellawala and V. K. Samaranayake were the vice-chancellors.
In 1972, all universities were merged into one institution under the University of Ceylon Act No. 1 that renamed all universities as campuses of a single University of Sri Lanka. Vidyodaya University became Vidyodaya Campus headed by a campus president, appointed by the Minister of Education. The first president of the campus under this system was Chandre Dharmawardana.
The university programmes became more "job-oriented", and attempts were made to introduce course-unit systems and other methods of continuous assessment. The very first course in Development Studies in Sri Lanka, leading to a degree (B. Dev.) was started at this time. Post-graduate courses in Statistics, Food Science, Polymer Science and Optometry were offered. The departments of Geography, Economics, Public and Business management, etc., were expanded.
Reestablishment and renaming
Following change in government in 1977, the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 returned independent university status to the campuses while assigning some of the coordinating functions to a new University Grants Commission. Being close to the city of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the reestablished institution was renamed University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Its full-time student population is over 8,500,enrolled in the faculties of Arts, Management Studies and Commerce, Applied Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Graduate Studies
Faculties
Jayewardenepura Science Faculty
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Sumangala Building
A view of Department of Physics over the garden
The University has five main faculties. Including Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Faculty of Applied Sciences
The dean of the faculty is Prof. Sudantha Liyanage of the Department of Chemistry.
Academic departments
Department of Physics
Department of Mathematics
Department of Statistics and Computer Science
Department of Chemistry
Department of Botany
Department of Zoology
Department of Forestry and Environmental Science
Department of Food Science and Technology
Faculty of Humanities and social sciences
The dean of the faculty is Mr. C.L.K Nawarathne. Academic departments
- Department of Economics
- Department of Political Science
- Department of English
- Department of Geography
- Department of History and Archaeology
- Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies
- Department of Languages and Cultural Studies
- Department of Sinhala and Mass Communication
- Department of Social Statistics
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- Department of Information and Communication technology (BSc)
Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce
The Dean of the faculty of Management Studies and commerce is Prof. Sampath Amarathunga. Dene's Massage
- Department of Accounting ( Offerd by B.SC Accounting SP)
- Department of Business Administration ( Offerd By B.Sc Business Adminstation Sp)
- Department of Commerce ( Offerd By B.Com Special)
- Department of Decision Sciences ( Offered By B.Sc Operation Management SP)
- Department of Entrepreneurship ( Offered By B.Sc Entepreneruship Sp)
- Department of Estate Management & Valuation ( Offered By B.Sc Estate Mgt. & Valuvation Sp)
- Department of Finance ( Offered by B.Sc Finance Sp)
- Department of Human Resources Management ( Offerd By B.Sc HRM Sp)
- Department of Information Technology ( Offered By B.Sc Business Information System Sp)
- Department of Marketing Management ( Offerec By B.Sc Marketing Mgt SP )
- Department of Public Management (Offerecd By B.Sc Public Mgt Sp)
Special units
- Information Technology Resource Centre (ITRC)
- Accounting Resource Centre (ARC)
- Small and Medium Enterprise Development Support Unit (SMEDSU)
Faculty of Medical Sciences
The faculty of Medical Sciences, the youngest faculty in the University has achieved a phenomenal growth in a very short time offering study programmes; Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Nursing (BSc. Nursing), Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (BSc. MLS), Bachelor of Pharmacy (BSc. Pharmacy) and Bachelor of Human Biology (BSc. Human Biology). Since its inception in 1993, the Faculty has progressed to one of the most sought after Faculties in the country with its students obtaining high ranking positions. The National Quality Assurance Committee appointed by the University Grants Commission in 2011 has awarded the University the status of excellence.
The faculty is guided by Professor Surangi Gayaneetha Yasawardene, the dean. The academic staff consists of senior specialist with many years of experience in the clinical and academic activities and a dynamic group of young consultants/specialist. There are 28 professors, 59 senior lecturers and 38 lecturers working full-time (2012) in addition to the extended faculty (Ministry of Health staff in hospital sector, general practitioners and many other institutions involved in training our undergraduates). There are 50 academic support staff assisting in carrying out academic activities, research and other service components. The Department of Medical Education and Health Sciences (DME&HS) was established to improve and sustain the quality of the learning/teaching processes in the faculty and to conduct certificate, diploma of degree courses in Health Sciences. Although Medical Education units are available in the university system, the DME&HS is the 'first and only one' department established under the university system to develop, implement and review activities related to improving the efficiency of learning/teaching related to Medical and Health Sciences. Most remarkably, the DME&HS is successfully facilitating collaborative work in implementing medical and para-medical (Allied Health Sciences) programmes including Nursing, Pharmacy and Medical and Laboratory Science degrees.
Academic departments
Anatomy
Biochemistry
Community Medicine
Physiology
Family Medicine
Forensic Medicine
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Medical Education and Health Sciences
Medical Laboratory Sciences
Medicine
Microbiology
Nursing
Paediatrics
Parasitology
Pathology
Pharmacology
Psychiatry
Surgery
Postgraduate Institute of Management
The Postgraduate Institute of Management is a semi-autonomous body affiliated to the university. It promotes advanced education and professionalism in management in Sri Lanka through the provision of postgraduate instruction, training, research, and development in the branches of management and administrative studies.
Historically related institution
The Vidyalankara University was created at the same time as the Vidyodaya University. Today Vidyalankara University is known as the University of Kelaniya.
Ragging
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is noted for a high level of ragging in recent years with several major incidents grabbing national headlines. These include the killing of Samantha Vithanage, who pioneered an anti-ragging campaign, by pro-ragging JVP supporters and the resignation of Prof. Chandima Wijebandara, the vice chancellor of the university, in protest against the ragging.
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