Professionals
Plans to absorb 40,000 into Open University in 2009
Hiran H. SENEWIRATNE
EDUCATION: The Open University is unique within the national
university system in being the only university to offer programmes of
study leading to certificate to post graduate degree through the
distance mode, its Acting Vice Chancellor Engineer Cecil Fonseka said.
He said that over the last 25 years the number of programmes of study
departments and faculties have increased in production to the demands of
the economy and wider society.
Open University |
This especially caters to the children of the rural areas to obtain
an educational qualification at a nominal cost especially for university
drop outs in the country.
At present OUSL has a student population of more than 20,000 in the
entire system and the annual intake is more than 10,000, he said.
The out put of the OUSL graduates has also steadily increased. At
present its four Faculties- Education, Engineering Technology,
Humanities and Social Sciences and Natural Sciences, provide eight
degree programmes, four post-graduate diplomas and four Master degree
programmes and several Diplomas, Advance Certificate and Certificate
programmes.
Along with the traditional programmes the university also offers
vocational, professional and general awareness programmes, Fonseka said.
Normal output for degree programmes is between 1000-1750 and now it has
a gradual increase over the past few years, he said.
The striking feature of this university unlike other conventional
universities is that a person who has reached the age of 18+ with or
without GCE qualifications could enter the university and they could
pursue their studies up to the PhD level, he said.
OUSL is mainly attracting working adults and now it has increased the
number of school leavers enabling them to obtain a quality
qualification.
At present it has a student population of 25,000 and conducts through
their programs through four main regional centres and in another 20
centres situated islandwide, Fonseka said.
The university conducts popular programmes in the country namely LLB
degree, Management, Engineering and Nursing degrees.
The charges for educational programmes are nominal which could be
afforded to anybody in the country.
At academic programmes and their durations are on par with other
conventional universities, he said.
This University functions under the University Grants Commission and
all programmes are recognised all over the world, he said. OUSL has 200
academic staff and 600 non academic staff.
Fonseka also said that for every program they conduct day schools for
the students to clarify their doubt to give the student a real
conventional type university exposure.
For students to enhance their knowledge they have good libraries
covering main regional centres in the country.
OUSL has one of the best media centres in the country and now they
are in the process of digitalising the library facilities in the Colombo
centre, he said.
Its engineering division has many affiliations namely Universities in
Canada and Christian Stad University in Sweden, Fonseka said.
They have number of engineering programmes. He said that their
engineering degree programme is very popular and person with a NDT
qualification could directly enter their engineering programme and
recognised by the Institute of Engineering of Sri Lanka, he said.
Their Bachelor of Laws degree is recognised by the Council of Legal
Education and Bar Association of Sri Lanka.
It also conducts international programmes like Commonwealth Executive
MBA programme in collaboration with Commonwealth Universities in the
world. It has a Master of Art teacher Education programmes as well, he
said.
OUSL is now in the process of doubling the intake to 40,000 per year
by 2009 which would be mainly targeted at University dropouts in the
country which is Asian Development Project named as Distance Education
Modernisation Project.
Therefore to achieve that goal it is now building their capacity to
cater that demand to provide with a quality educational qualification
for Sri Lankans, he said. |