The Teachers’ Association of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka last night called upon the Vice Chancellor to step down from the position. Sending a letter to Dr. SMM Ismail, the Teachers’ Association has highlighted serious instances of misconduct and abuse of power by him.

Dr. SMM Ismail

We publish below the letter in full;

Vice Chancellor

South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL)

Oluvil

27-03-2015

Dear Dr. SMM Ismail,

Demand for Resignation from the Post of Vice Chancellor

We, the Teachers’ Association of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka(TASEU) having carefully reviewed the level of misuse of power and financial misappropriation taken place at our university, wish to draw your attention to the following actions on your part, which call into question your credibility and academic credentials to cling into the position of VC anymore. Some of the serious allegations levelled at you, among many ranging over twenty (20), are listed below:

• It is alleged that you are processing your professorship via improper, cunning and crude way, floating the decision reached at 149^th, 150^th and 151^st Senate meeting held at SEUSL and deleting the whole clause on your professorship matter in the 152^nd Senate Minutes and thereby undermining the credibility of the Senate and its members.
• You also appear to have acted with a lot of vengeance upon the academic staff, while mollycoddling a few of them who are loyal and servile to you. This includes the appointment with questionably (un)suitability persons to the posts of Heads of the Departments and Directors in an arbitrary manner.
• You are alleged to be in the forefront of politicizing the university and its academics in the past with the collusion of politicians, from the former president to local government members, polluting the splendid image of the university.
• It is also alleged that you have tremendously crippled the academic administration of the university such as failing to appoint the Dean’s selection and the appointment of Heads of Departments at the appropriate time due to your constant foreign trips and Colombo visits and with an ulterior motive of elevating your loyal and servile staff to those positions.
• Using the power and influence as the VC of SEUSL, you appear to have taken up over 30 foreign trips to various countries in the world during your tenure in the office and misused the university funds for your personal benefits. This implies that you were in abroad over 260 days during your two terms (06 years) in office.
• Your alleged involvement in bribery and corruption on many contracts taken place at the University during your tenure in the office, floating the tender procedure.
• Your alleged involvement in the financial misappropriation in the purchase of goods to the University.
• You appear to have unreasonably and unduly claimed a massive amount of money as “honorarium” from almost all the courses, seminars, coaching classes, and other external and internal professional courses conducted by the university, completely violating the establishment circular of the universities.
• There are instances of your implicit conflict of interest such as renting out one of your personal residences to the university under the guise of ‘Guest House’; and refurbishing your other personal residence under the university fund, violating the establishment circular of the university.

The above actions on your part highlight your inability and lack of credibility to provide good academic leadership and, fair and effective management to the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. Despite we brought these instances of malpractices taken place at our university, under your undeservedly incapable and poor leadership, to the attention of relevant authorities concerned, we are yet to realize the outcomes of our initiative and demands. However, we are hopeful that justice will definitely be meted out in times to come under the yahapalanaya(good governance).

Therefore, in the interest of the institution, its students and the nation, for which the university serves, we, the members of TASEU, hereby strongly call upon you to resign from the position of the Vice Chancellor of SEUSL with immediate effect. We also hold the position that you no longer deserve the position as the head of the institution to conduct official meetings at the university.

Thanking you

President                                                                                                                     Secretary

Copy: 1) His Excellency the president of Sri Lanka

2) Honarable Prime Minister

3) The Minister of Higher Education and Research

4) The Chairman, University Grants Commission

5) Federation of University Teachers’ Association(FUTA)