IMPLEMENTATION FEEDBACK ON RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM OF FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES AND COMMERCE, UNIVERSITY OF SRI JAYEWARDENEPURA

Abstract

Adhering to the educational reforms implemented on national level on the recommendation of the presidential task force, The Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce (FMSC), University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ) was restructured in the year 2000. This effort comprised of the achievement of objectives to face the challenges of the new millennium, specially to address the gap created due to the paradigm shift from labor-intensive industry to knowledge based technology. How did the faculty members of FMSC evaluate the implementation phase of the restructuring program and its study effectiveness were studied in this attempt. Structured questionnaires were administered to fifty-four senior lecturers that have taught in both systems and the response rate was 66%. There was 50% response rate for each system for the question on the suitability of new and old systems for the present Sri Lankan universities with respect to teaching, learning, assessments and student-teacher relationships. This follows the finding that most of the objectives of restructuring are being achieved at a moderate level. Accordingly students are benefited through rendering the maximum service of the expert teacher in respective areas of specialization, dissemination of the same level of knowledge and availability of different specialization areas. Establishment of service departments to develop a research culture at FMSC has been achieved at a moderate level but lack of freedom to get involved in such activities hinders the above trend. Teaching in the old system is preferred by 60% of the respondents along with a better position on student learning. Student evaluations too are more successful in the old system than in the new system. Findings strongly support the view that student-teacher relationships in with the new system are at a stake.

Keywords: Evaluation, Implementation feedback, Restructuring, Organization, Development

For full Paper: fmscresearch@sjp.ac.lk