Page 159 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

structures of student welfare system in all state universities; notably, Office

of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Office for Student Support Service and
Student Welfare, Office of the Senior Student Counsellor and Student

Affairs Department generally known as student welfare offices. All these

academic administrative bodies are responsible for catering to the welfare
needs of students including SWDs. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of

delivering welfare services in coordination with catering to the special needs
of SWDs is in question. Except for a few disciplinary inquiry processes,

each unit engages separately in attending welfare issues of students. There

are no formal coordinating arrangements among these units to respond to
the welfare affairs of the students. It does not mean that each unit is

ineffective to attend welfare issues of students without coordination among
them, but it is evident from the data collect from both students and staff that

there are issues taken up by one of these units left incomplete due to lack of
coordination.

There are approved bodies of student representations and committees for
various purposes under this student welfare system. Student unions are

independent entities which play pivotal role in addressing issues of students,

particularly welfare issues. There are committees established to respond to
the needs and issues of students in general. However, it was observed that

no committee has been formed for SWDs as an approved entity within the
student welfare system in these universities. It leads to the perception that

100