Page 160 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

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

SWDs have no room to address their specific needs and let alone SWDs

with the sense of being marginalised.

6.5. Staff Development

Almost all state universities established their own Staff Development Center
(SDC) for the purpose of training academic, administrative and non-

academic staff to enhance their qualities as to efficiently serve the system.
It is an innovative avenue to offer training programmes and short courses

on DEI.

SDCs in universities specifically conduct induction courses on teaching

methodology; a compulsory course to train newly recruited academics in
teaching methods, namely the Certificate Course on Professional

Development in Higher Education (CCPDHE). All permanent academics
in all state universities must complete this course as it is mandatory for them

to get confirmed in their position. The study found that though the course is

specifically aimed to train academic staff in teaching methods for university
students, the course curriculum poorly incorporates concerns about SWDs.

In both universities, the induction course on CCPDHE does not consist of

course contents to train candidates on specific methods in teaching SWDs
and to disseminate knowledge about the special needs of SWDs. When

inquired about this from the sample respondents of the staff, they mentioned
that only the available course modules are being thought of in the SDC

courses. It is also identified that there is no general curriculum developed in

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