The 10 Resolutions for the IESL AGM 2017
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) will be held at the ‘Nugasevana’ at BMICH, Colombo 7 on Saturday, 28th October 2017 commencing at 9.00 AM. It is requested that all Corporate Members and Associate Members attend this important event.
The AGM is the forum to which members can present resolutions for consideration by the general membership and after discussion such resolutions can be adopted by an open vote. There are several resolution that I have submitted to the IESL AGM 2017 and many colleagues have asked for an explanation. This note is intended to answer some of these questions and provide clarifications.
HOW MANY RESOLUTIONS?
There are 10 resolutions that I have submitted as a proposer and seconded by several colleagues from the IT & Communication Engineering Sectional Committee of the IESL.
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES?
Collectively, they have only ONE objective. To STOP the selling of Associate Membership of the IESL and to control certain activities of the IESL College of Engineering that are bringing harm to our engineering profession.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO USE RESOLUTIONS?
We do not know what the outcome will be of the two court cases currently progressing through the District Court in Colombo and the Court of Appeal where IESL is a respondent. In the worst case scenario, the Appeals Court decision could be for IESL College of Engineering to continue (similar to the Appeals Court decision on SAITM for graduates to be registered with Sri Lanka Medical Council).
Also, we do not know how many other court cases will be filed by various people that will cause the IESL College of Engineering to continue for unknown number of years (similar to the Appeals Court order to the IESL Council to maintain status-quo as of now). In the worst case scenario, this situation could drag on for a decade.
Also, as we have taken an intake of students in 2017, we will have to operate IESL College of engineering for another 8 years. This is because, the Engineering Faculties of State Universities allow an engineering undergraduate 8 years to graduate. So, these students will be able to file a simple complaint at the Human Rights Commission and the IESL will have to allow the same facility, which is only fair). In the worst case scenario, this could be a 10 year duration with time allowed for medical leave, etc.
So, the latest we will be able to fully disassociate IESL from operating a for-profit business called IESL College of Engineering is in 2025!
Therefore, in the time period between now and then, we must be able to have a meaningful control of the conduct of the IESL College of Engineering.
HOW CAN WE CONTROL THE ACTIVITIES?
There are 3 main aspects that need careful control:
(1). Who is allowed to get enrolled - we must ensure that any student getting enrolled in the IESL College of Engineering is someone who is fully qualified similar to a state university undergraduate student in terms of GCE A/L mathematics stream preparation and aptitude.
(2). Who is allowed to teach - we must ensure that every lecturer at IESL College of Engineering is fully qualified similar to a state university senior lecturer (at least Senior Lecturer Grade II). We need to prevent various people without required qualifications and experience turning this into an easy money making place. That would place the students as well as their future employers in serious trouble.
(3). Who is allowed to control the recruitment of students, academic staff, technical staff, and institution quality control - we must ensure that the IESL College of Engineering is not run mainly as a profit making business where it recruits unsuitable and under-qualified students, where it recruits unqualified and inexperienced individuals as lecturers, where it teach course material and conduct practicals at a level far below standards and finally award the IESL Associate Membership!
The resolutions are to prevent the above harmful and unethical activities from happening repeatedly.
WHAT ARE THE RESOLUTIONS?
Below is a summary of the resolutions.
(1). Resolution to Establish a Board of Academic Administration for the IESL College of Engineering - To prevent running the IESL CoE as a for-profit business where a select group of people could profit from through various payments.
(2). Resolution to Establish a Minimum Achievement Standard as Entry Qualification Criteria to the IESL College of Engineering Study Programs - To prevent recruiting students to IESL CoE who will not be accepted to any engineering or technical study program because they have not shown the aptitude and mathematical skills required.
(3). Resolution to Establish a Minimum Qualifications Standard as Academic Staff Recruitment Criteria to the IESL College of Engineering - To prevent giving lecturing jobs to unqualified individuals and allowing them to claim being lecturers at an IESL operated institution.
(4). Resolution to strengthen the independence of the IESL as the signatory accreditation body for Sri Lanka in Washington Accord Accreditation - To prevent IESL Council members and committee members from being paid by the IESL CoE and thereby being influenced by those financial benefits when making decisions.
(5). Resolution to request the on-line publication of information pertaining to Right to Information Act - To prevent the IESL Council from not disclosing important information with regard to the IESL CoE from the general membership.
(6). Resolution to request the fulfillment of the undertaking given at the IESL AGM 2016 on financial transactions of IESL CoE - To insist for the IESL Council to disclose in detail who is financially benefiting from the IESL CoE and expose who are continuing to promote unethical business practices.
(7). Resolution to improve the decision making capability of the IESL Council (to amend By-law 44 and By-law 49) - To prevent activities of the small clique of interested individuals unethically influencing IESL Council decisions in favour of continuing with the unethical business practices of IESL CoE.
(8). Resolution to re-assert the request of the corporate membership of IESL to continue the provision of on-line electronic voting facility - To ensure the broadest possible participation of general membership in electing the IESL Council so that a small number of vociferous individuals who want to run the IESL CoE business are not able to dominate the IESL Council and go against the wishes of the IESL members.
(9). Resolution to request the publication of investigative report on the alleged election fraud - To expose the lack of resolute action on the part of the IESL Council in taking action on very serious irregularities.
(10). Resolution to change the name of the Information Technology & Communication Engineering Sectional Committee of the IESL (to amend By-law 98(i)) - To expose that the IESL Council not doing work that is important and relevant to the membership but spending time, money and effort on continuing with activities that the general membership has repeatedly requested to refrain from.
The AGM is the forum to which members can present resolutions for consideration by the general membership and after discussion such resolutions can be adopted by an open vote. There are several resolution that I have submitted to the IESL AGM 2017 and many colleagues have asked for an explanation. This note is intended to answer some of these questions and provide clarifications.
HOW MANY RESOLUTIONS?
There are 10 resolutions that I have submitted as a proposer and seconded by several colleagues from the IT & Communication Engineering Sectional Committee of the IESL.
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES?
Collectively, they have only ONE objective. To STOP the selling of Associate Membership of the IESL and to control certain activities of the IESL College of Engineering that are bringing harm to our engineering profession.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO USE RESOLUTIONS?
We do not know what the outcome will be of the two court cases currently progressing through the District Court in Colombo and the Court of Appeal where IESL is a respondent. In the worst case scenario, the Appeals Court decision could be for IESL College of Engineering to continue (similar to the Appeals Court decision on SAITM for graduates to be registered with Sri Lanka Medical Council).
Also, we do not know how many other court cases will be filed by various people that will cause the IESL College of Engineering to continue for unknown number of years (similar to the Appeals Court order to the IESL Council to maintain status-quo as of now). In the worst case scenario, this situation could drag on for a decade.
Also, as we have taken an intake of students in 2017, we will have to operate IESL College of engineering for another 8 years. This is because, the Engineering Faculties of State Universities allow an engineering undergraduate 8 years to graduate. So, these students will be able to file a simple complaint at the Human Rights Commission and the IESL will have to allow the same facility, which is only fair). In the worst case scenario, this could be a 10 year duration with time allowed for medical leave, etc.
So, the latest we will be able to fully disassociate IESL from operating a for-profit business called IESL College of Engineering is in 2025!
Therefore, in the time period between now and then, we must be able to have a meaningful control of the conduct of the IESL College of Engineering.
HOW CAN WE CONTROL THE ACTIVITIES?
There are 3 main aspects that need careful control:
(1). Who is allowed to get enrolled - we must ensure that any student getting enrolled in the IESL College of Engineering is someone who is fully qualified similar to a state university undergraduate student in terms of GCE A/L mathematics stream preparation and aptitude.
(2). Who is allowed to teach - we must ensure that every lecturer at IESL College of Engineering is fully qualified similar to a state university senior lecturer (at least Senior Lecturer Grade II). We need to prevent various people without required qualifications and experience turning this into an easy money making place. That would place the students as well as their future employers in serious trouble.
(3). Who is allowed to control the recruitment of students, academic staff, technical staff, and institution quality control - we must ensure that the IESL College of Engineering is not run mainly as a profit making business where it recruits unsuitable and under-qualified students, where it recruits unqualified and inexperienced individuals as lecturers, where it teach course material and conduct practicals at a level far below standards and finally award the IESL Associate Membership!
The resolutions are to prevent the above harmful and unethical activities from happening repeatedly.
WHAT ARE THE RESOLUTIONS?
Below is a summary of the resolutions.
(1). Resolution to Establish a Board of Academic Administration for the IESL College of Engineering - To prevent running the IESL CoE as a for-profit business where a select group of people could profit from through various payments.
(2). Resolution to Establish a Minimum Achievement Standard as Entry Qualification Criteria to the IESL College of Engineering Study Programs - To prevent recruiting students to IESL CoE who will not be accepted to any engineering or technical study program because they have not shown the aptitude and mathematical skills required.
(3). Resolution to Establish a Minimum Qualifications Standard as Academic Staff Recruitment Criteria to the IESL College of Engineering - To prevent giving lecturing jobs to unqualified individuals and allowing them to claim being lecturers at an IESL operated institution.
(4). Resolution to strengthen the independence of the IESL as the signatory accreditation body for Sri Lanka in Washington Accord Accreditation - To prevent IESL Council members and committee members from being paid by the IESL CoE and thereby being influenced by those financial benefits when making decisions.
(5). Resolution to request the on-line publication of information pertaining to Right to Information Act - To prevent the IESL Council from not disclosing important information with regard to the IESL CoE from the general membership.
(6). Resolution to request the fulfillment of the undertaking given at the IESL AGM 2016 on financial transactions of IESL CoE - To insist for the IESL Council to disclose in detail who is financially benefiting from the IESL CoE and expose who are continuing to promote unethical business practices.
(7). Resolution to improve the decision making capability of the IESL Council (to amend By-law 44 and By-law 49) - To prevent activities of the small clique of interested individuals unethically influencing IESL Council decisions in favour of continuing with the unethical business practices of IESL CoE.
(8). Resolution to re-assert the request of the corporate membership of IESL to continue the provision of on-line electronic voting facility - To ensure the broadest possible participation of general membership in electing the IESL Council so that a small number of vociferous individuals who want to run the IESL CoE business are not able to dominate the IESL Council and go against the wishes of the IESL members.
(9). Resolution to request the publication of investigative report on the alleged election fraud - To expose the lack of resolute action on the part of the IESL Council in taking action on very serious irregularities.
(10). Resolution to change the name of the Information Technology & Communication Engineering Sectional Committee of the IESL (to amend By-law 98(i)) - To expose that the IESL Council not doing work that is important and relevant to the membership but spending time, money and effort on continuing with activities that the general membership has repeatedly requested to refrain from.
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