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Colombo University forbids students from criticising the university online

02 Apr 2021

  • Issues social media guidelines

  • Disciplinary and legal action mooted

  The University of Colombo (UoC) has issued guidelines for students to follow when using social media platforms, including forbidding students from criticising the university. Certain guidelines, among others, read that students “should not criticise services, rules/regulations of the university, or staff members on social media, and could communicate concerns to university counsellors, academic co-ordinators/tutors, or other officials of the university instead”. The guidelines state that students are expected to use social media platforms adopting the “highest” ethical and behavioural standards as per the university’s social media guidelines. It covers appropriate best practices when one shares one’s ideas as an individual or as a group on dynamic and socially interactive applications. Furthermore, the guidelines state that the freedom of speech and expression “should not be used to attack organisations, groups, or individuals by posting hate speech, sharing others’ critical or sensitive messages, expressing opinions that will create suspicion or social unrest within the wider society using social media”, and that students who have contributed to or assisted in such activities using social media would face disciplinary action. “When one is sharing a post of some other person (friend or third party) on social media, one must be mindful that such postings may not be correct. If one has participated in false propaganda, intentionally or unintentionally, legal action could be taken against one,” the guidelines further read. When contacted by The Morning yesterday (1) regarding what action would be taken against students who violate the guidelines, UoC Vice Chancellor Prof. Chandrika N. Wijeyaratne was not available for comment. However, when inquired about their response to the guidelines, UoC Maha Shishya Sangamaya President Amila Buddika said that their Body opposes the content in the guidelines on the grounds that what was listed were not guidelines but rules. “These guidelines say that legal action and disciplinary action would be taken against students. Guidelines would not have such implications and would be mere requests. We are against the penalties. If we are going to face disciplinary action for criticising a lecturer on social media, that is not right,” Buddika said. Social media is a platform to express views freely and such guidelines do not suit a university, Buddika claimed. When inquired about these guidelines, Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) President Prof. Shyama Banneheka said that many such guidelines are issued as a result of quality assurance processes that are taking place in universities at present. “The quality assurance process has resulted in many policies and guidelines being issued,” he noted. He further said that these specific guidelines have not reached the FUTA in order for a comment on it to be issued. Social media platforms were used by university students to raise their concerns over academic and non-academic activities, especially during the islandwide lockdown and the closure of universities. However, highly placed sources in the university also said that digitisation has opened up new problems and that cybercrimes are a risk within the university system.


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