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ln our quest to implement a qualitymanagement system for the new proposedstudent centric marketing degreeprogramme, we opted to go for ISOcertification. Our belief is that, this wouldhelp the new curriculurn model to maintaina high quality standard, essentially in theareas of teaching, delivering, curriculumdevelopment, skill development andassessments. This also would help tomaintain consistency, said University ofKelaniya Faculty of Commerce &Management, Department of MarketingManagement head, Dr. BandaraWanninayake, exclusively to Ceylon FT.

He explained, "After due inspection bythe authorities, the department ofmarketing of the University of Kelaniya wasgranted ISO 9001/2008". Dr. Wanninayakewas joined in the discussion by seniorlecturer and coordinator SugeethPatabendige.

Dr. Wanninayake explained the history ofthe department of marketing managementof Kelaniya University briefly. He recalled,"Our department stafied in 1998 as aseparate unit under the faculty ofcommerce and management studies. Weoperated for over five years in this mannerand we were granted departmental statusin 2005. Since then, over 900 graduateshave passed out to join the marketing field.More than 75Yo of lhe graduates areworking in the industry and some workingabroad, and a few are working ingovernment and public sectororganizations. We found that more than98% of them are employed. This is anindication that there is no issue for ourgraduates in seeking employment".

Harness the potential

Dr. Wanninayaka explained the thinkingbehind obtaining ISO certification. Heclaimed, an analysis of the potential of thegraduates and their actual jobs and theirposition after 10 years; what they aspired tobe in the career path, revealed there was asignificant gap between actual and thepotential outcome in this respect. "Weaddressed this issue by including a verysystematic programme to the degreeprogramme. We submitted our proposal tothe World Bank. After careful scrutiny of theprogramme the World Bank funded usunder the Higher Education for the Twentyfirst Gentury (HETC) project".

Explaining the proposed model he said,"We proposed a detailed systematic module

University of Kelaniya

Department of M a:keti ngffiffircatlon

iii

present the faculty offers 120 credits for themarketing degree programme. Howeverhitherto there were few other activities whichare periodic in nature but aimed at enhancingstudent's skills attached with the degreeprogramme. We never had a formal methodwhich is aimed at developing the students.Having student development in mind weproposed in addition to the degree, two morepillars. One is aimed at developing studentskills, where we introduced diploma inpeople's skills. This starts from first yearsecond semester. This is not compulsory, butopen for any internal student to follow free ofcharge".

Explaining further he said the secondpillar was, "To implement Enterpriseresource planning (ERP) through anagreement reached with a Systems,Applications and Products (SAP) in dataprocessing company. This is aimed toprovide ERP training and train the studentinto an ERP environment in addition todegree. This gives students three options.One is only to follow the degree and gainthe marketing special degree afier fouryears. The second option is doing thedegree and people's skills diploma, thethird option is with this to develop ERPskills as well. All three completed graduateswe tag as certified Frofessional marketinggraduate (CPMG). This is our generalplan".

With this Dr. Wanninayake explained thatimplementing a quality standard for thedegree was envisaged and for this theyopted to go for ISO certification. After a dueand intense scrutiny ISO 9001/2008 wasgranted to the UK by the standards bureau.

He claimed, "According to ourunderstandinq in Sri Lankan universitv

Sugeeth Patabendige

Moratuwa University had it some time agobut they no longer have it. As awe are the only one to have it. ln KelaniyaUniversity only the Marketing Managementdepartment has it," he reiterated.

The changes

Course coordinator practical training,World Bank'QlG Grant' professionalgraduate development and senior lecturerSugeeth Patabendige explained thechanges that had been introduced to thedegree programme. He highlighted thestudent centric feature and how thecomponents were interwoven to producethe end product a practical graduate who is'able to face the challenges looming in theindustry job market. i

He was highly critical of the system whicilexisted at the time this change was broughtabout. He said, l'As a department we havebeen doing different discarded :

programmes overtime. Whenever there arecompetitions we took students there to takepart and they won many prizes over theyears. Also we had fashion shows andsimulation events and all these in adiscarded manner".

Three draw hacks

Explaining further he said, "We havegone to the ground level and donemarketing research with students. He speltout the three draw backs which were in theprevious programme. The problem we hadwas: a) none of these were connected; b)we were not strengthening the academicprogramme; c) We also had the problem ofnot havino enouoh resources".

Dr. Bandara Wanninayoke

f.'' ,

I

Management

hea: a: :-;: : ".e .,,,nen we got this project;wi'6rs t,r - .:-. :' rl gher Education decidedto ;: ":' : -::-e- :.anche of this HETCprcs'a-*: i, -e^ lhis new tranche cameor.rl ilre ;:; :l :.cgramme requirementwas ':' - -: , :: , g ;ocus. Our projectprc:,:s4: .' :-: ^rtial Stage wOn. At theSBC,:,-r 3-.::: :-i cfficials from HETC camefor a- -=:+:t :- and after a thoroughins:e:: . - r.; ,',3^ the grant. We won as noon: :- : - ::- : :^s management facultiesof -- , =-":

- == - S.i Lanka was able to fulfillthe s: : - :':,: '::,:trements".

S,,..€:- :: : 3 ^ed the activities in thepr.,:-:--: .,',e ^ave three activities inth s :=::- .':':_:ct. The first is based ontl'e =':--=-"-=: r the previouss)",- -::: . :-e subjects which were in thefirs: ., -=' :, :: -s .,,anishes in the next year,ar: r,-:- : :: -es to the third year, thepre, :-: -^": ,:;.s SubjeCtSwerenotthE': a- : :-:': /lere altogether newsu:.il:: *- : -i lormal in universityac.e::- ::-::-:1mes.

''rr,: r,,?-! -=: -: of this and students toowE':':: -: :':- s . He explained threereas.:-: ':" :.: -g fed up: a) because therewa: -: :-2: -'= s evation Of knowledge,,; here:3-:-": ''. -: ,r edge is a gradual elevation.Tf :'= ,.:-: - : :-tn gradual elevation in thepr':,,--1--n : :_r students took text booksf ro- :- : - - 1- I US and went into the classro:- 1-: : : :-3 case studies. These CasesL: €,: .-: -:: a: all applicable to Sri Lankain -.: - , ::: -::).:s. They f irst needed to beor=--3: :: :-: ccal context". c) The thirdpr:.: €- ,!:_s :-at the department ofr.r,a'.:: - I * a^agement did not have thecre: :' :, as a department. Because we\l'e-i : , +-,

", cung department within the

\l;-,:,. -- ,:"s,ry context, and the outsidepe.,: : -a: a oetter perception ofrna-=;:-=-: of other universities in SriLa-. " a-: s;rely not for Kelaniya. We felttl'a: ,r : - a: io win the credibility in a way weca.^ ,-: :-: and market ourselves.

-: ere ained how the work progressedtc,', a:ls ine implementation of the newprc.i'arlme with these three problems inn-r1.l.

Implementing the newpr0gramme

With this in mind we started the firstactivity towards the new programme.

"With these problems in mind we startedactivity one. One, is that we havedeveloped a curriculum fully approved andcurrently operational, which involves nir.epillars. They are subject domains. \,^,,^:-

Dr Wanninayakealso a continuation. This increases theknowledge level. We are looking at what isknown as a gradual knowledgetransformation. What we did was, wecreated what we call level descriptors".

Sugeeth explained the leveldescriptors.

"On the first year, we create a marketingassociate and his knowledge and attitudelevel defined. For this we are targeting thecontent. Second year, we have designateda marketing analyst and his knowledge,skills, attitude level defined. Now we havedeveloped our product: Now what is ourproduct? For this we are not going to teachstudents everything that we can think of -there are people who think you will neverget an opportunity to learn these. But weare only giving them a tool set. lt is theywho have to perform the job," he said.

"The next level is marketing specialist.There again you can see knowledge, skill,attitude, and the final level we are lookingat is a strategist. That is what we call thegeneralist".

Clarifying further Sugeeth said, "What wehave done is, by the third year we havemade them marketing specialists. ln thefinal year we are giving them a roundedproduct. He has got to be a strategist whocan go and work as a General Manager,going up to CEO level; inculcate marketingculture within the organization and drive theorganization forward".

Sugeeth explained further about thechanges which have been inculcated intothe teaching method, the podcast andwodcast, the unique and transparent papersetting and marking going in line withstudents thinking. Sugeeth also briefed thenew concept of Learning ManagementSystem (LMS). He said 20 course unit casestudies will be replaced by Sri Lankan casestudies which would help students to get aSri Lankan flavour. However the remainderof case studies would give the foreignflavour in order to give a global exposure.

He said, working towards ISO was ateam effort. The ambiance of thedepartment was such. :'a: all workedtirelessly towards ga'- -!:^e ISOcertification. Howe,: - ,',

=saraJayawickrama. Sa- : ::- Gunawardana,and Maduree F='^,,-:: r,ere shoulderingmore weight i.:-: -:-l3a',/ours.

l" conclus :- -: :i::-e currentS, ::-S,',:-: -::+':':'2 a.'.='2-<+'- Z-.l