Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL) shift to a new building
The Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL) which was established as a precursor to the establishment of a Sarvodaya Rural University (SRU) moves to a new building on 26th June , 2008 at the Sarvodaya Head Quitters to broaden its services effectively. Sarvodaya Environment Unit also established in the same building.
The structure of the proposed Sarvodaya Rural University consists essentially of a widely-spread, diverse set of learning centers supported by a core learning center. The core learning center will in many ways resemble a traditional university with its faculties, departments, institutes, professional staff, etc. The core is expected to evolve over time to meet the needs of the people the Rural University is expected to serve, who will be in the main the rural poor in Sri Lanka.
The widely-spread, diverse set of learning centers will be the villages/communities in Sri Lanka, starting with those with which the Sarvodaya Sangamaya is currently working with. The Sarvodaya Rural University will work with the assumption that any village/community in Sri Lanka is a potential learning center working in close collaboration with the core learning center. The problems of the village/community as perceived by them, are the priority areas for the work of the Rural University. The Sarvodaya Rural University will be regarded as being effective to the extent that it assists the communities in dealing satisfactorily with their problems. The community will participate in this process. The human, material and other resources the core learning center will attempt to acquire will be such as to facilitate and promote this process.
While the core learning center will have an academic staff and other staff as needed, the Sarvodaya Rural University will co-opt the expertise available in the villages/communities and recognize them as visiting/part-time staff who will not only work on the site but may also work at the core learning center. Thus the Sarvodaya Rural University is expected to have a relatively large visiting/part-time staff many of whom are expected to work on a voluntary basis except for some payments to compensate them for loss of earnings on account of working for the Rural University.