In 27.12.2022, under the Gazette Notification 2312/14, the Faculty of Computing was established as the 9th Faculty of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) with the three Departments: Department of Computing and Information Systems, Department of Data Science, and Department of Software Engineering, the total number of annual intake being 290.

The decade of skills development (2020 - 2030) has been designated with the goal of creating a digitally inclusive Sri Lanka and one that produces global technocrats with future-ready skills. In the meantime, the mandate for establishing the Faculty of Computing at SUSL was identified in the University Action Plan - 2021 “Way forward to a Smart University”. This was further supported by the findings of the reports of national IT industry steering bodies including the “National IT - BPM Workforce Survey 2019”, the findings of which called for a robust interaction between the education institutes and industry to produce a competent workforce. 

In light of this, starting in July 2021, the academic staff of the Department of Computing and Information Systems at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, SUSL under the leadership and guidance of Professor S. Vasanthapriyan, the former Head of the Department of Computing and Information Systems, initiated to prepare the proposal for the Establishment of Faculty of Computing. Accordingly, a comprehensive need analysis survey was carried out employing different stakeholder groups including university academics, researchers, industry representatives, alumni, representatives of government agencies, and IT industry governing bodies. The findings of the survey revealed a widening demand-supply gap as the major threat moving forward. 

The proposal for the Establishment of Faculty of Computing subsequently received the approval of the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Senate, and the Council of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.

In November 2021, the proposal to the UGC Quality Assurance Council was submitted, which was approved by April 2022.  The proposal was presented to the UGC and the UGC Commission approved the Establishment of the Faculty of Computing on the 6th of October 2022 as the 9th Faculty of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.

In making this accomplishment, we express our profound gratitude to Senior Prof. R.M.U.S.K. Rathnayake, the Vice Chancellor of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka; Prof. E.P.N. Udayakumara, the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dr. Rasangi Sabaragamuwa, the former Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences; Prof. Darshanee Ruwandeepika, the Director, Center for Quality Assurance; and Mr. Janitha Liyanage, Coordinator of the Faculty Quality Assurance Cell, for their invaluable guidance, inspiration, and support.  The cooperation extended by the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Higher Education throughout the entire process is greatly appreciated.  We owe our gratitude to Faculty members of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, members of the University Senate, and the Council. The cooperation extended by all the academic staff members including the visiting academics, academic-supportive and non-academic staff members, representatives from the ICT industry and the stakeholders from public and private sector organizations, the alumni and the undergraduates of the Department of Computing and Information Systems are highly acknowledged for their tremendous support and cooperation.

 As it develops and expands, the Faculty of Computing continues to look forward to the support and cooperation of all of its stakeholders, in order to maintain the effectiveness of the processes for ensuring high quality computing education at FoC.