At the end of the 1950s, Muslim community leaders in East Java proposed the idea of establishing an Islamic college through the Ministry of Religious Affairs. They held a meeting in Jombang in 1961, and during the meeting, Soenarjo, who later became the rector of Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, attended as a resource to convey the necessary issues for the foundation of the college. In the final session of the meeting, the forum endorsed several important decisions, including the establishment of State Islamic University Committee, the faculty of sharia in Surabaya, and the faculty of tarbiyah in Malang. On October 9, 1961, the foundation established the faculty of sharia and the faculty of tarbiyah. On October 28, 1961, the Minister of Religious Affairs issued Decree No. 17/1961, to legalize the establishment these faculties. Then on October 1, 1964, faculty of ushuluddin in Kediri was inaugurated based on the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs No. 66/1964. Bringing together the above three faculties, the Minister of Religious Affairs issued Decree No. 20/1965 on the establishment of IAIN Sunan Ampel based in Surabaya. Subsequently, IAIN Sunan Ampel expanded rapidly. In the period between 1966 and 1970, IAIN Sunan Ampel already had 18 faculties spread over three provinces, East Java, East Kalimantan and West Nusa Tenggara. However, when accreditation of IAIN faculty is applied, five of the 18 faculties were closed to be combined with the other adjacent faculty. Furthermore, with the government regulation no. 33 in 1985, the faculty of tarbiyah in Samarinda was separated and submitted its management to IAIN Antasari Banjarmasin. In addition, the faculty of tarbiyah in Bojonegoro was transferred to Surabaya and changed its status to the faculty of tarbiyah under the management of IAIN Surabaya. During this time, IAIN Sunan Ampel had 12 faculties scattered throughout East Java and one faculty each in Mataram, Lombok and West Nusa Tenggara. Today, IAIN Sunan Ampel is concentrated in five parental faculties located in Surabaya. Since October 1, 2013, IAIN Sunan Ampel changed its name to UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya based on Presidential Decree No. 65. Today, the issue arises regarding the transformation into the more secular-oriented curriculum which aimed at the increase in the enrollments. Raised concerns are adverse effects in the quality of religious education which potentially result in the proliferation of radicalism results from the religious ignorance.
