Council of Rectors defines lines of action to face the academic and financial situation of its universities

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The new executive vice president of CRUCH, Juan Manuel Zolezzi, reiterated "the importance of the effort that universities have made to maintain academic activities and the multiple initiatives that they have developed to help face the health emergency", during the session this Thursday 28 of May.

In addition, the Youth Culture and Coexistence Commission of the CRUCH presented a report with proposals to generate spaces that allow better coexistence within the universities.

In the session of the Council of Rectors this Thursday, May 28, headed by its new executive vice president, rector Juan Manuel Zolezzi of the University of Santiago, the main results of the first month of management were addressed and the report of the Culture Commission was presented Youth and Coexistence of CRUCH, among other relevant topics. The Undersecretary of Higher Education, Juan Eduardo Vargas, was also present at the meeting.

When addressing the account of the vice-presidency, Rector Zolezzi referred to the intervention of the CRUCH in the special session of the Senate Education and Culture Commission last Monday, May 25, whose objective was to analyze the situation of the universities in the context of the health emergency due to Covid-19.

In relation to CRUCH's proposals in the Senate committee, the executive vice president reiterated "the importance of the effort that universities have made to maintain academic activities and the multiple initiatives that they have developed to help face the health emergency." He also gave an account of the investment of resources and the difficulties and limitations that derive from this scenario and that have had a strong impact on the financial status of the institutions.

On this occasion, both the executive vice president of CRUCH, as well as the presidents of the Consortium of State Universities (CUECH), rector of the University of Chile, Ennio Vivaldi; from the G-9 Network, rector of the Universidad Católica del Maule, Diego Durán; and from the Regional University Association (AUR), rector of the University of Playa Ancha, Patricio Sanhueza; They proposed a set of measures that would make it possible to face the difficulties that universities are going through. The Senate committee agreed to continue with the analysis of this situation next Monday, June 1.

Strengthening of university coexistence

In this session, the main results of the work of the CRUCH Youth Culture and Coexistence Commission, which was formed in April 2019 with the aim of making a diagnosis that would allow universities a better understanding of students, were also released. , and to generate proposals for a better university coexistence.

The commission made up of different academics from the Council of Rectors presented a report that, in the first place, reveals a new profile of university students, characterized by the horizontality of their relationships, the self-management, assembly as a form of organization and unemployment as a demonstration practice.

Considering the social and political effects of the social crisis (October 2019) and the current situation of the pandemic, the commission prepared a proposal that includes 3 axes: management and institutional policy; integral formation; and monitoring and systematization.

In the first axis, it is recommended that the governance of the university be participatory and collaborative among various actors of the university community; install dialogue processes, constructive spaces and collaboration; as well as generating meeting / reencounter spaces for the university community.

For the second axis, the commission proposes to develop and strengthen integral training processes in the university community; and develop and enhance leadership capacities with democratic and collaborative styles.

Finally, for the third axis, it is identified as relevant to promote coordinated and permanent actions, within the CRUCH, in university coexistence and social dialogue.

After the presentation, the CRUCH plenary ratified the importance of the relationship with the students, as well as generating spaces that allow university coexistence based on respect and democratic values.

Juries for National Awards

On the other hand, the full CRUCH elected its representatives to integrate the juries that will decide the National Awards to be delivered this year: Natural Sciences; Applied and Technological Sciences; Story; Musical Arts and Literature.

The elected representatives were: the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Ignacio Sánchez, for the National Prize for Natural Sciences; the rector Rafael Correa, from the O'Higgins University, for Applied and Technological Sciences; the rector of the University of Playa Ancha, Patricio Sanhueza, for History; the rector of the Catholic University of Temuco, Aliro Bórquez, for Musical Arts; and the rector of the Metropolitan University of Education Sciences, Jaime Espinoza, to settle the National Prize for Literature.