Academic Vice-Rectors meet with Mineduc to analyze Higher Education Reform

The Academic Vice-Rectors of the universities of the Council of Rectors met with authorities from the Ministry of Education with the purpose of understanding the main advances in the design of the reforms to higher education and establishing areas for the contribution of proposals from the CRUCH universities.

On Wednesday, September 3, a meeting was held in Santiago between the Academic Vice-Rectors of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), representing 23 universities across the country. Álvaro Cabrera, representative of the Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, attended and gave a comprehensive and detailed presentation on the main pillars of the Higher Education reform.

In the first part, he outlined the strategic objectives of the Reform, such as articulating and regulating a mixed system with defined roles for different institutions, strengthening Public Education through state institutions; generating a robust quality assurance system; and financing institutions with accreditation conditions, agreed-upon tuition fees, and the signing of a “public commitment agreement.” He then explained the guidelines in the areas of regulation, financing, quality assurance, and access.

Following the presentation by the Division of Higher Education, the vice-rectors expressed their gratitude for this opportunity for exchange and raised several concerns regarding the implementation timelines for the changes, the coordination among the various transformation processes, priorities, and avenues for dialogue, among other topics. They also emphasized the need to include other relevant issues, such as the diversity of the higher education system, the equity that universities have been developing, and the situation of universities in the regions. Finally, they raised some questions about current processes (2014) and the development of higher education support programs, particularly concerning the role of MECE and CONICYT during this period of change.

The broad interest and willingness to engage in dialogue shown by the Higher Education Division led to proposals for a follow-up meeting, in which the Academic Vice-Rectorates of the CRUCH universities will contribute to the debate on quality and equity in higher education. A date was agreed upon for this second meeting, to continue fostering dialogue based on experiences, analyses, and proposals.