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After leaving the executive vice-presidency of the Council of Rectors, the rector of the University of Santiago takes stock of his two years in office and assures that "all the achievements obtained in this period are not the work of a single person, but are the fruits of collective effort.".
The former executive vice president highlights the work carried out by the Council and its universities to face the Covid-19 pandemic, the contributions regarding regulated fees, the implementation of Law No. 21,091 and the contributions to the constituent process.
In addition, Zolezzi values that "the Council is a democratic organization and a collaborative workspace, where complex issues are addressed with a broad perspective and a deep commitment to the well-being of the country and its inhabitants.".
Last Thursday, July 28, the rector of the University of Santiago de Chile, Juan Manuel Zolezzi Cid, left the executive vice-presidency of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), a position he had held since May 2020.
Rector Zolezzi is a civil electrical engineer from the State Technical University, holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Chile, and a PhD in Engineering Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He has had a fruitful career as a researcher on Fondecyt projects and as an evaluator of scientific papers presented at national and international conferences.
His career has been deeply intertwined with USACH since 1976, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Electrical Engineering and held various leadership positions, including head of that academic unit and of Planning and Information Technology. In 2006, he was elected rector of the institution, a position to which he was re-elected three times and which he will relinquish in August.
After his departure from the executive vice-presidency of the Council, Juan Manuel Zolezzi says he has “a positive view” of this period, “despite the fact that we had to face, as CRUCH universities, the consequences of the social uprising and a pandemic never before seen, with terrible consequences for the national community, from which our university communities were not exempt.”.
When assessing the situation, the former executive vice president of CRUCH emphasizes that “I can say with satisfaction that the Council managed to remain united during a time of upheaval, and this unity has been possible thanks to the respect that exists among the rectors and also among the institutions. The Council is a democratic organization and a collaborative workspace, where complex issues are addressed with a broad perspective and a deep commitment to the well-being of the country and its inhabitants.”.
Lessons learned from the pandemic
-From your perspective, what were the main achievements of this administration?
First of all, I want to emphasize that there are no personal achievements here, because the Council is a collaborative workspace, where the rectors make available our strengths and capabilities to contribute to the well-being of our university communities, the regions to which we belong and the country as a whole.
In this context, one of the main contributions during this period was the work of the CRUCH universities during the pandemic, a scenario we have faced with multiple institutional capacities, some of which we discovered during these two years. We are proud to highlight one of our achievements: the support provided to students, faculty, and staff, maintaining the full range of their undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, and community engagement activities.
-What did it mean to lead the plenary session of university presidents in this scenario?
Undoubtedly, the pandemic was a tremendous challenge for the executive vice-presidency of CRUCH and for the entire plenary, because all our universities had to act quickly to maintain online educational services, as well as the functioning and management of the institutions during the period of confinement.,
I would also like to emphasize that the CRUCH institutions did not only act on the educational front. They also demonstrated their solidarity, sharing all their resources to address the health emergency. This meant making their laboratories, hospitals, and university clinics available to the country to receive patients with Covid-19 or referrals of patients with other illnesses.
-The pandemic also created a complex financial scenario for universities. What actions did CRUCH take to guarantee the sustainability of the institutions?
Each of the CRUCH universities undertook various actions to offset the costs of this health emergency and ensure the needs of their communities were met. Crucial to this situation was the CRUCH's unwavering and collective defense of its institutions, through negotiations with legislative and executive bodies, to reverse the adjustments proposed by the government in the 2021 and 2022 budget laws, which could have further aggravated the universities' situation.
I also want to highlight that, thanks to the efforts of the Council, we were able to use the surpluses of the University Credit Solidarity Fund (FSCU) in the 2021 and 2022 Budgets.
-In your opinion, what lessons did the pandemic teach to university life? What elements and/or practices should remain permanently in university practices?
The pandemic certainly had a global impact on all aspects of life, including university activities. We had to shift all in-person activities to a remote format, which was not without its challenges, given that members of the university community do not have the same resources and access to a reliable internet connection and/or appropriate technological equipment. Furthermore, members of our communities had to fulfill their academic responsibilities while also managing household chores and family life, which presented an even greater challenge for everyone.
In this sense, one of the lessons learned from this experience is mainly linked to understanding that, currently, the internet is a basic service for the population and, therefore, its access must be guaranteed if we want to continue advancing in terms of development.
-And what about the academic offerings and training processes?
In the logic of globalization, it is essential for higher education institutions to have virtual courses that allow access to knowledge from any geographical point, thus breaking down physical limits and promoting the democratization of knowledge, allowing it to be taken out of the classroom.
Inter-institutional collaboration has also proven to be fundamental, because it allows the sharing of good practices, projects and initiatives that help in the improvement of educational methodologies, curricula and their adaptation to the new needs imposed on us by the 21st century.
Contributions to the Higher Education System
-Another challenge the Council faced in recent years was the implementation of various regulations related to Law No. 21,091. In your opinion, what were the most important issues?
It is important to highlight that CRUCH has been rigorous in fulfilling its role as an advisory body to the Ministry of Education, and although we have had differences with the authorities on some issues, these have been effectively resolved through the appropriate administrative channels.
An example of this has been the debate on regulated tariffs, an area in which CRUCH has been very active. The Council has established guidelines in this area, aiming to contribute to the design of a comprehensive and harmonious public policy that takes into account the role of complex institutions in the knowledge society and their heterogeneity.
Although during 2020 and 2021 we had major disagreements with the authorities regarding the shortcomings in the process of establishing the technical bases - concerns ratified by the Comptroller General of the Republic - today we recognize the willingness of the Undersecretariat of Higher Education to carry out a process in accordance with the requirements of the law, and therefore we accepted the invitation to participate in this instance.
Another step forward was the transfer of the admissions system from the SUA (Single Admissions System) to the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. Our intention has been, and continues to be, to develop a framework that allows our universities to better navigate this landscape of change and to make the experience of university teams available to the new institutional structure.
The Council has also been involved in discussions on other issues of concern for higher education, such as new accreditation criteria and standards, and the decline in enrollment in teacher training programs, a problem that requires a systemic approach to overcome.
On the other hand, the state universities have participated in the implementation of Law No. 21,094, each of them has already presented their draft new statutes and the Coordination Council of the State Universities has been established.
-Besides Law No. 21,091, what other actions developed by CRUCH stand out in this assessment?
It is important to highlight the work carried out in the area of gender equality and, in particular, the steps taken in implementing Law No. 21,369, which regulates sexual harassment, violence, and gender discrimination in higher education. To this end, the Council, through its Gender Equality Commission, has evaluated the achievements of universities in this area and has planned actions to continue making progress.
-Another milestone that has marked recent years has been the constitutional process. What stands out about the contribution of the CRUCH universities to this process?
The country is facing a historic moment with the Constitutional Convention process. The whole world is watching us because we are witnessing an unprecedented event where 154 democratically elected constitutional delegates have had the responsibility of uniting, reaching consensus on, and debating the main aspects that should be included in the new Constitution.
In this process that lasted a year and ended a few days ago, the CRUCH universities played a fundamental role, by making all the knowledge and expertise of the university communities available to the conventional students.
Here I want to highlight the various actions that universities promote, such as discussions, seminars, webinars, document preparation, public policy proposals, among others; where all the constituent bodies participated.
Future challenges for CRUCH
-After your term in office, what areas of development and lines of work should CRUCH prioritize?
I believe the Council of Rectors must continue to exercise its role as an advisory body in proposing public policies with conviction. Our organization comprises 30 prestigious universities with proven track records of service to the country and their respective communities, generating knowledge and research in diverse areas throughout Chile. I hope our institutions will maintain their characteristic generosity and continue serving the nation.
In the specific field of higher education, I believe that the next challenges will be linked to the implementation of Law No. 21,091, so the design of regulated fees and the need to review the financing model that currently governs the sector will continue to be a topic of discussion.
I also foresee that we must continue to move decisively toward gender equality in our institutions and encourage enrollment in teacher training programs. Both of these dimensions require determined work among various stakeholders to achieve progress, and I believe that CRUCH is in a position to continue contributing in that direction.
-What message do you have for the full assembly of university presidents?
First of all, I want to thank my colleagues for their continued support of this administration, for always being available to find solutions to the problems and challenges we have faced over these past two years. I want to reiterate that all the achievements obtained during this period are not the work of a single person, but rather the fruit of the collective effort of the university presidents.
I also want to acknowledge your constant spirit of learning and your genuine interest in contributing to the higher education system and the well-being of the country. I am convinced that these qualities are the Council's greatest assets in the face of the challenges it will encounter in the years to come.
* The Management Report of the Executive Vice Presidency of CRUCH for the period May 2020 – July 2022 is available here.
Photographs: USACH Communications – UPLA Communications
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