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At Thursday's meeting of the Council of Rectors, the Undersecretary of Higher Education presented a work schedule and the main guidelines for implementing regulated tuition fees. The executive vice president of CRUCH acknowledged progress in this process. “First, there is the recognition of complexity, since a training model without complexity is inconceivable in the knowledge society, and we believe progress is being made in this area. There is also progress in recognizing the diversity of quality.”.
The monthly meeting of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) was led by the Minister of Education, Marco Antonio Ávila, in his capacity as president, who addressed the higher education modernization agenda being promoted by his ministry. Also participating in the meeting were the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Aisén Etcheverry; the Superintendent of Higher Education, José Miguel Salazar; and the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana.
The Minister of Education, Marco Antonio Ávila, opened the plenary session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), which took place this Thursday, July 27, at the University of the Andes. Also participating were the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation (CTCI), Aisén Etcheverry; the Superintendent of Higher Education, José Miguel Salazar; and the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana.
Minister Ávila, in his capacity as president of CRUCH, highlighted the higher education modernization agenda being promoted by the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. In this regard, he stated to the CRUCH rectors that “you yourselves have established some agreements regarding the importance of this modernization process for analyzing the most structural aspects of our system, considering that higher education is a space for societal transformation.”.
He added that “this has multiple dimensions that need to be addressed, not only those related to financing, which we know is always a concern and where we have a significant debt, but also in terms of the educational projects that higher education offers the country. This is also linked to the process of modernizing the State and decentralization.” Along these lines, he acknowledged the work of regional universities “that place a strong emphasis on how to strengthen this offering.”.
The Minister also valued CRUCH's participation in initiatives such as the recently created Mental Health Advisory Council, and in how to address the teacher shortage in the country through initiatives that promote young people's interest in studying pedagogy.
Advances in Regulated Tariffs
Regarding the implementation of regulated tuition fees, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana, stated that “thanks to the 2018 law and the policy of scope and institutionalization, we have been moving, in terms of undergraduate funding, from a system of historical tuition fees to one of cost-based tuition fees. This process will naturally lead to changes, and these always present challenges, but I am confident that we can address them effectively and through dialogue.”.
“We want this model to recognize the complexity and quality of educational environments. This is very important, as this general principle will provide certainty to institutions within a regulated tuition fee model that adequately allows not only for operation but also for the long-term development of undergraduate education,” Orellana explained.
The undersecretary also commented that last year they developed a systematic work at the level of consultation, dialogue and hearing, and took the opportunity to thank the Economic Commission of CRUCH, its vice-rectors, "who have truly been a very substantial contribution regarding the survey and the training they gave us, which have allowed us to improve.".
In this regard, the executive vice president of CRUCH, Emilio Rodríguez, stated that regulated tuition fees “will always be a very difficult issue to address and resolve, due to their very nature. However, I believe the Undersecretariat is incorporating elements that are essential for the Council. First, the recognition of complexity, since a training model without complexity is inconceivable in the knowledge society, and we believe progress is being made in this area. Progress is also being made in recognizing the diversity of quality. CRUCH universities have the highest levels of quality in each of the regions where they are located and are among the best universities in the country. All those with seven years of accreditation are represented here, and consequently, complexity and quality are being recognized, which are central aspects for evolving from a model based on historical data to one based on real costs.”.
Regarding the work schedule, in October of this year, the regulated values will be updated according to the 2024 Budget Law inflation rate and institutional accreditation. Meanwhile, a schedule of activities is planned for next year to implement the regulatory process for the 2025 academic year.
Work tables
With regard to the participation of the Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication (CTCI), Aisén Etcheverry, the commitment to work together for the creation of consortium doctoral programs and to prioritize areas of development for the country was strengthened.
The Minister took the opportunity to highlight that the CRUCH “is a very relevant space, not only for science and technology policies, but also for the role that universities play in public policy and in the public institution, as well as in sustaining an idea of development that I believe we all share, and that is based on knowledge, science and technology, and that has the component of territorial unity, and that are principles that are reflected in the discussion.”.
Regarding the participation of the Superintendent of Higher Education, José Miguel Salazar, in the session, the executive vice president of CRUCH, Emilio Rodríguez, explained that “the implementation of the law allows for nuances, interpretations, and considerations that the Superintendency is trying to address. In this regard, there have been differing opinions on how to implement an oversight process within a framework where university autonomy is fundamental to the development of the higher education system. These challenges have been well received by the Superintendent, and we will form a commission with members of the Council to engage in a dialogue with the Superintendency.”.
To the above, Rector Rodríguez added that “we hope that the designs and implementations will be through dialogue, communication, conversation, and flexibility, essential pillars on which higher education is built in Chile and throughout the developed world.”.
Finally, the Council plenary session selected the members of the jury for the national awards coordinated by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage. The Rector of the University of Santiago, Rodrigo Vidal, will serve on the Visual Arts jury, and the Rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences, Elisa Araya, will serve on the Performing and Audiovisual Arts jury.
Text: CRUCH Communications
Photos: University of the Andes
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