Committee of Academic Vice-Rectors
The Commission of Academic Vice-Rectors of CRUCH will support the Undersecretariat of Higher Education with proposals that allow progress in the modernization agenda.
The Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana, made the request to the vice-rectors of the CRUCH universities: “We are very interested in working with you to develop a long-term state policy.” Over the next two years, the focus would be on the structure of degrees and titles.
In the March session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), the Undersecretary of Higher Education requested support to advance the “Modernization Agenda of Higher Education”, agreeing that the most suitable body for this was the Commission of Academic Vice-Rectors, CoVRA.
In this context, the vice-rectors of the 30 CRUCH universities met on April 17 and 18 at the University of Los Andes. Participants included the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana; the head of the University Education Division, Elisa Zenteno; the rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), Elisa Araya, who is accompanying the commission; the rector of the University of O'Higgins, Fernanda Kri; the rector of the University of Los Andes, José Antonio Guzmán; and the general secretary of CRUCH, Angélica Bosch.
“We are very interested in working with you to develop a long-term state policy (…) We want to chart a course intelligently, with pilot programs evaluated in the areas and disciplines where it is easiest to implement, and with a postgraduate funding policy linked to undergraduate studies, which we currently lack,” stated the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana. He added that in the next two years, “the ideal would be to work on the structure of degrees and titles.”.
Along the same lines, the head of the University Education Division, Elisa Zenteno, stated that “the CRUCH universities have made consistent progress in this task since 2013, but what we want to ask for now is help in developing a work plan that can be replicated throughout the rest of the Higher Education system.”.
In this regard, the Commission's president and academic vice-rector of the Catholic University of the North, Nelson Fernández, stated that they are pleased with the invitation and that it is "a challenging task for the commission, which will require significant collaboration from the other Council commissions, such as Postgraduate Studies and Teaching, in order to address it effectively." He added that they hope "to contribute to this challenge to which we have been called.".
It is worth remembering that the “Modernization Agenda for Higher Education”, presented to the CRUCH plenary session in May 2023, seeks to review the structure of titles and degrees, to move towards a micro-credential scheme; enable more flexible training pathways with a lifelong learning perspective; promote better articulation between educational levels and types of training; and promote the recognition of learning achieved in different training contexts.
First meeting of the year
The CoVRA plenary session, the first in-person meeting of the year, was opened by Rector Elisa Araya, who emphasized the importance of the commission for its role in coordinating other university areas. She also invited the vice-rectors to keep in mind “our strategic role for the development of the country through our Council of Rectors, of which you are the thinking heart.”.
Similarly, Rector Guzmán, from the host university, stated that “what is discussed here in this meeting is very important, very necessary, and complementary to what is done at the meeting of rectors. We share best practices and consider specific issues that directly affect the classroom and the education of our students.”.
Regarding the agenda of topics for the meeting, and in line with academic modernization, the discussion was fostered on the Transferable Credit System (TCS) and the National Qualifications Framework.
In addition, presentations were included from the presidents of other CRUCH commissions and networks: Admission and Registration; Postgraduate Studies; University Coexistence and Mental Health; as well as the network of Directors of Student Affairs and Undergraduate Teaching.
Transferable Credit System and National Qualifications Framework
The Rector of the University of O'Higgins, Fernanda Kri, was responsible for presenting on the Transferable Credit System (TCS) and curricular innovation. In this context, she stated that one of the most relevant aspects of curricular innovation is that it places the student at the center, which entails: focusing training on learning; improving the relevance of training; balancing the academic workload to improve learning and mental well-being; making study plans more flexible; articulating educational levels; promoting student mobility; and improving retention and graduation rates.
On the other hand, Elisa Marchant, academic director of Finis Terrae University, presented on the National Qualifications Framework (MNC), stating that “Chile needs a Qualifications Framework that represents a broad social agreement (…) and it must also be established by law (…)”. From her perspective, “this should be the central axis, the backbone, of the modernization of the Higher Education system.”.
In 2003, CRUCH agreed to implement a Transferable Credit System; in 2006, a model was defined; and in 2013, a SCT manual.
Regarding the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) For Higher Education, it was published in 2016, which consists of an instrument for the development, classification and recognition of skills, knowledge and competencies throughout the different educational levels.
Lines of work 2024
The vice-rectors defined some of their work priorities for this year. Among them is the development of a diagnostic study to contribute to academic modernization.
In addition, it was agreed to carry out a survey on the impact of inclusion gaps and a seminar on Academic Integrity and University Coexistence, which will take place at UMCE during August.
On the other hand, two working subcommittees were created: Rules of Coexistence and Good Treatment; and National Diagnostic Evaluation (END) and Accreditation of Pedagogies.
On this occasion, recognition was given to the work of Eduardo Silva, former rector of Alberto Hurtado University, who served as acting rector of the commission for three years. Recognition was also given to the members of the previous CoVra board: Danae de los Ríos Escobar, Academic Vice-Rector of Diego Portales University; Fernando Purcell Torretti, Academic Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; and Pamela Ibarra Palma, Vice-Rector of Undergraduate Studies at the University of La Frontera.
Text: CRUCH Communications
Photographs: UAndes Communications
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