San Jose, Costa Rica – Three days before being sworn in as president of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), Henning Jensen Pennington announced yesterday that change the system of admission for the academic year 2014. During the presentation of the five vice presidents who will accompany him during the administration, Jensen noted as a priority to restructure the model for a more equitable university.
The proposal includes the establishment of membership fees for students coming from less developed counties, natives and graduates of an open education system.
This could create opportunities for people from counties as Guatuso, León Cortés, Talamanca, Matina, Alvarado and Alajuelita, with very few college graduates, according to research by the National Council of Rectors (CONARE).
In large part this is because economic conditions prevent them from paying a career in a private school if they are admitted to a public one.
Jensen said he did not assign an additional points to those living in these areas, as do other public universities, but there will be a differential diagnosis for admission to them.
“We have very late in the development of another admission test, which would supplement (the current). The purpose is to improve the indicators of equity in access to higher education, “he said.
The president-elect said that the current test is an intelligence test, which requires that students understand the written language used.
However, he said, these analogies can also be presented graphically.
“Then, the host variable, which is highly dependent on socioeconomic factors, would be eliminated,” he stressed.
Increasingly, enter a public university is a difficult goal to achieve.
This year alone there were 445 more seats in the three schools that have entrance exam: UCR, National University (UNA) and Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR).
A total of 13,258 admitted students, this is half of those earning high school in 2011.
Many who did not find a field they had no choice but to seek a private university.
In fact, 67% of those undergoing a career in a particular educational center was the entrance examination of a public, according to a survey commissioned by the Union of Rectors of Private Universities (Unire).
Team. The details of the proposed Jensen know in at least one month, as is still being drafted.
The task of refining the details of that document is in charge of the Assumption Ruth Romero, Vice President for Student Life.
The other vice presidents chosen by Jensen to accompany him during his tenure are Alice Perez, Research, and Roberto Salom Echeverría, in the Vice Presidency for Social Action.
In addition, Carlos Araya Leandro occupy the vice presidency of Directors, and Bernal Herrera Montero, Teaching.
The new authorities of the UCR must also worry about expanding enrollment, but must first resolve the lack of physical space.
The Chancellor announced that promote the creation of a science park, which will very closely the loan that the government negotiates with the World Bank, to avoid clashes with university autonomy.
With this credit, four public universities will split $ 200 million for various infrastructure projects.
