Preliminary draft reduces the requirement to be a rector: this can be any professor without a few minimum years of teaching, research or management

• Universities Joan Subiratas: “Catalan universities have no problem with Spanish”
• education Castel backs down on his university reform and renounces that the rector can be elected by a committee of outside ‘wise men’.

The minister of universities, Joan Subiratas, has reduced the requirements to be rector in her draft. Biological Law of the University System (LOSU)which was presented on Monday. Candidates will no longer be required to become Professors, as was required till now. Nor do they have to prove at least three six-year research periods, three five-year teaching periods and four years’ university management experience in an individual position, as in the final draft prepared by his predecessor Manuel Castel. was requested.

Article 48 of the new draft stipulates that “candidates must be civil servants, doctors or doctors of the teaching bodies of the University, and possess the merits of research, teaching and university management experience in certain personal position prescribed by statute.” Needed.” ,

In other words, it is each university that establishes the necessary conditions. Subirat points out that it should be the faculty setting the criteria, but “the rector has to be a permanent official professor.” In fact, it is the only requirement prescribed by the Central Government. It is the return of Castells’ initial words, which generated much controversy and which later forced him to introduce a minimum number of years as a guarantee.

Another important innovation is included in the new draft. The minister explained that LOSU “expands the rights of the students”, which “will be relevant when seeking the quality of teaching with control of the assessment of the teaching staff”.

For the first time, the student body’s participation will be considered “binding” “in the entire process of creating study plans and teaching guides, as well as in the process of their implementation,” as established by Article 6.

Article 35 states: “Universities shall promote and facilitate the participation of the student body in student representation and union activities, as well as their active participation in the life and activity of the University. Likewise, they shall promote and facilitate their participation in the creation of knowledge.” Will guarantee. Study plan.” and teaching guide”.

This means that they will be able to decide on the agenda and examinations, although the minister specified in a press conference: “That their decision is binding does not mean that they decide which test they are going to take.” It is going to be discussed, discussed with them and discussed. ,

That yes, he has acknowledged that this is a “relevant change”, because so far the students have evaluated their teachers, these “assessments were of no consequence”. “What we have included is that they can make changes to the commissions of teaching guides”, he indicated.

The law recognizes for the first time the right to academic strike for students, who will no longer be required to take exams or give papers on that day, claims an old student now only allowed on certain campuses. The Subiratas, on the other hand, have not succumbed to the claims of the sanghas regarding the composition of the monasteries, which would have aN 25% student representation. Now there were no fixed percentages, but the students asked to reach 35%,

new teachers will have to take training

Another innovation is that university professors must receive prior training in order to learn how to teach. For this reason, “for the development of their teaching potential, professors and doctoral assistant professors must, in the first year of their contract, undertake an introductory teacher training course, the characteristics of which shall be established by the universities in accordance with their responsible units.” Teacher training and teaching innovation”.

Subirat places greater emphasis on internationalization and compels autonomous communities to establish strategies for internationalization of the university system. This allows visas to be granted to foreign students for the duration of their studies and not for each year as is the case now. In addition, when these students complete their degree or postgraduate degree, they will have two years to be able to do an internship or work in Spain. “It’s a way of attracting talent,” expressed Subirat.

With regard to the possibility of opening the door to the creation of three-year degrees, Subirat preferred to postpone the dispute and leave it in the hands of future regulation, despite the fact that he had promised to do so in Parliament. For now “the law does not mark a change in the duration of the title”: all careers have to last four years, except in some very specific cases in which there is an agreement with foreign universities.