Improve its internal democracy; remove inequalities between subject teachers and full-time teachers; rethink its internal structure; linking research with academic education and emphasizing the social importance of vocational education are some of the challenges faced National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), at the beginning of the period Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas in front of the rectory, experts say.
Sebastian Pla Perezacademic worker of the Research Institute of the University and Education (IISUE), considers its democratization and the method of election of university bodies to be one of the most significant internal challenges of this university, as the current structure is “a bit stagnant” and “does not represent” the dynamics of the university and its own Mexican company.
Also a university researcher, Alejandro González Ledezmahe believes that the democratization of UNAM is an issue that needs to be talked about.
He emphasizes that the idea seems to have settled in the public consciousness that the democratization of the university means only the election of the rector through a free and secret ballot.
He points out that democracy at UNAM It should not be limited to the choice of a person, but rather it should be about filling the academic space of the institution.
Notably, there is a large area of opportunity for increasing the weight of collegial bodies in academic decisions and democratizing their decisions.
The new chancellor believes that the students of the university exercise democracy through collegial bodies and that “it is wrong to assume that the democratization of the university consists only in the direct election of the authorities”.
In its work plan, it states that there are areas for democratization that need to be expanded, that the participation of certain sectors in collegial bodies can be reviewed and that it needs to be strengthened.
Manifests a participatory planning and inclusive, as a way to strengthen democracy in this university.
Eliminate inequalities among teachers
Perhaps the topic on which undergraduates agree the most when you ask them about the challenges of the new chancellor is the topic that represents the inequality that exists between economic income of full-time teachers compared to subject teachers.
Investigator Alejandro Canales Sanchez states that UNAM has the largest academic staff in the country; however, approximately 65% charge per hour. They are teachers of subjects with precarious economic conditions. Related to this is the problem of retirement and a dignified retirement.
Ángel Díaz Barriga Casales suggests that the university must rethink the way it is connected to its academic staff, because programs such as incentives, in the face of impoverished salaries, which essentially respond to what is called academic capitalism, have created a high individualism.
In his view, although individualism in the university allowed continued progress in the construction of concepts, the meaning of collegial work was lost.
For an academic, teaching must be the fundamental task of the university.
He states that in the last 30 years there has been research priority at UNAM. “Everything has been channeled into better research, more research, rewards for research work.”
In accordance with the rector’s new work plan, the university has come to the conclusion that it is no longer possible to postpone revisions and updates of the status of academic staff, especially revisions of personalities such as subject professors and academic technicians.
You need to rethink your internal structure
Ángel Díaz Barriga Casales mentions that the new rector must take responsibility for adapting and rebuilding the university project in accordance with the needs of the present time, which are not limited to the use of technology.
In his opinion, this university must reassess its own structure towards one that will enable it to function, organize and make decisions more efficiently.
Specifically, it proposes the renewal of the 1998 project, vice chancellors for UNAMgiven that the chancellor cannot be on all campuses or attend to all the needs of individual sections of this university. “That would help revive her.
Lourdes Margarita Chehaibar Náder emphasizes that UNAM must strengthen its principles of identity, such as autonomy, academic freedom, research and discussion of ideas. This is clear about their commitment to the company.
From their point of view, the changes must revolve around the curriculum and didactics. “We have the opportunity and obligation to build the didactics of presence and virtuality in its most productive dimension, which allows us to make the educational experience not only in classrooms, laboratories and workshops, but also in technological equipment and processes truly significant. learning for all actors involved.’
For the university researcher, the numerous shortcomings and delays that programs and curricula have are something to think about seriously.
We need to restore them with a very strong institutional strategy that includes all collegial bodies and that really thinks about the future, for the training that both high school graduates and professionals require, in the global logic of the village.
It is essential for academics to articulate research processes, training and problem solving.
Also focus on the shortcomings and rigidity of university management and administration, incorporating technological advances, renewing regulations and making resource use not only sustainable and transparent, but also efficient.
In his opinion, the new chancellor has to do a lot of work to articulate all those “small islands”, how the different parts that make up the university sometimes behave, recognizing the diversity, the complexity, but from the perspective of unity. service to their students and country.
Emphasize the social importance of vocational education
Angel Diaz Barriga Casales He thinks that university students cannot ignore certain criticisms against UNAM, such as those who claim that it has become a right-wing or conservative institution.
The researcher advocates for the promotion of the social meaning of professional training. Remember that the student va public university It is supported by the efforts of workers.
According to him, when it is said that UNAM has become conservative, it means that the preparation of undergraduates is not connected with the effort to get as close as possible to the support and solutions of the majority sectors Mexican company.
Make gender policies more effective
Sebastián Plá Pérez, Alejandro Canales Sánchez and Alejandro González Ledezma emphasize the need to deepen and create gender policies.
In this regard, the new Rector suggests that it is important to emphasize the institutional commitment to promote gender equality. It states that the university has various bodies that have been created in recent years, such as the Coordination for Gender Equality or the University Ombudsman for Rights, which has been reformed to include equality and attention to gender-based violence, but that it will undoubtedly be insufficient and the capacity of the ombudsman office will need to be expanded and the importance of the whole community taking courses to make them aware of the importance of equality between women and men will need to be emphasized.
In their view, the best long-term contribution to building an authentic culture of gender equality is necessarily to influence education, which means advancing that curricula have a gender perspective, that there are subjects where there is a gender perspective at all levels.
Other challenges, not minor
Sebastián Plá Pérez draws attention to the challenges of further increasing the presence of higher education institutions in the interior of the country, increasingly with research perspectives and the presence of the humanities and the dissemination of culture.
In addition, respond more effectively to national challenges and address historical omissions in the preparation of excluded professions, such as the abandonment of teacher training for the public education system.
For example, he says the university has failed to train teachers for primary and secondary education, while teacher training for upper secondary education remains “very tragic”.
It excels at the international level, even though in Latin America UNAM has a significant presence, must deepen international ties in the region, increase its leadership, which means increasingly attracting students from different regions of the world, entering academic discussions and high-demanding research on a global scale.
diego.badillo@eleconomista.mx