UASD immersed in process of academic transformation

SANTO DOMINGO. The rector of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (U ASD), Ivan Grullon, assured reporters that the great challenge of this University is to incorporate short-term technical careers, which will be an option for poorly performing students.

He said that the idea is not to expel students with low averages, but rather give them an opportunity for their professional training.

He explained that they are looking at preparing technicians in sanitary installations, pharmacy assistance, dietary training, master builder, agronomist, and other such offerings.

He warned that they would take measures, since the policy is to keep a student from spending 7 or 8 years in the University without graduating. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the UASD has its regulation of academic performance, which establishes several prerogatives with which they comply with absolutely.

A student that does not have an academic average of 60 is on academic probation one, which is to say that he is suspended for a semester; he then goes to a recovery class and returns within a semester. If after he returns and does not obtain the required average, then he goes to academic probation two and has to change his course of work towards some another degree," the rector pointed out.

He referred to the fact that in those cases, when a student cannot graduate in medicine, he could go into radiology or in nursing. "We're going to give him the opportunity, because if we throw him out into the street, we're going to throw him into delinquency," he noted.

Regarding the University College, he said that it has become a major burden, due to the fact that newly arriving students come from public high schools, where the social, economic and cultural deficiencies are greatest. The U ASD provides a basic cycle of 33 credits so that the students that come from high school can establish a minimum of knowledge and respond to the demands of higher studies.

Likewise the rector of the U ASD stressed that unemployment is currently affecting many professionals, but that with the technical programs, the young people can find jobs with greater facility.

"We prepare civil engineers that are never going to build a house, so it's better to tell this young person: look it's better to graduate in this so that you can create a micro company, which is called entrepreneurship. For example, as a plumber, an electrician, a master builder, you are not going to construct the house but they need you," he said as he took part in the Dialogo Libre of the Diario Libre newspaper that was headed by Adriana Miguel Tejada, the paper's director.

He said that the role of the UASD is to carry out research in order to see where professionals are working and who are requiring technicians.

He cited the case of the resorts, which at the present time are demanding technicians instead of professionals.

Cleaning the image

In the same way, Grullon said that they are trying to erase the people's perception that the UASD as an almshouse or employment agency. In order to do this, he reported that they are carrying out meetings and exchanges with the business community in order that they see the University as a center for everyone and not only for students and professors.

"In this line of work we have begun creating consciousness, which is the work that we should be doing, and in 4 years we can position the University, re-launch the University," he said.

As part of this strategy he said that by a decision of the University Council, the creation of more branches of the UASD was frozen for 3 years, because each of legislator wanted to have an extension in his province.

He said that at the present time the UASD is making it an enormous effort in order to achieve a better placement; "it (the UASD)appears within the rankings of Latin American universities in a very distant position, but within the country, of 48 institutions of higher education we occupy a third-place."

He noted that the University is a public institution that serves the state, where everything that is done should be related to the plans for development and to the national labor force.

In the Dialogo Libre, the rector of the U ASD was accompanied by the academic vice-rector Jorge Asjana David; the director of Planning, Ramon Peralta; and the director of Communications Oscar Vasquez.

Oncological hospital uses UASD parking tower

The new parking tower of the UASD, built in 2011 at a cost of RD $1.0 billion, is being used by the Rosa Emelia deTavares Oncological Hospital, revealed the rector Ivan Grullon Fernandez.

He explained that they are providing facilities for this health center to use the installations, which are also used by some university professors for security reasons.

"The Oncological Hospital has a parking lot for 150 patients. The hospital director went to see the rector and he told me: "Rector, we need the parking lot in the tower." "And what are we to do if this is a state institution? Give them the facility so that they can use the parking lot," he stressed

Grullon Fernandez said that many professors who are trying to protect their vehicles, have decided to park them in the parking tower, but others, not wanting to walk, do not use it.

In his judgment, the flaw in Dominicans culture of not walking has influenced that few persons are willing to use the parking installations in the UASD.

"It is a question of culture, the people here are not accustomed to walking, you have to go to the United States, in New York for example and in other places, in order for you to see how the people walk, they have to walk a lot in order to catch the subway, but here the professors want, and I am telling them all the time. to park their vehicles in the classroom, if it were possible," he said as he took part in the Dialogo Libre of the Diario Libre newspaper.

Niza Campos