Here we go for the fourteenth. “The project (…) actually aims to transform the European Postgraduate Institute (…) into a university. We see (…) that the promoters did not have and do not have a defined and quality project for the Open University of Europe. The numerous gaps and deficiencies in this area determine (…) that an unfavorable report is published.”
The Ministry of Universities has rejected the latest private university project in the Community of Madrid, and does so with a report that indicates that the proposal does not have the means or the minimum space to create a university, as announced. The country. But this report, to which elDiario.es has had access, will not be an obstacle to the approval of this center by the Madrid Assembly. If the management of Isabel Díaz Ayuso wishes, and if sources close to the process confirm that the process continues, there will be a new private campus in Madrid. In reality, it will be a floor of an office building in Alcobendas, as indicated in the project, but there will be a new remote university.
It is confirmed, after redoing the initial project, that the promoters did not have and do not have a defined and quality project for the Open University of Europe.
Report of the General Conference on University Policy
— Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
Everything indicates that it will not be the last. The Madrid Executive recognized a few months ago that it had received a request from the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM) to install an annex center in Torrejón de Ardoz, a request which, according to the Murcian press, was accepted, and sources close to the Ministry report that the Instituto Empresa (IE) is also preparing to land in Madrid. Go for the fifteenth. Go for the sixteenth. There are still six public universities.
The privatization commitment of the Community of Madrid is beginning to produce its effects. In recent years, especially since the government of Esperanza Aguirre, the higher education landscape has seen a change in the region with the approval of half a dozen new private universities. The effect is noticeable: Since 2015, the last year for which detailed data exists, universities as a whole have welcomed 22,000 undergraduates (from 232,139 to 254,687), but state campuses now have 9,000 fewer students today than at the time. The ratio between one network and another went from 3.7 to 1 in favor of the public to 2.1 to 1. In the masters, surprise This happened two years ago, according to data from the Ministry of Universities.
The European Open University suspends its activities
On April 23, the General Conference on University Policy (CGPU), in which the autonomous communities are present, evaluated the proposal for the creation of the Open University of Europe in the Community of Madrid. In the report published by the CGPU, the technicians explain that the project “in reality aims to transform the European Postgraduate Institute into the first university in Spain affiliated with the Summa Education group”.
The University does not have its own research project and it is insufficient, as it does not specify some important issues such as collaboration with productive sectors or participation in competitive research projects.
Report of the General Conference on University Policy
— Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
And then they start listing the flaws in the project that would result in a negative recommendation. “The University does not have its own research project, but rather joins projects initiated by the Summa Education Network,” they write. And it doesn’t even seem optimal to them. “It is insufficient, because it does not specify certain important issues such as collaboration with productive sectors or participation in competitive research projects.” The investigation is suspended.
Teaching also does not come out very well in the analysis: “There is a lack of information on the diplomas that the university expresses its intention to program, which is why, perhaps (…) the number of students in continuing education exceeds twice the number of students in official education”, which the regulations prohibit. “The number of students who will pursue continuing education and earn their own degree is unknown. Therefore, the PDI (Research Teaching Personnel) who will provide this teaching is unknown.
It didn’t go better with the facilities. In addition to confirming the impression that the idea is to turn IEP into a university (they share a headquarters), “the university space is located in a building that houses other companies and business centers, and its rental regime does not guarantee a long lifespan. term stability. » term of the university headquarters. In addition, “the spaces and infrastructures to carry out the research activity are not accredited. All labs are virtual. And the technicians conclude: “The limited nature of the physical headquarters does not allow, in the medium term, the permanent establishment of the necessary spaces, such as offices and seminars or laboratories.”
The economic analysis follows the same line. “The cost that education will have on students is unknown,” the report begins. “The investment figures are surprising because of their small size,” he continues.
With these points, the text concludes, “it is confirmed, after redoing the initial project, that the promoters did not have and do not have a defined and quality project for the Open University of Europe. The numerous gaps and deficiencies thereof determine the proposal of the General Conference on University Policy to publish a report unfavorable to the recognition file of the Open University of Europe.
The number of students who will pursue continuing education and earn their own degree is unknown. Therefore, the research teaching staff who will teach these lessons are unknown.
Report of the General Conference on University Policy
— Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
After reading the report, the communities present at the meeting voted. Of the 14 that did so, ten were negative, including Galicia, Andalusia, Cantabria, La Rioja, Murcia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands, all governed by the PP. The case of Andalusia is striking, which did not hesitate to authorize the creation of the Atlantic-Mediterranean Technological University (Utamed) despite the fact that it had up to three complaints against it for non-compliance with regulations (including those of the same CGPU).
The battle for quality
Since Manuel Castells arrived at the head of the ministry (now also of Science and Innovation, the last legislature reserved for Universities), this department has launched a battle against pseudo-universities with the aim of guaranteeing a minimum of quality in all centers, both newly created and existing. His successor, Joan Subirats, continued the crusade, and now also the socialist Diana Morant. We can’t say they win.
Sources from the Castells ministry explained in 2020 that they had on the table a proposal for new universities with an initial share capital of 3,000 euros. “We can’t build a university like that,” they reasoned. The focus was on new proposals for exclusively distance learning universities. And Castells updated the Royal Decree on the creation, recognition, authorization and accreditation of universities and university centers.
With the new standard, the conditions for having the University category have been strengthened. The minister’s decree wants the centers to be more than machines for issuing diplomas, particularly masters, which are more expensive. It requires a minimum number of degrees in different fields to teach, three doctorates (they are expensive and many universities don’t offer them), the majority of its students must be undergraduates, not postgraduates, and it must devote 5% of your budget to it. to research (it is also expensive and does not guarantee a return) and another series of provisions for “universities to be universities”.
The consequence for non-compliance is loss of university status. At that time, only 12 of the 81 existing universities met all the requirements demanded by the new RD, none of them private. But since the regulation also concerns existing campuses, they had a period of five years to comply. Even today, projects that do not meet the minimum fall through the cracks. Since the approval of the text, several private universities have been approved – no public one has been built since 1998 – in different regions, notably in Galicia, Andalusia, the Basque Country or Madrid.
The key is, as happened in the case of the Atlantic-Mediterranean Technological University (Utamed) of Andalusia, which was approved with three reports against it, or the latter of Madrid if its validation is confirmed by the ‘Assembly, in which the powers are held by the autonomous communities. The mandatory report prepared by the ministry’s General University Policy Conference on each university proposal is purely advisory, however devastating it may be – as is the case in these two cases – it can be ignored. It happens.
The ministry is aware of the problems posed by this distribution of powers. Minister Morant announced that she would strengthen the Royal Decree creating centers that Castells had already tightened. But this text, still in force, has not even entered into force to the extent that we are still in the moratorium period which has given the centers the opportunity to adapt.
It remains to be seen whether universities attempt to make these reports binding and whether this is legal for them. Even if, when the time comes, we close a university that does not meet the minimum requirements required by law, because this possibility was already present in the previous regulations, but was never implemented despite the fact that many campuses did not meet these minimums. Meanwhile, Spain is on track to have more private than public universities: in 2000, there were 50 public universities compared to 16 private ones. Today it’s 50 out of 46. It’s only a matter of time.
