Through the Resolution 2599/2023, published this Tuesday in the Official bulletinthe Government created the Argentine System of University Academic Credits (SACAU), a mechanism that establishes a common value to measure the academic work that university students must perform. The program aims shorten the gap between the real and theoretical duration of university degreesimprove the quality of training and promote the mobility of students between university institutions.
The official text explains the need to create an academic credit system. It points out that the real duration of university courses is significantly longer than the theoretical duration contemplated in the study plans. This is because students must dedicate additional time to study, practical work, exercises and problems, designs, projects, etc., to achieve the learning objectives of each training activity.
The text then describes the main aspects of the SACAU. The Student Reference Credit (CRE) is the system’s unit of measurement. A CRE is equivalent to 25 hours of student academic work. ANDl SACAU establishes a minimum of 180 CRE to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
The text also establishes the provisions for the implementation of the SACAU. As of the date of the resolution, the Ministry of Education of the Nation will not accept new applications for official recognition and national validity of university degrees. that do not comply with the SACAU.
University institutions may incorporate the credit system into current study plans, but it is not mandatory to do so immediately. The application authority will gradually and progressively determine the dates from which the application of the credit system to the courses in operation must be resolved.
In conclusion, SACAU is a measure that seeks to improve the quality of higher education in Argentina. The system will allow students to have a better idea of the amount of academic work they must complete to obtain their degree, and will also promote student mobility between university institutions.
Distance education: updated requirements for university institutions
Likewise, through the resolution 2598/2023 A new regulation was approved on the distance education modality.
The text begins by establishing that the Council of Universities, an organization that represents Argentine university institutionshas among its functions to propose university development policies and strategies, promote cooperation between university institutions, and issue opinions on other matters that are referred to it.
In this case, the Secretariat of University Policies, a department of the Ministry of Education, requested the opinion of the Council of Universities on the criteria to currently be applied for the consideration of Distance Education.based on the innovations carried out by university institutions during and after the pandemic.
The Council of Universities responded to this request by preparing a draft of new regulations for distance education. This project was developed with the participation of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN), the Council of Rectors of Private Universities (CRUP), and experts in the field.
The Secretariat of University Policies took due intervention in the project, and the General Directorate of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Education issued a favorable opinion.
The new regulations establish the following criteria for distance education:
- Guiding principles: the regulations establish that distance education must be inclusive, equitable, of quality, and accessible.
- Objectives: the regulation establishes that distance education must contribute to the democratization of access to higher education, and to the training of competent professionals committed to social development.
- Characteristics: the regulation establishes that distance education must be flexible, adaptable, and personalized.
- Requirements: the regulations establish the requirements that university institutions must meet to offer distance education courses.
- The regulation also establishes a procedure for the validation of the institutional distance education systems (SIED) of university institutions.
- University institutions that have already validated their SIED must adapt it to the new regulations when the validity of said validation expires.
Source: Ambito
