In the commemoration of the thirty-ninth anniversary of the ULS, the first authority of the house of studies highlighted the main achievements achieved in the 2019 period, where he highlighted as a challenge to continue working with enthusiasm in the completion of the Self-assessment process, leading to institutional accreditation .

Due to the global health contingency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 Public Account of Institutional Management delivered by the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, was carried out via streaming transmission, which allowed so that the community could learn about the achievements and future challenges of the institution, all framed in the thirty-ninth anniversary of the state campus.

In this public account, the ULS Rector highlighted the main achievements achieved in areas such as Teaching, Institutional Management, Research and Connection with the Environment, in addition to future challenges.

On the occasion, Dr. Avilés referred to the social outbreak and the coronavirus pandemic that our country is facing, pointing out that “the challenge of addressing you today has not been easy, we are going through a complex moment, but I believe our institution deserves to do so.” mention of its thirty-ninth anniversary; It is time to signal more strongly, on behalf of our entire university community, our commitment to work to overcome difficulties, and make present our conviction with the excellence and quality that characterizes us, with the active participation of everyone. Likewise, we will be able to overcome these complex moments where unity among all will allow us to endure difficult days and overcome difficulties."

In terms of Teaching, he highlighted the implementation of the first year of the curricular renewal of the 11 Pedagogy courses, with the ULS training seal, the self-evaluation processes for the accreditation of courses and the implementation of the Institutional Self-Evaluation process, started in the month of May "with the aim of strengthening a culture of comprehensive quality management and achieving the renewal of institutional accreditation and, eventually, improving it, with a widely participatory seal."

“Around 120 officials, academics and non-academics, continued their work until December 2019, as a network of sensors to realistically and objectively evaluate institutional progress in its strategic development plan and the commitments derived from the previous accreditation” , assured during this account transmitted from the Raúl Bitrán Hall, taking the protective measures agreed upon by health authorities.

In this sense, he highlighted that one of the challenges will be to continue working with enthusiasm towards the completion of this process leading to institutional accreditation. “We must keep in mind that the result of the Self-Evaluation involves us all, since we are talking about a key process for our university (…) Let us all continue working to project our university as a University of excellence. And that in this year where we must submit to a new accreditation process, we achieve a fair evaluation of our trajectory and that the result reflects the numerous advances and achievements obtained.”

Regarding the Management area, Rector Avilés noted that “responding to changes in the environment and the regulatory frameworks that govern the Higher Education System, the University has focused its efforts on incorporating Comprehensive Quality Management as part of of the strategic processes of the institution.”

On the other hand, in accordance with institutional challenges, during 2019, 100% of the initiatives nominated for Performance Agreements were awarded, initiatives that strategically respond to management emphases.

He also highlighted the award of the initiative “Universe, Earth and Poetry: ULS Scientific, Technological and Cultural Educational Partner of the Society and the territory of the Coquimbo Region”, which allowed the award of 378 million pesos. One of the notable results to be achieved with this initiative is the creation of the “ULS Science and Culture Dissemination Center”, located in Las Compañías, on a new land adjacent to the Mistralian Center, which includes among its facilities a Planetarium from of a digital immersion room -360° projection-, an osteotheque and a portfolio of educational resources with special emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, as a basis for the design of a programmatic offer of technological scientific dissemination.

In relation to Research, he emphasized that during the period there were 26 SciELO publications, 182 Scopus and 200 Web of Science (WoS); and that the 58 projects financed with internal resources of the University 58 totaled an investment of 157 million pesos and 466,6 million pesos if the man hours are valued.

The highest university authority also expressed that “2019 was an important year in the growth of infrastructure, which has allowed us to consolidate and guarantee efficiency in academic and administrative development, providing a solid sustainability policy at the institutional level.”

In 2019, the University developed one of the largest and most emblematic projects built: the Psychology and Nursing Building, which will move the Coquimbo Campus to La Serena, with an approximate area of ​​4.804,65 m2 and an investment of 5.353 million pesos. work co-financed between the institution and the Regional Government.

Likewise, he mentioned the acquisition of a two-story house near the Domeyko Campus, for a value of approximately $67 million pesos with 78 m2, to implement the operation of the offices of the professionals who will support the work of preventing harassment and discrimination. .

In addition, he valued the development of a New Statute of the University of La Serena. “Let us remember that the beginning of this work, in a historic event for the institution, which began in 2019 to make modifications to the Statute that has governed the institution since 1981, and that due to legal provisions did not allow changes; The Commission was established to prepare the new Statute, in which the different levels of the university community intervene, its preparation is a unique opportunity to combine all the needs of our University," said the authority.