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After listening to the evaluation and recommendations for adjustments to the USPs presented by the members of the Committee of Experts of the Single Admission System, the plenary session of the Council defined a work agenda for the short and medium term.
In addition, the CRUCH defined its five representatives for the new Access Committee of the University Subsystem, a body that will depend on the future Undersecretary of Higher Education of the Mineduc.
A five-point work schedule to introduce improvements to the university admission system and, in particular, to the University Selection Tests (PSU), the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) announced today.
Its executive vice president, rector Aldo Valle, said that "these decisions are always made considering the consequences that these changes must have in the school system and in higher education."
The agreements were adopted in the extraordinary session of this Wednesday, April 17, held at the Central House of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, when the recommendations of the Committee of Experts of the Single Admission System (SUA) of the CRUCH were addressed. Those who make up this working group presented the main conclusions, which were subsequently submitted for deliberation by the plenary session of the rectors.
The rector Aldo Valle explained that one of these measures is the incorporation of "a measurement in writing, which we consider essential for the educational system and the culture of the country." The authority of the Council specified that the implementation of this measurement will be within a period of two to four years.
In relation to the PSU of Mathematics, Valle explained that "it was agreed to study a proposal that allows perfecting the components of the test that account for skills and knowledge in this area, either in a complementary way or by modifying the current instrument."
In the field of the PSU of Sciences, the CRUCH accepted the proposal of the Committee of Experts, which proposes that the Department of Evaluation, Measurement and Educational Registration (DEMRE) report to higher education institutions more specific information on the performance of and the students in each of the areas included in the test (Biology, Chemistry and Physics).
La agenda también contempla encargar una investigación sobre los usos y propósitos que tienen las PSU, que ayude a explicitar los usos intencionados y no intencionados de los puntajes. “Este estudio debe ser participativo y debe incorporar a todos los actores que intervienen de modo directo o indirecto en el proceso, tales como: estudiantes, sistema escolar, Ministerio de Educación e instituciones de educación superior, entre otros. Un proceso como este, hasta ahora, no se ha llevado a cabo en el país”, manifestó el vicepresidente ejecutivo.
The CRUCH also decided to look for instruments that contribute to a better articulation between higher education and the school system, especially with the sector of Technical-Professional Secondary Education. "The agreement is to entrust the Committee of Experts with a specific proposal of instruments for the admission of those who come from technical-professional training, as well as instruments that raise the fairness standards of the system," rector Valle said.
The Council's commitment is to fulfill these agreements in the medium term, between two and four years, depending on the complexity of their design and implementation. Finally, the rector Valle called for the tranquility of the students who will participate in the 2020 Admission Process. He affirmed that the PSU will remain unchanged during this year.
SUA Committee of Experts
In November 2017, CRUCH invited experts with recognized trajectory, both national and foreign, to join the SUA Committee of Experts.
This instance was formally constituted in May 2018 and its members defined that during the first year their work would consist of evaluating the proposals for adjustments to the PSUs presented by DEMRE, which administers the admission process by mandate of the CRUCH.
The Committee is made up of Alejandra Mizala and Salomé Martínez from the University of Chile; Verónica Santelices, from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; José Luis Saiz, from the University of La Frontera; and Rebecca Zwick, researcher at the Educational Testing Service (ETS), in the United States.
Representatives for the new Access Committee
On the other hand, the CRUCH defined its five representatives for the new Access Committee of the University Subsystem, a body that will be coordinated by the future Undersecretary of Higher Education of the Mineduc.
They unanimously elected the rectors Ennio Vivaldi (University of Chile), Darcy Fuenzalida (Technical University Federico Santa María), Juan Oyarzo (University of Magallanes), Ignacio Sánchez (Pontifical Catholic University), and Luis Alberto Loyola (University of Antofagasta).
It should be remembered that according to Law No. 21,091 on Higher Education, the Access Committee of the University Subsystem must be made up of five rectors or representatives of CRUCH universities. Of this group, three must belong to state universities, while three of the five representatives must come from universities whose domicile is in a region other than the Metropolitan.
The new Access System, which also includes a Technical-Professional Subsystem, will be coordinated by the Undersecretary of Higher Education or whom he designates. It must be in operation by 2020, for the 2021 Admission Process.
