The University of La Rioja shows its “disappointment and deep discomfort with UNIR for not having opened a channel of dialogue with the UR” regarding its intention to provide teaching in all possible modalities, including blended and in-person teaching. Furthermore, the University of La Rioja invites the parliamentary groups to learn about the position of the UR “as well as the consequences that this decision will have for the future of public higher education in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja.”
UNIR’s intention to offer face-to-face classes was made public yesterday afternoon after raising this proposal to the parliamentary groups. And from the UR they have shown their surprise at the “hurry with which the UNIR and the parliamentary groups have met on the day of Saint Barnabas”, and they have also been struck by the “hurry with which the Popular Party has registered an amendment to the proposed law to update the teaching modalities of the UNIR, just the day after the UNIR met on Saint Barnabas Day with the parliamentary groups to present this proposal.”
“Its foundation, a virtual, online and non-face-to-face university”
Likewise, from the UR they remember that when the creation of the UNIR was approved “its foundation was a virtual, online and non-face-to-face university and its low impact on the public offer of higher education.” However now, UNIR wants to offer in-person training for studies that are already taught at the University of La Rioja. “The UNIR wants to teach in person degrees that are already offered at the University of La Rioja such as Nursing, the degrees in Early Childhood and Primary Education or the Master’s Degree in Teaching and others in the implementation phase such as Medicine.” Reasons why the “Parliament of La Rioja should prioritize the provision of necessary resources so that there can be a public offer of sufficient quality of these qualifying qualifications in essential professions, compared to a private face-to-face offer.”
Furthermore, from the UR they remember that in 2019 the ‘Pact for the University of La Rioja’ was approved and reproaches Parliament for “instead of betting on the presence of the private university, it approved the Law of Urgent Administrative and Budgetary Measures for the improvement of the provision of public services in La Rioja a package of financial aid to improve the teaching and research infrastructure of the public university of La Rioja and to offer more higher education places at public prices, facilitating access to higher education for all the Rioja men and women, regardless of the economic level of their families; since it is a Law for the provision of public services in La Rioja.”
For all this, the University of La Rioja considers that the Rioja Parliament should not approve this request from the UNIR “without marking the limits that protect the rights of Rioja residents of access to quality higher public education in their autonomous community. ”.
And they conclude that the UNIR proposal “represents a substantial change in the nature of this private institution and has a great impact on the higher education ecosystem of La Rioja, the consequences of which must necessarily be evaluated. Therefore, the statement of the Parliament of La Rioja must be based on a responsible, calm analysis and reflection in which all the agents involved participate, among which is the University of La Rioja.”
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