The Central American University (UCA) made its departure from the National Council of Universities (CNU) official on Friday, but stressed that it remains “firm in its commitment” to quality higher education.
«As of the Reform and Addition to Law 89, Law of autonomy of Higher Education Institutions, published in the Gazette on April 6, the UCA has ceased to be one of the 10 universities whose rectors make up the CNU» , says the UCA statement sent to its student community.
On March 31 of this year, the National Assembly reformed the General Education Law and the University Autonomy Law, leaving the UCA out of the CNU.
On April 7, that governing body announced that this place would be occupied by the Antonio de Valdivieso International University (Uniav). Now the CNU was made up of the public universities, confiscated and nationalized, and the UNIAV.
Related note: CNU confirms that the UCA is outside the constitutional 6%
After the departure of this body and seeing the resources they received from the General Budget of the Republic reduced, the UCA has remained silent and has not explained to the student community what will be the affectations they will have; for example, whether they will further reduce the percentage of scholarships or eliminate them entirely.
It is governed by its statutes
The UCA also stated in its statement that it will continue its university work in Nicaragua “as a legally constituted private institution since its foundation in 1960, whose operation is governed by its statutes and the national laws applicable to private higher education institutions in the country.”
This alma mater is one of the best private universities nationwide, from which thousands of young people have benefited through scholarships. However, after the civic rebellion of April 2018 where this campus hosted student protests, the Daniel Ortega regime drastically cut the budget allocated to this university; and this year he only gave him a million cordobas.
