The Superintendency of Higher Education (SES) asked the Austral University of Chile (UACh), Los Ríos Region, urgent measures to remedy its financial situation, which it states «is serious and precarious as a result of lack of liquidity» and could not guarantee salaries in January 2024.
As reported The Mercury, the university – founded in 1954 and which has around 13,000 students – released part of the SES report. Well, he reported that on November 10 and 13 he received the closure of the investigation and formulation of chargesan investigation started in August of this year.
Said report – they assured – was shared «with the collegiate bodies of the institution, as it has also informed its internal community.» Along these lines, they valued the information presented and will begin to implement new measures.
«We are convinced that with the UACh Recovery Plan 2024-2025which we are building between the different levels and representatives of the university community, we will be able to restore the financial sustainability of the institution«said Rector Hans Richter.
However, Richter specified that the non-payment of salaries for next year It would be a risk, «but not a fact.»«.»All measures are being taken for the proper functioning of the institution, as has happened until now,» he stated.
For its part, the SES report establishes that the UACh is in danger of failing to meet your remaining financial, administrative or employment commitments. Likewise, he adds that the problems in financial and administrative management are They go back to 2019, the year they began to increase their level of debt; there was a lack of depth in central aspects; ineffective internal control mechanisms, especially in the financial area, and other aspects.
However, the educational authority also recognizes the measures that the university has taken to improve its operation, but maintains that they are insufficient.
«In the opinion of the researcher, given the financial impact of them does not allow the institution to meet its financial obligations in the short and medium term. Consequently, greater depth is required in the measures within a coherent and validated plan in the main instances of collegiate decision-making within the university,» the text confirms.
Meanwhile, in January 2021, the crisis cost the rector Óscar Galindo his position, and 11 months later he was dismissed from the institution.
SITUATION OF TEACHERS
On the other hand, the president of the UACh Teachers’ Union (Sindoc), Geovana Casanovapointed out to said medium that as an organization they have been raising alarms for some time about the financial situation and the way of administration of the institution.
«We know there are cash flow problems,» he said.
The above is a key point of the conflict between teachers and the rectory, due to the «thirteenth salary«, a benefit established in the collective contract between both parties and establishes the delivery of a double salary in January of each year.
However, the university reported that due to liquidity problems they will prevent this payment from being made in its entirety and They offered a bonus of only 25%.
Casanova explained that «was rejected, given that this has been a historical benefit. Most of us already have that resource allocated to organizing and planning economic issues for families. «And he stressed that»As a union we are not willing to lower that level.«.
Meanwhile, the Sindoc demanded that the rectory «present no later than the November 22 the measures that will be implemented to address the current crisissince, as a union, we consider it unacceptable that workers are the last to know the decisions that will affect our institution.
«We are willing to support the university to get out of this crisis, but that has to be from a base of information and trust,» Casanova declared.