1188 OF 2008

(April 25)

Official Journal No. 46.971 of 25 April 2008

CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC

By which the qualified registration of higher education programs is regulated and other provisions are dictated.

THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC

DECRETA:

ARTICLE 1o. To be able to offer and develop an academic higher education program that is not accredited in quality, it is required to have obtained qualified registration of it.

The qualified register is the instrument of the Quality Assurance System of Higher Education through which the State verifies compliance with quality conditions by higher education institutions.

It is up to the Ministry of National Education to grant qualified registration by means of a duly motivated administrative act, in which the respective incorporation into the National System of Information of Higher Education, SNIES, and the assignment of the corresponding code.

ARTICLE 2o. QUALITY CONDITIONS. To obtain the qualified registration of academic programs, higher education institutions must demonstrate compliance with quality conditions for quality of character programs and conditions. institutional.

Program conditions:

1. The correspondence between the program name, the curricular contents and the achievement of the goals for obtaining the corresponding title.

2. Adequate justification of the program to be relevant to the needs of the country and the cultural and scientific development of the Nation.

3. The establishment of curricular content in accordance with the established programme, which will ensure the achievement of the objectives and their corresponding goals.

4. The organization of all academic activities that strengthen the theoretical knowledge and demonstrate that they facilitate the goals of the training process.

5. Adequate research training that establishes the essential elements to develop a critical attitude, the ability to seek alternatives for the development of the country.

6. The right relationship, effective with the external sector, that projects the university with society.

7. Strengthening the number and quality of teaching staff to ensure, in an appropriate manner, teaching, research and extension functions.

8. The appropriate and efficient use of educational educational means to facilitate learning and allow the teacher to be a guide and mentor and the student to be self-employed and participant.

9. The guarantee of a physical infrastructure in classrooms, libraries, auditoriums, laboratories and spaces for recreation and culture, that allow the integral formation of students as citizens of good and guarantee academic work.

Institutional character conditions:

1. The establishment of adequate mechanisms for the selection and evaluation of students and teachers, in which the choice is guaranteed on merit and any discrimination based on race, sex, creed, disability or social status is prevented.

2. The existence of an agile and efficient administrative and academic structure at the service of the mission of higher education institutions.

3. The development of a culture of self-assessment, which generates a critical and constructive spirit of continuous improvement.

4. The existence of an alumni program that will follow the long-term follow-up of the institutional results, involve the experience of the graduate in the university life and make reality the requirement that the learning should continue throughout of life.

5. The implementation of a model of university welfare that makes life pleasant in the cloister and facilitates the resolution of unmet needs in health, culture, coexistence, recreation and economic and working conditions.

6. The achievement of sufficient resources to ensure the fulfillment of the goals with quality, well-being and capacity to project towards the future, in accordance with the needs of the region and the country.

The above, without undermining the institutional viability, the applications for qualified registration of the programs of the state higher education institutions will have full funding of the State.

The Ministry of National Education with teachers and teachers will set out through resolution the specific quality characteristics of higher education programs. In the process of defining these characteristics, the general elements of each programme shall be identified, without prejudice to the fact that the institutions of higher education may include in their curricula elements which, by virtue of not affect the constitutional power in the field of university autonomy.

ARTICLE 3o. The administrative action may not exceed six (6) months, counted from the date of the filing, in due form, and with the fulfilment of the required requirements, of the corresponding application. In the course of the action the respective academic pairs will be appointed who will have to carry out verification visits with the coordination of an official of the Vice-Ministry of Higher Education, and who will coordinate the presentation of the report The National Education Ministry and the National Inter-Sectoral Commission for the Securement of Higher Education, Conaces, will issue a concept recommending to the Ministry of National Education whether or not to grant the qualified record.

On the basis of the proper form of the application for a qualified registration, by the institution of higher education, the Ministry of National Education has a period of six (6) months for the granting or non-registration. Compliance with the term established without the Ministry's communication of the granting or non-registration of the qualified register, or without any explanatory answer justifying the delay, it shall be understood that there is positive administrative silence in accordance with the Administrative Contentious Code. Such silence will result in disciplinary investigation against the responsible official.

PARAGRAFO. The higher education institution is assisted by the rights enshrined in the Administrative Contentious Code.

ARTICLE 4. The information received by the Ministry of National Education in the process of evaluating and verifying the programs and institutions of higher education will have the reservation, and may only be known to the corresponding Institution through its legal or proxy representative.

The Ministry of National Education will publish in the National System of Higher Education Information, SNIES, the favorable decisions of the corresponding evaluation processes.

ARTICLE 5o. All institutions of higher education will be able to offer academic programs for propedeutic cycles up to the professional level, in all fields and areas of knowledge the quality conditions provided for in this law and by adjusting them to the different levels, modalities and educational methodologies.

ARTICLE 6o. The institutions of higher education, in respect of the academic programs in operation and that have in course the application of qualified registration, and have presented the same in the terms fixed by the Ministry of National Education, while these applications are resolved, they may be subject, without restriction, to the different sources of resources and funding programmes for students, programmes and educational institutions. higher than those offered by private, mixed or sector public entities solidary and the Icetex.

ARTICLE 7o. This law governs from its enactment and repeals all provisions that are contrary to it, in particular Article 1 of Decree 2566 of 2003.

The President of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

NANCY PATRICIA GUTIERREZ CASTANEDA.

The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

EMILIO RAMON OTERO DAJUD.

The President of the honorable House of Representatives,

OSCAR GROVE PALACIO.

The Secretary General (E.) of the honourable House of Representatives,

JESUS ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ CAMARGO.

COLOMBIA-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Publish and comply.

Dada en Bogotá, D. C., at 25 April 2008.

ALVARO URIBE VELEZ

The Minister of Finance and Public Credit,

OSCAR IVAN ZULUAGA ESCOBAR.

The Minister of National Education,

CECILIA MARIA VELEZ WHITE.