- Thread starter Mr. Lu
- Start date
The UASD
When i was in "El Bachillerato" in the DR, we had a history book about Latin America, that book contained detailed information about the "La UASD" and other universities in Latin America.
Ask a High School student, s/he should be able to tell you the name of the book. I forgot the name :bored: .
Mr. Lu:
All I have ever seen or heard about the UASD is that they claim to be the oldest University inthe Western Hemisphere. I think it is a bunch of crappola since what used to be the Universityof Santo Domingo is not even a 100 years old.
What did receive the papal bull authorizing university degrees in 1538 was the Saint Thomas of Aquinas Seminary, or what you could call the PUCMM-Saint Thomas of Aquinas Campus in Santo Domingo (Since the seminary was called STA from its foundation oh so many years ago.)
However, the university was shut down during the colonial period and there is certinly no direct link between the current UASD and what used to be the seminary/university. Except that they CLAIM to be decended for it....bigg hoo haa...
The PUCMM has not bothered to correct them, not will it ever...too many waves for a third rate institution that caters to the politically correct students, admits anyone and really provides a sub-sub par education....Those that manage to survive, a tiny fraction of the enrollment, do produce some top people due to Darwinian survival....
Or because their gene pool was so superior inthe first place--like Isa Contreras the economist (just one example...)
Sorry but the history is very limited...It started out as an institute in the late 19th century, I believe...
HB
All I have ever seen or heard about the UASD is that they claim to be the oldest University inthe Western Hemisphere. I think it is a bunch of crappola since what used to be the Universityof Santo Domingo is not even a 100 years old.
What did receive the papal bull authorizing university degrees in 1538 was the Saint Thomas of Aquinas Seminary, or what you could call the PUCMM-Saint Thomas of Aquinas Campus in Santo Domingo (Since the seminary was called STA from its foundation oh so many years ago.)
However, the university was shut down during the colonial period and there is certinly no direct link between the current UASD and what used to be the seminary/university. Except that they CLAIM to be decended for it....bigg hoo haa...
The PUCMM has not bothered to correct them, not will it ever...too many waves for a third rate institution that caters to the politically correct students, admits anyone and really provides a sub-sub par education....Those that manage to survive, a tiny fraction of the enrollment, do produce some top people due to Darwinian survival....
Or because their gene pool was so superior inthe first place--like Isa Contreras the economist (just one example...)
Sorry but the history is very limited...It started out as an institute in the late 19th century, I believe...
HB
If only it was that easy...
Most universities have trouble finding details on the courses they offer, requirements and pricing. We know, someone here at DR1 spent ages chasing down and visiting SD universities for a project.
Thanks HB for the response. I would have thought as much about the UASD's lack of history. Interesting to note that if it were in fact the "oldest" there would be more history available. I guess the UASD and the DR hold on to that title as a selling point for the country and the university.
I had read much about the colonial period and the various transitions made by the Uni. I have also read of claims by other universities that they are the "oldest."
Either way, I will take this information and add it to what I have collected.
Also, can anyone on this board speak on the "importance" of the UASD, if any, within the DR social/political sphere? I know universities are usually the place where social movements take place, where riots are common, is this true for the UASD? Is the UASD to the DR what Nanterre was to Paris?
Mr. Lu
I had read much about the colonial period and the various transitions made by the Uni. I have also read of claims by other universities that they are the "oldest."
Either way, I will take this information and add it to what I have collected.
Also, can anyone on this board speak on the "importance" of the UASD, if any, within the DR social/political sphere? I know universities are usually the place where social movements take place, where riots are common, is this true for the UASD? Is the UASD to the DR what Nanterre was to Paris?
Mr. Lu
Thanks
Thanks Ezequiel, for the effort. I have seen all these links, but in typical DR fashion everything has been copy and pasted from one site to the other. I am more looking for nitty gritty details on things. Dates, names, people, historical occurrences/events etc. This is more or less a general overview.
Either way, thanks for the help.
Mr. Lu
Thanks Ezequiel, for the effort. I have seen all these links, but in typical DR fashion everything has been copy and pasted from one site to the other. I am more looking for nitty gritty details on things. Dates, names, people, historical occurrences/events etc. This is more or less a general overview.
Either way, thanks for the help.
Mr. Lu
The UASD is notorious for violent student protests, dating back at least to the Balaguer years. Not sure if there was much scope for that sort of thing during the Trujillo years though. I've heard disparaging comments about all the stuff HB mentions and the fact that the only thing it will teach you is 'quemar gomas'.
Look, they have over 150,000 students, toilets that are unfit for pig sties, and empty library that "looks" good, classrooms that are unfit for use and professors that work six jobs to make ends meet.
Can you get an education there? Yes, you can. And many people have, but they are truly survivors of incredible administrative incompetance.
Just recently the president of the Dominican Historical Society sent a letter to the head of the History Department saying that they should close it. Of some 100 persons taking a test to become professor's assistants, only three passed (or something just as bad)....
With the exception of Antonio Guzman and Mej?a, every Dominican President of the last 60 years has been a graduate of the university....I'm pretty sure...
Hey! Maybe THAT'S why we are as we are????
HB
Can you get an education there? Yes, you can. And many people have, but they are truly survivors of incredible administrative incompetance.
Just recently the president of the Dominican Historical Society sent a letter to the head of the History Department saying that they should close it. Of some 100 persons taking a test to become professor's assistants, only three passed (or something just as bad)....
With the exception of Antonio Guzman and Mej?a, every Dominican President of the last 60 years has been a graduate of the university....I'm pretty sure...
Hey! Maybe THAT'S why we are as we are????
HB
Somebody will have to inject us Dominicans some German blood, they are the good one keeping neat record of everything :cheeky: .
I was there with the "Medio million a la universidad" and the "5% a la universidad." Yes it took me longer to graduate because of all the riots and closings but a found all my profesors well prepared. I majored in accounting and some of the profesors worked for Price and Waterhouse, others were the head of the accounting dept. of ther primary job. I had other profesors that were writers in newspapers and so on. Others also worked for the UNPHU.
Was I lucky? Has things changed?
In my time, tuition was $15.00 (pesos) per semester but for my good grades (average 85% and up) most of my tuition were waived.
In my class some came from the campo with no money, to sleep on some relative's floor, apply for the 40 pesos grant the UASD gave to some students and then after they make friends they rent a room in a patio. (4 or 5 sleeping on the floor)
The UASD offered lunch for 50 cents and I think breakfast and dinner for 25 cents and free bus transportation on weekdays. One of my friends used to say "Now I know people can survive on guineo and milk shake", because with no stove to cook that was the only thing he was eating on weekends.
Accounting books we had to buy but we that could afford the books shared the books with the poorest, the other subjects the professors were so understandable of the economic situation of the students that they brought copies of the important factor for the day for all the students and we had to write a lot.
A lot is being said about the UASD but I was well prepared and most of the students as soon as they felt comfortable to work as a bookkeeper, they went for it. No laziness. Now they are accountants, auditors, financial advisers in unthinkable companies or have their own companies.
I cannot complain about the UASD (only that it took me more time to graduate). We study hard, very hard and we earned our degree.
Was I lucky? Has things changed?
In my time, tuition was $15.00 (pesos) per semester but for my good grades (average 85% and up) most of my tuition were waived.
In my class some came from the campo with no money, to sleep on some relative's floor, apply for the 40 pesos grant the UASD gave to some students and then after they make friends they rent a room in a patio. (4 or 5 sleeping on the floor)
The UASD offered lunch for 50 cents and I think breakfast and dinner for 25 cents and free bus transportation on weekdays. One of my friends used to say "Now I know people can survive on guineo and milk shake", because with no stove to cook that was the only thing he was eating on weekends.
Accounting books we had to buy but we that could afford the books shared the books with the poorest, the other subjects the professors were so understandable of the economic situation of the students that they brought copies of the important factor for the day for all the students and we had to write a lot.
A lot is being said about the UASD but I was well prepared and most of the students as soon as they felt comfortable to work as a bookkeeper, they went for it. No laziness. Now they are accountants, auditors, financial advisers in unthinkable companies or have their own companies.
I cannot complain about the UASD (only that it took me more time to graduate). We study hard, very hard and we earned our degree.
cuas my wifes experience was very simular to yours. She attended from 1979 - 89 ( two degrees) Math, Physics, and statistics, education and feels she earned her degrees the hard way because of the lack of good facilities, but she has nothing but praise for most of her profs,
I, too, remember the "Medio Milli?n" campaign....
And what cuas says has been true since the very early 60....kids from the country, like Mao or San Juan or San Francisco, would pool resources to make things stretch the furthest. I remember my father in law taking plantanos and other goodies from Mao to the capital....
Back then $5.00 went a long way...
What "cuas" said about the teachers was just what i referred to...
And, like good survivors, they made it through....they are the tip of the heap, the elite.
HB
And what cuas says has been true since the very early 60....kids from the country, like Mao or San Juan or San Francisco, would pool resources to make things stretch the furthest. I remember my father in law taking plantanos and other goodies from Mao to the capital....
Back then $5.00 went a long way...
What "cuas" said about the teachers was just what i referred to...
And, like good survivors, they made it through....they are the tip of the heap, the elite.
HB
So can we say that the bad quality at the UASD can produce quality students, not because the school is good, but because those who survive the school have done so through hard work, determination and perseverance? Meaning that those who go to the UASD and finish have developed a different set of skill sets not common among the typical college student from UNIBE or la PUCCM? A survival skill if you will?
I feel that this upper echelon the HB comments on is not common, but because of this educational system those that make it through are the best, measured on a different scale.
Mr. Lu
I feel that this upper echelon the HB comments on is not common, but because of this educational system those that make it through are the best, measured on a different scale.
Mr. Lu
Of course you do. But anyone can see for themselves....
You can imagine why the UASD opposed the opening of a PUCMM branch in Santo Domingo, especially with the name Santo Tomas de Aquino...
Pre 1962 or so, the USD was the only university in town, the only one in the country. When it became Autonomous, and "popular" ie., for the masses, the more conservative professors left and started UNPHU which quickly took the cream of the student body (those that could actually pay for an education). The UASD became the poor cousin and acted like it was owed something. the same mind set that allows for the "I am a poor family man" excuse for everything....and people let them get away with it.
this is not a Harvard-Yale issue....this is more like MIT versus SW Podunk State...
HB
You can imagine why the UASD opposed the opening of a PUCMM branch in Santo Domingo, especially with the name Santo Tomas de Aquino...
Pre 1962 or so, the USD was the only university in town, the only one in the country. When it became Autonomous, and "popular" ie., for the masses, the more conservative professors left and started UNPHU which quickly took the cream of the student body (those that could actually pay for an education). The UASD became the poor cousin and acted like it was owed something. the same mind set that allows for the "I am a poor family man" excuse for everything....and people let them get away with it.
this is not a Harvard-Yale issue....this is more like MIT versus SW Podunk State...
HB