The rector of the Central University of the East (UCE), Senator Jos? Hazim Frappier (PRSC-San Pedro de Macor?s), offered reporters yesterday his explanations of why the UCE Board has decided to close its provincial extension campuses in El?as Pi?a, Las Matas de Farf?n, Monte Plata and Dajab?n. He attributed the move to (1) a lack of local support for the UCE programs in those locations; (2) low graduation rates for those campuses; (3) a request from the Education Ministry to return the facilities for it to use them for the Ministry’s own programs. He stressed, however, that the University is trying to help students continue their studies on one of the other extension campuses. He also said that UCE is strengthening its extension campuses in Barahona and San Crist?bal. For the Ministry’s part, Education Minister Ligia Amada Melo said that the Ministry had asked for the return of the properties because it needs them for training teachers. If UCE was a start-up organization, the situation might be different, she explained, because the Ministry tries to help new universities get on their feet. UCE, however, "is solvent and has the economic capacity to construct sites, not just to rent them."
