The former rector of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), Roberto Santana proposes an overhaul of the state university structures in order to fulfill its academic commitments to its over 100,000 students. Santana proposes: 1) That the nation’s leading political parties dissolve their committees or their party sections in the state university. He says these branches of the political parties are the main cause for the educational upset at the UASD and the constant conflicts. 2) That the present structure be scratched. He said a new structure needs to be created that does not incorporate such anomalies as an advantageous retirement plan that starts at age 45 for professors. He criticized that the political influences have forced the university to employ illiterate professors, that has in turn brought about the graduating of "professionals" that cannot even read after being 15 years in the university, and have been responsible for the frustration of thousands of serious-minded students. 3) Commitment of the Dominican Civic Society to demand change in the UASD that is maintained with taxpayer money. 4) The requirement of the UASD to render a report on the use of funds to the National Congress. 5) That the National Educational Council (CONES) publish the results 6) That the National Educational Council (CONES) publish the results of the evaluation made to quality of studies at the UASD. CONES has carried out these studies to other local universities. 7) That the Dominican society commit to endorse the needed structural changes at the UASD. A recent study showed that the Dominican government could grant students a scholarship at the leading private universities and still save money. The UASD’s budget of more than RD$800 million a year, is more than what the government provides to the Municipality of Santo Domingo. The university had to close for three days this week after political activists took hold of the campus for riots.
