The government of the United States has given Dominican universities until 30 September to clarify their medical school standards in order to have their degrees recognized. The National Council of Higher Education (CONES) has appointed a commission consisting of the deans of universities offering courses in medicine to establish universal standards for those graduating.
The commission, which includes Alejandrina German, the president of CONES: Agripino Nuñez Collado, the rector of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra; Rafael Kasse Acta, ex-rector of the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo; Priamo Rodriguez, rector of the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC); and Rafael Toribio and Elizabeth De Windt, who represent non-associated universities.
The clarification of standards will also be discussed in the context of the recent decree 259-96 on Dominican universities demanding the establishment of national standards for higher education, which some rectors have objected to as a violation of university autonomy.