University of Valle
Encyclopedia
The University of Valle also called Univalle, is a public
, departmental, coeducation
al, research
university
based primarily in the city of Cali
, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
. It is the largest higher education institution by student population in the southwest of the country, and the third in Colombia, with more than 30,000 students. The university was established by ordinance No. 12 of 1945, by the Departmental Assembly
as the Industrial University of Valle del Cauca , under the leadership of Tulio Ramírez Rojas and Severo Reyes Gamboa.
The university has two campuses in Cali. The main one, known as University City of Melendez , is located in the southern neighborhood of Melendez and hosts the faculties of Engineering, Humanities, Integrated Arts, Sciences, and Social Sciences and Economics, as well as the institutes of Education and Pedagogy, and Psychology. Its second one, located in the centric San Fernando neighborhood, hosts the faculties of Administration Sciences and Health. The university also has several satellite campus
es across the department in the cities of Buenaventura
, Buga
, Caicedonia
, Cartago, Palmira, Tuluá
, Yumbo
, and Zarzal
, and one campus in the neighboring Cauca department
in the city of Santander de Quilichao
. The university offers education at technological
, undergraduate
and postgraduate
levels, with 258 academic programs, which includes 65 master
and medical specialties
, and 8 doctorate
s. Also, it hosts an excellence research center
, six research centers, three research institutes, and 204 research groups.
The university is member of several university organizations including the Association of Colombian Universities
(ASCUN), the Iberoamerican Association of Postgraduate Universities
(AUIP), and the Iberoamerican University Network Universia
. The Valle, National
and Antioquia
universities form what is known as the Golden Triangle
of higher education in Colombia, being among the most selective and competitive universities in the country. It is one of the 15 universities in the country to have received a high quality institutional accreditation by the Ministry of Education
, through resolution 2020 of June 3, 2005. The accreditation was for eight years, making the university one of only a few to be accredited for such a duration. The University is considered a premier school in the country and usually excels in its Health and Engineering programs.
had been an ambition of the people of the city and of the Valle del Cauca Department
, and was continuously discussed and mentioned in the local newspapers. At the time, the only further education degrees awarded in the department were awarded by the Santa Librada College in Cali and the Academic College of Buga, which focused on the liberal arts. In the 1940s, the necessity for qualified professionals that could supply the demand of the new industrial sector of Valle del Cauca made it clear that an institution focusing on scientific and technological education was of strategic importance to the development of the region. Despite the idea of its creation being met with some skepticism, the University of Valle was established by the ordinance number 12 of June 11, 1945, by the Departmental Assembly
as the Universidad Industrial del Valle del Cauca. The leaders behind the establishment of the university were Tulio Ramírez Rojas, who would become the first rector
of the university, and Severo Reyes Gamboa, the departmental secretary of education at the time.
The university began its work in 1945 in a small house located in downtown Cali, with faculties of Agronomy, Business, and Nursing. In 1946 the Faculty of Chemistry was established, followed by the Faculty of Architecture in 1947, and in 1948 the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, which changed its name in 1949 to the Faculty of Electromechanical Engineering. At this early stage, the university faced its first financial crisis, a situation that was preceded by the destitution of the rector Ramírez in 1949 by political reasons, and caused by the diminishing support of the local government. The crisis, which almost ended in the university closure in 1950, would represent one of many chapters of the financial difficulties faced by the university in its history.
After the crisis was overcome, in 1950 the Faculty of Medicine was established, and began its work in 1951 on the campus of the Santa Librada College. Then, in 1954 started the construction of the San Fernando campus for the Faculties of Medicine, Nursing, and Architecture. This same year, by ordinance number 10 of 1954, the university changed its name to Universidad del Valle, established as part of the university government an Academic Council and an Administrative Council, the latter with the participation of representatives of different sectors of the community.
In 1955, under the tutelage of rector Mario Carvajal, the university opened the School of Graduate Studies in Medicine, and its publishing house was established under the name of University of Valle Library
. In 1957, the university began its technical and further education programs with the establishment of the schools of Medical Laboratory Technicians and Engineering Auxiliaries in Topography and Roads. At the end of the 1950s, the university comprised five faculties and three schools, 556 students, 174 professors, and 159 administrative staff. Its budget
had risen to $ COP
and its patrimony
to approximately $ COP.
(IDB), the creation of an revenue stamp
, and the request for a part of the land value tax
revenues of the adjacent neighborhoods. In 1964 the Schools and Faculties were reorganized into Divisions and Departments, which translated into an increased academic activity. At the time, five divisions were established with the reorganization: Architecture, Economy, Engineering, Health, and Sciences; and two more were created: Education and Humanities. By 1968 the university begun its internationalization process and an increment of its postgraduate programs, thanks to several donations made by several foreign foundations. By the end of the 1960s, the university had 5302 students, 453 full time and 174 part time professors, of which 9% had a Doctorate, 20% a Masters, and 21% a Specialist degree.
At this time, the first serious student revolts started to emerge, motivated by the local and global changes of the decade, like the Vietnam war, the European student movement, the presence of the Peace Corps
in Latin-America and specially in Colombia, the rejection of the IDB loan and the presence of the foreign foundations. On February 15, 1971, after the unconsulted election of the Dean of the Division of Social Science and Economics, some students took the rectory. This marked the first incursion of the police force to the university campus. For these events, some professors and students were expelled of the university. Nevertheless, the support for the rector dropped, who had to resign. Since mid February to April, the university was closed until the new rector was appointed.
In 1975 the university changed again its organizational structure into Faculties, and new programs were created, for example Social Communication and Journalism, Social Work were established in the Faculty of Humanities. In 1977, in order to avoid the desertion of several faculty members, it was established the professorship career system based in academic, investigative, and administrative merits. In 1976, with the creation of the Socio Economical Research Center, the first steps into the creation of the Sociology program in 1978 were taken.
, and the OAS
, among others. This agreements are the cornerstone for the development in the 1990s of the Doctoral degrees offered by the university. Also, in the 1980s, and thanks to the establishment of a revenue stamp by the Congress of the Republic
, the University began the establishment of its satellite campuses. At first, the courses presented in this campuses were only foundation courses, which required to the students its finalization in the main campus to obtain their degrees, until 1995, when all the satellite campuses allowed the finalization of the program.
In 1994, the Institute of Education and Pedagogy and the School of Psychology are established. In 1995, from the fusion of the faculty of Architecture, and the programs of Social Communication, Drama, and Music is established the Faculty of Integrated Arts. This same year, the accreditation process of all the programs was carried out.
The incomes from the revenue stamp created a surplus in the university finances, which were poorly administrated. Excessive amounts of the budget were directed to the establishment of research institutes and centers, creation of new professorial chairs, and the construction of several buildings, the establishment of a technological infrastructure, including Internet access, creating a deficit in the universities accounts. This situation, together with the increasing cost of the retirement plans and the delay in its payments, were the causes of the financial and institutional crisis of 1998, which ended in the closure of the university in the second semester of 1998 and the suspension of payment to all the academic and administrative staff members.
, the Governor of Valle del Cauca and the University, which has managed since then the retirement plans for all the staff. Also, the debt contracted with the private banking sector was renegotiated and will be paid in full by 2010, and the wages were paid.
In 2000 a new curricular adjustment was made, with the objective to fulfill all the quality accreditation requirements. In 2001 the coverage was increased by the aperture of the programs each semester and the creation of nocturnal courses. The same year, the research system was implemented and the Publishing House was reopened.
.
The campus can be roughly divided in two by the Jaime Garces B. Avenue that runs in an east-west direction. The northern part, which is also the largest, is mostly undeveloped. The developed area is enclosed by the Tulio Ramirez Avenue, and it is composed of more than 30 buildings, including the main administration building, the faculties of Science and of Engineering, part of the faculty of Integrated Arts, and the Mario Carvajal Library, which is the main library of the university.
The southern part includes the University Sports Center, which is composed of a main stadium, with an athletic track and seating for 3020 spectators; 8 soccer courts; 4 basketball/volleyball courts; the Alberto León Betancour Arena; an Olympic size swimming pool; and 4 tennis courts. It also includes the faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics, the remaining part of the faculty of Integrated Arts, the institute of Education and Pedagogy, the institute of Psychology, and the main dining hall.
The landscape of the campus, designed by architects Lyda Caldas and Harold Borrero, imitates the savanna
environment of the Cauca River
valley. The campus contains 4,250 trees from 182 species, some of which are endangered
in the country.
which is formed of eleven members: the governor of Valle del Cauca, the rector, the general secretary, and representatives for the President of the Republic
, the Ministry of Education
, dean
s, professors, alumni
, students, former rectors, and the productive sector.
Academic affairs are overseen by the Academic Council, which is formed of seventeen members: The rector, the general secretary, the vice-rectors for Academics, Administrative Affairs, Research, and University Welfare; the deans of the eight faculties; the directors of the two institutes and the offices of Planning and Regionalisation; two representatives for the professors, one representative for academic programs, and two representatives for the students.
The rector is the chief executive officer
and is elected for a four year period with the possibility of reelection. The current rector is Iván Enrique Ramos Calderón, who started his term in 2003 and was reelected for a second term in 2007. The rectory has six dependencies: the Direction of Regionalisation, the offices of Information and Telecommunications, Internal Control
, Institutional relationships, Legal Affairs, and Planning and Institutional Development; and the General Secretary.
The Vice-rector for Academics is responsible for the development and functioning of the academic affairs. The office is currently held by Martha Cecilia Gómez de García. The Vice-rector for Administrative Affairs deals with the administrative and financial process, making sure that they fit with the organization mission statement. The office is currently held by Edgar Varela Barrios. The Vice-rector for Research is in charge of formulation and proposing social and scientific research policies. The office is currently held by Carolina Isaza de Lourido. The Vice-rector for University Welfare is in charge of the welfare of the community regarding health, sports, and recreation. The office is currently held by Luis Fernando Castro.
Each academic division, either faculty or institute, has a directive council. These include the dean or director, the vice-deans or sub-directors of academics and research, the academic and administrative coordinators, the director of each school, department, or area; and a representative for the professors and for the students. Also, each division has an extension
and communication office. The research centers or institutes affiliated to the academic divisions are independent organizations at the same level as the schools, departments, or areas.
come in second and third in terms of student representation in the school, with approximately 5% and 2% respectively.
Nearly 55% of the admitted students come from public high schools, while 45% come from private schools. By 2007, the student population was predominately middle-lower and lower class with 42% and 35% from each background respectively. 42% of the students are between 19 and 22 years of age, 25% between 23 and 25 years, and 17% between 15 and 18 years. Each year about 2,300 undergraduate and 600 postgraduate students graduate from the university.
Each year, an average of 1,263 University of Valle students take the Examinations for Higher Education Quality . The test, carried out by the ICFES
, evaluates the general and specific competencies of final year students from 27 undergraduate subjects. Every year an average of 53% of the test takers from the university obtain a score in the top 75th percentile, and 40 achieve a top 10 place in its subject test. The university usually excels in its Health programs, especially Medicine, Dentistry, and Physiotherapy.
, five years for a Bachelor
, one and a half years for a graduate diploma
, two years for a Master, and five years for a Doctorate. As of 2009, 30 of the undergraduate programs have received a high quality accreditation from the ministry of education. In 2005, the university received an overall high quality accreditation from the Ministry of National Education, making it one of 15 in the country to have received such an award. The accreditation was for eight years, a period surpassed only by those given to the Antioquia and Andes universities.
By 2008 the faculty consisted of 836 tenure
d full time professors, 32.9% female and 67.1% male, and 411 full time equivalent non-tenured professors. The highest academic degree attained by each member of the faculty broke down as follows:
The average age of the faculty was 49 years of age, with 39.9% between the ages of 46 and 55, and 29% between 36 and 45 years old.
The university has signed 86 cooperation agreements with educative and governmental institutions around the globe, including 24 agreements with Spanish
institutions and 10 with American
institutions. The agreements include documentation exchange, double degree
programs, joint research projects, and mobility programs for professor, researcher, and student exchange
. Some of the high profile agreements are with the German Academic Exchange Service
, the Clemson
and Tulane
Universities, and the EPFL
. The university is also member of several associations which include the ASCUN, AUIP, CINDA, IOHE, and the Universia
network.
The Farallones Local Area Network allows the access of more than 4,200 computers to a 10 Mbit/s dedicated Internet
link provided by the High Speed University Network , which provides the member universities with the infrastructure for advanced services such as access to digital libraries
, telemedicine
, telepresence
and Videoconferencing
, as well as educational resources including virtual campus
es and laboratories
. The RUAV is part of the National Academic Network of Advanced Technology , which is connected to the Internet2
and GÉANT
networks through the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks ' onMouseout='HidePop("30941")' href="/topics/Clara">CLARA
).
, Accountancy
, Commerce
, and an Associate degree in Technology of Executive Management. It also offers graduate diplomas in Finances, Strategic Marketing, Quality and Productivity Administration, Public Administration, Public Management and Policies; and the Master degrees in Business Administration
, Organization Sciences, and Public Policies.
The Faculty of Engineering, established February 14, 1947 is the largest faculty by student population and number of tenured professors. It offers the degree of Bachelor of Engineering
with emphasis in Agricultural
, Civil
, Chemical
, Electronics, Electrical
, Food
, Industrial
, Materials, Mechanical
, Sanitation
, and Surveying
engineering, the degree of Professional in Statistics
, and the Associate of Engineering degree in Ecology and Environmental Management, Electronics, Food Processing, Information Systems, and Soil and Water Management and Conservation. It also offers 14 graduate diplomas; and a Master
by research degree in 10 areas of emphasis and one Doctoral
by research degree in 5 areas of emphasis.
The Faculty of Health was established in 1969 as the Health Division, from the merge of the Faculty of Medicine, and the Schools of Nursing, Laboratory Technicians, and Physiotherapy Technicians. It has the largest number of postgraduate students in the university, and the second in number of tenured professors. It offers 10 undergraduate programs which includes the degrees of Physician and Surgeon, Nurse
, and Dentist, 3 graduate diplomas in medical administration, 22 medical specialties, 4 nursing specialties, 3 dentistry specialties, 5 Master degrees, and a Doctorate in medical research with 3 emphasis areas.
The Faculty of Humanities was established in September 1964 as the Humanities Division. It offers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
in Geography, History, Philosophy, and Social work
; and the Bachelor of Education
with emphasis in Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Letters, and Philosophy. It also offers 6 graduate diplomas, and 4 Master of Arts
degrees by research.
The Faculty of Integrated Arts was established on April 21, 1995, by the fusion the former faculty of Architecture and the Departments of Design, Music, Scenic Arts, Social Communication, and Visual Arts and Aesthetics. It offers the undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Arts with emphasis in Graphic and Industrial Design, Dramatic Art, Architecture, Social communication and Journalism, Music, Visual Arts, and the degree of Bachelor of Education with emphasis in Music. It also offers the graduate diplomas of Landscaping
and Administration of Construction Enterprises.
The Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences was established in February, 1966, it offers the degree of Bachelor of Science
with emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics, and the Associate of Science in Chemical Technology. It also offers the graduate diplomas in Chemical Technology, Entomology
, and Ethnobiology
; the graduate degrees by research of Master
and Doctor of Science
with emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics was established in 1975, by the fusion of the Departments of Social Sciences and Economics. Its origins can be traced to 1958, when the Division of Economics was created. It offers the Bachelors degrees in Economics
and Sociology
, and the Master degrees by research in Applied Economics, and Sociology.
and Doctor of Education
.
The Institute of Psychology was established on February 10, 2003. It offers the undergraduate degree of Psychologist and the graduate degrees by research of Master and Doctor of Psychology
.
, is one of the largest university libraries in the country with 18000 m² (4.4 acre) of constructed space.
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The university is consistently ranked among the top five higher education institutions in Colombia.
The Excellence Center for Novel Materials is part of a high-priority national effort, supported primarily by COLCIENCIAS and implemented by 19 recognized multidisciplinary research groups in 10 universities across the nation. Additionally, it gets international support from four world-renowned institutions: The Nanotechnology center from Northwestern University
, the Thin Film and Nanoscience Group from the University of California at San Diego, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan
, and the Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research on Materials from the University of Chile. Research work at CENM is organized around 4 Interdisciplinary Research Themes (IRT), which are: Advanced Coatings, Composite Materials, Nano-magnetism, and Solid State Devices, Sensors, and Mesoscopic Systems. The center acquired in 2008 an Atomic force microscope
, the first in South America
, with a cost of $ COP.
. The events started with a strike by students of the university, followed by students of private universities in Bogotá, and then by workers in the industrial, transportation, financial, and commercial sectors.
The student movement has not been free from the influence of radical groups. This influence intensified in the 1960s, during the government of Carlos Lleras Restrepo
, who initiated a repressive and military approach to the university conflicts. Since then, there have been confrontations between radical groups, from inside and outside of the university, and the police, in the campus grounds and its surroundings. On some occasions this resulted in participants being injured or even killed. On April 4, 2001, during a confrontation between masked individuals and the Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron
, police patrolmen John Arce was killed by an explosive. This incident was followed by the incursion of the police force into the university, which left equipment, buildings, and vehicles damaged. On September 22, 2005, during a protest against the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia, the chemistry student Jhonny Silva Aranguren was killed, according by some witnesses, by the police force.
While most of the university community is against the actions of the radical movements, this has not prevented the stigmatization of the student body by the general population. This attitude has led to the belief that the guerrilla
and subversive
groups that operate in Colombia have clandestine
operatives inside the university, a belief that has been supported by the discovery of unconventional weaponry inside the university grounds. This has resulted in the targeting of student activists by criminal and paramilitary
groups. On October 4, 2006, a student of Technology of Prehospital Attention and representative at the Academic Council, Julian Andrés Hurtado, was killed by hitmen. In his honor, the Government of Valle del Cauca and the Institute for the Development of Valle del Cauca established a scholarship program that bears his name. Another situation that reflects the stigmatization of the student body is the unfounded arrests of students during the disturbances, such as those that occurred on April 3, 2008, when four students were captured without substantial evidence
, and eventually released when it was demonstrated that they were not even near the confrontation site at the time of the disturbances.
, Billiards, Chess
, Cycling
, Futsal
, Judo
, Karate
, Rugby
, Soccer, Swimming
, Taekwondo
, table
and outdoor Tennis
, Track and field, Triathlon
, Beach
and indoor Volleyball
, and Weightlifting. The university also participates in smaller invitational tournaments, such as the CUAO, ICESI, Javeriana, and Loyola cups.
group, and the "El Perol" storytellers
group.
s, scientist
s, and artist
s. This includes the current governor of Nariño Antonio Navarro Wolff
, and the former governor of Valle del Cauca Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal, who not only are alumni of the university, but at one point in time were also faculty members. The former Ministry of the Interior and Justice
and ambassador of Colombia in Italy
, Sabas Pretelt de la Vega
, attended the university as well.
Some scientists affiliated to the university are Sócrates Herrera Valencia, head of the Immunology Research Institute of the university and creator of a synthetic vaccine
against malaria
; and Raúl Cuero
, a researcher in biotechnology at the Texas A&M University
and an employee at NASA
.
The faculty of Integrated Arts is also gaining national notability. The film director
s Antonio Dorado and Carlos Moreno, both alumni of the university, are part of the new generation of Colombian filmmakers. Dorado, who is also a faculty member, directed the movie The King
, which was nominated for the Goya Awards
. Moreno directed the movie Dog Eat Dog, which was the first Colombian movie to be shown in the Sundance Film Festival
.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
, departmental, coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al, research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
based primarily in the city of Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It is the largest higher education institution by student population in the southwest of the country, and the third in Colombia, with more than 30,000 students. The university was established by ordinance No. 12 of 1945, by the Departmental Assembly
Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca
The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca is the department assembly of the Colombian Department of Valle del Cauca. The assembly is part of the Colombian legislative branch of government at a Provincial level and its main function is to debate, approve or change the local ordinances.-History:The...
as the Industrial University of Valle del Cauca , under the leadership of Tulio Ramírez Rojas and Severo Reyes Gamboa.
The university has two campuses in Cali. The main one, known as University City of Melendez , is located in the southern neighborhood of Melendez and hosts the faculties of Engineering, Humanities, Integrated Arts, Sciences, and Social Sciences and Economics, as well as the institutes of Education and Pedagogy, and Psychology. Its second one, located in the centric San Fernando neighborhood, hosts the faculties of Administration Sciences and Health. The university also has several satellite campus
Satellite campus
A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution....
es across the department in the cities of Buenaventura
Buenaventura, Colombia
Buenaventura is a port city and municipality located in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia . Buenaventura is the main port of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean....
, Buga
Buga, Valle del Cauca
Buga formally Guadalajara de Buga is a city and municipality in the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia. It is famous for its Basilica del Señor de los Milagros, which houses an image of Christ called El Señor de los Milagros .-History:Guadalajara de Buga is one of the oldest cities in...
, Caicedonia
Caicedonia
Caicedonia is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, situated about 172 km from the capital Cali. Founded in 1910 by Daniel Gutierrez, Juan Bautista Angely and a group of settlers from Antioqueño Caldenses and Tolima, it was named after Dr. Lisandro...
, Cartago, Palmira, Tuluá
Tuluá
Tuluá is a city located in the heart of the Cauca Valley, Colombia Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A major industrial and commercial center, it is the region's fourth largest city after Cali, the department capital, Buenaventura and Palmira. Founded around 1741 by Juan de Lemos y Aguirre, it has a...
, Yumbo
Yumbo
Yumbo is a small, industrial city and municipality located in western Colombia. It is located in the Valle del Cauca department, just north of Cali...
, and Zarzal
Zarzal
Zarzal is a town and municipality located in the north of the department of Valle del Cauca, in Colombia. Its economy is based primarily on the extensive cultivation of sugar cane, on small and medium enterprises in the metallurgic sector and on utilities. Commerce is also of great importance,...
, and one campus in the neighboring Cauca department
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
in the city of Santander de Quilichao
Santander de Quilichao
Santander de Quilichao is a town and municipality in the Cauca Department, Colombia.-External links:...
. The university offers education at technological
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
and postgraduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
levels, with 258 academic programs, which includes 65 master
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and medical specialties
Specialty (medicine)
A specialty in medicine is a branch of medical science. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist.-History of medical specialization:To...
, and 8 doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s. Also, it hosts an excellence research center
Excellence research center (Colombia)
The Excellence Research Centers are national networks of research groups who pursue a common problem in a scientific and technological area of national strategic importance...
, six research centers, three research institutes, and 204 research groups.
The university is member of several university organizations including the Association of Colombian Universities
Association of Colombian Universities
The Association of Colombian Universities , also known as ASCUN, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, that congregates the public and private Colombian universities...
(ASCUN), the Iberoamerican Association of Postgraduate Universities
Iberoamerican Association of Postgraduate Universities
The Iberoamerican Association of Postgraduate Universities , also known as AUIP, is an international non-governmental organization, recognized by the UNESCO, whose primary objective is the promotion of postgraduate and doctoral studies in Ibero-America...
(AUIP), and the Iberoamerican University Network Universia
Universia
Universia is a network that consists of 1,1000 Universities in 15 countries: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. It has 12 internet sites, one for each country, and another global site...
. The Valle, National
National University of Colombia
The Universidad Nacional de Colombia , also called UNAL or just UN, is a public, national, coeducational, research university, located primarily in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, Colombia...
and Antioquia
University of Antioquia
The University of Antioquia , also called UdeA, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia. It is the largest higher education institution by student population in the northwest of the country, and the second in...
universities form what is known as the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle (Colombian Universities)
Golden Triangle is an informal expression used to refer to the top three public universities of Colombia, which are the National University of Colombia at Bogotá, and the Universities of Antioquia and Valle...
of higher education in Colombia, being among the most selective and competitive universities in the country. It is one of the 15 universities in the country to have received a high quality institutional accreditation by the Ministry of Education
Ministry of National Education (Colombia)
The Ministry of National Education is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for overseeing the instruction and education of the Colombian people, similar to education ministries in other countries.-List of Ministers:...
, through resolution 2020 of June 3, 2005. The accreditation was for eight years, making the university one of only a few to be accredited for such a duration. The University is considered a premier school in the country and usually excels in its Health and Engineering programs.
Establishment and early years
Since the late 19th century the idea of creating a university in CaliCalì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
had been an ambition of the people of the city and of the Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
, and was continuously discussed and mentioned in the local newspapers. At the time, the only further education degrees awarded in the department were awarded by the Santa Librada College in Cali and the Academic College of Buga, which focused on the liberal arts. In the 1940s, the necessity for qualified professionals that could supply the demand of the new industrial sector of Valle del Cauca made it clear that an institution focusing on scientific and technological education was of strategic importance to the development of the region. Despite the idea of its creation being met with some skepticism, the University of Valle was established by the ordinance number 12 of June 11, 1945, by the Departmental Assembly
Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca
The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca is the department assembly of the Colombian Department of Valle del Cauca. The assembly is part of the Colombian legislative branch of government at a Provincial level and its main function is to debate, approve or change the local ordinances.-History:The...
as the Universidad Industrial del Valle del Cauca. The leaders behind the establishment of the university were Tulio Ramírez Rojas, who would become the first rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the university, and Severo Reyes Gamboa, the departmental secretary of education at the time.
The university began its work in 1945 in a small house located in downtown Cali, with faculties of Agronomy, Business, and Nursing. In 1946 the Faculty of Chemistry was established, followed by the Faculty of Architecture in 1947, and in 1948 the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, which changed its name in 1949 to the Faculty of Electromechanical Engineering. At this early stage, the university faced its first financial crisis, a situation that was preceded by the destitution of the rector Ramírez in 1949 by political reasons, and caused by the diminishing support of the local government. The crisis, which almost ended in the university closure in 1950, would represent one of many chapters of the financial difficulties faced by the university in its history.
After the crisis was overcome, in 1950 the Faculty of Medicine was established, and began its work in 1951 on the campus of the Santa Librada College. Then, in 1954 started the construction of the San Fernando campus for the Faculties of Medicine, Nursing, and Architecture. This same year, by ordinance number 10 of 1954, the university changed its name to Universidad del Valle, established as part of the university government an Academic Council and an Administrative Council, the latter with the participation of representatives of different sectors of the community.
In 1955, under the tutelage of rector Mario Carvajal, the university opened the School of Graduate Studies in Medicine, and its publishing house was established under the name of University of Valle Library
University of Valle Publishing Program
The University of Valle Publishing Program , is the publishing arm of the University of Valle. While its origins can be traced since 1955, when it started operation under the name University of Valle Library , the current publisher was established under Agreement 005 of the University Council on...
. In 1957, the university began its technical and further education programs with the establishment of the schools of Medical Laboratory Technicians and Engineering Auxiliaries in Topography and Roads. At the end of the 1950s, the university comprised five faculties and three schools, 556 students, 174 professors, and 159 administrative staff. Its budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
had risen to $ COP
Colombian peso
The peso is the currency of Colombia. Its ISO 4217 code is COP and it is also informally abbreviated as COL$. However, the official peso symbol is $. As 20 July 2011, the exchange rate of the Colombian peso is 1750 Colombian pesos to 1 U.S. dollar.-History:The peso has been the currency of Colombia...
and its patrimony
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
to approximately $ COP.
Academic consolidation and the student movement
In 1962, the Office of University Planning was established with the objective of developing a general plan for the university, which included the construction of a new campus, and the development of the regional university system by the creation of satellite campuses in the intermediate cities of the department. The new campus, located in the southern part of the city was construed on donated land and financed by a loan requested from the Inter-American Development BankInter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
(IDB), the creation of an revenue stamp
Revenue stamp
A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things...
, and the request for a part of the land value tax
Land value tax
A land value tax is a levy on the unimproved value of land. It is an ad valorem tax on land that disregards the value of buildings, personal property and other improvements...
revenues of the adjacent neighborhoods. In 1964 the Schools and Faculties were reorganized into Divisions and Departments, which translated into an increased academic activity. At the time, five divisions were established with the reorganization: Architecture, Economy, Engineering, Health, and Sciences; and two more were created: Education and Humanities. By 1968 the university begun its internationalization process and an increment of its postgraduate programs, thanks to several donations made by several foreign foundations. By the end of the 1960s, the university had 5302 students, 453 full time and 174 part time professors, of which 9% had a Doctorate, 20% a Masters, and 21% a Specialist degree.
At this time, the first serious student revolts started to emerge, motivated by the local and global changes of the decade, like the Vietnam war, the European student movement, the presence of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
in Latin-America and specially in Colombia, the rejection of the IDB loan and the presence of the foreign foundations. On February 15, 1971, after the unconsulted election of the Dean of the Division of Social Science and Economics, some students took the rectory. This marked the first incursion of the police force to the university campus. For these events, some professors and students were expelled of the university. Nevertheless, the support for the rector dropped, who had to resign. Since mid February to April, the university was closed until the new rector was appointed.
In 1975 the university changed again its organizational structure into Faculties, and new programs were created, for example Social Communication and Journalism, Social Work were established in the Faculty of Humanities. In 1977, in order to avoid the desertion of several faculty members, it was established the professorship career system based in academic, investigative, and administrative merits. In 1976, with the creation of the Socio Economical Research Center, the first steps into the creation of the Sociology program in 1978 were taken.
Social projection, research and technological development
In 1983, the Department of Administration branched out of the Faculty of Engineering and constituted the actual Faculty of Administration Sciences. In 1985, the Professorial Statute Committee was created to determine the procedures related to the professorial career. The same year, the first agreements for the development of joint research projects were signed with the Ministry of National Education, COLCIENCIAS, the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, and the OAS
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
, among others. This agreements are the cornerstone for the development in the 1990s of the Doctoral degrees offered by the university. Also, in the 1980s, and thanks to the establishment of a revenue stamp by the Congress of the Republic
Congress of Colombia
The Congress of the Republic of Colombia is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.The Congress of Colombia consists of the 102-seat Senate , and the 166-seat Chamber of Representatives ...
, the University began the establishment of its satellite campuses. At first, the courses presented in this campuses were only foundation courses, which required to the students its finalization in the main campus to obtain their degrees, until 1995, when all the satellite campuses allowed the finalization of the program.
In 1994, the Institute of Education and Pedagogy and the School of Psychology are established. In 1995, from the fusion of the faculty of Architecture, and the programs of Social Communication, Drama, and Music is established the Faculty of Integrated Arts. This same year, the accreditation process of all the programs was carried out.
The incomes from the revenue stamp created a surplus in the university finances, which were poorly administrated. Excessive amounts of the budget were directed to the establishment of research institutes and centers, creation of new professorial chairs, and the construction of several buildings, the establishment of a technological infrastructure, including Internet access, creating a deficit in the universities accounts. This situation, together with the increasing cost of the retirement plans and the delay in its payments, were the causes of the financial and institutional crisis of 1998, which ended in the closure of the university in the second semester of 1998 and the suspension of payment to all the academic and administrative staff members.
Institutional accreditation and current standing
In early 1999, the University restarted its operations after several difficulties. The work of Rectors Emilio Aljure Nasser and Oscar Rojas Rentería, allowed the creation of the Retirement Fund in 2000 with the participation of the Ministry of Finance and Public CreditMinistry of Finance and Public Credit
The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit , is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the financial and budgetary matters of the country as well as implementing the financial policies passed by Congress, equivalent to the finance ministries of other...
, the Governor of Valle del Cauca and the University, which has managed since then the retirement plans for all the staff. Also, the debt contracted with the private banking sector was renegotiated and will be paid in full by 2010, and the wages were paid.
In 2000 a new curricular adjustment was made, with the objective to fulfill all the quality accreditation requirements. In 2001 the coverage was increased by the aperture of the programs each semester and the creation of nocturnal courses. The same year, the research system was implemented and the Publishing House was reopened.
Melendez campus
The main campus, also known as University City of Melendez, is located in the southern neighborhood of Melendez in the city of Cali, between the Calle 13 or Pasoancho Avenue and the Calle 16, and the Carrera 86 and Carrera 100. It is one of the largest campuses in Colombia, with 1000000 m² (247.1 acre) of land donated by the Garces Giraldo Brothers. The architectural project, which won the national architecture prize in 1972, was the work of several members of the faculty under the coordination of the architect Jamie Cruz. During its construction it was used as Olympic village for the 1971 Pan American Games1971 Pan American Games
The 6th Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. The then called "Salsa World Capital", located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, hosted a total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries, who participated in seventeen sports...
.
The campus can be roughly divided in two by the Jaime Garces B. Avenue that runs in an east-west direction. The northern part, which is also the largest, is mostly undeveloped. The developed area is enclosed by the Tulio Ramirez Avenue, and it is composed of more than 30 buildings, including the main administration building, the faculties of Science and of Engineering, part of the faculty of Integrated Arts, and the Mario Carvajal Library, which is the main library of the university.
The southern part includes the University Sports Center, which is composed of a main stadium, with an athletic track and seating for 3020 spectators; 8 soccer courts; 4 basketball/volleyball courts; the Alberto León Betancour Arena; an Olympic size swimming pool; and 4 tennis courts. It also includes the faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics, the remaining part of the faculty of Integrated Arts, the institute of Education and Pedagogy, the institute of Psychology, and the main dining hall.
The landscape of the campus, designed by architects Lyda Caldas and Harold Borrero, imitates the savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
environment of the Cauca River
Cauca River
The Cauca River is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. Born in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Pinillos in Bolívar Department, and the combined river eventually flows out into the Caribbean Sea. It has a...
valley. The campus contains 4,250 trees from 182 species, some of which are endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in the country.
San Fernando campus
The San Fernando campus, located in the central neighborhood of the same name in Cali was the main location of the university from its construction in 1954 until 1962. This campus, with an area of 39960 m² (9.9 acre), shares grounds with the "Evaristo Garcia" University Hospital of Valle , and can be roughly divided in two by the Calle 4B which runs in the south-north direction. The western part is surrounded by the Carrera 36, the Carrera 36B, and the Calle 4 is the largest section contains the Faculty of Administration Sciences, most of the Faculty of Health, and the San Fernando Library. The eastern part, which is adjacent to the hospital, contains the School of Nursing, the San Fernando University Sport Center, and the administrative buildings.La Carbonera campus
The campus at the city of Palmira is located in La Carbonera sector between the Carrera 31 and the La Carbonera Avenue, in a 50000 m² (12.4 acre) terrain donated by the sugar mill company Manuelita S.A.. The project is to be completed in three stages, and was designed by an interdisciplinary team led by the Research Center in Territory, Construction and Space, and the School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics of the University. The construction of the first phase of the first stage started on June 15, 2007, and was inaugurated on June 11, 2009, correspond to a three story building with a surface area of 5200 m² (1.3 acre), with a cost of $ COP. The new building counts with a library, five laboratories for chemistry, biology, electronics, physics, and food analysis; an auditorium for 150 spectators, and 27 class rooms with Internet access. The second and third planned phases for the first stage are the construction of a similar building and an auditorium for 1,500 spectators.Satellite campuses
The university also has other seven satellite campuses in other cities of the Valle del Cauca Department and one in the Cauca Department. These are located in the cities of Buenaventura (Pacific campus), Buga, Caicedonia, Cartago, Santander de Quilichao (Northern Cauca campus), Tulúa, Yumbo, and Zarzal.Organization
The university highest government body is the University CouncilUniversity Council
A University Council may be the executive body of a university's governance system, an advisory body to the University President, or something in between in authority....
which is formed of eleven members: the governor of Valle del Cauca, the rector, the general secretary, and representatives for the President of the Republic
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
, the Ministry of Education
Ministry of National Education (Colombia)
The Ministry of National Education is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for overseeing the instruction and education of the Colombian people, similar to education ministries in other countries.-List of Ministers:...
, dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
s, professors, alumni
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
, students, former rectors, and the productive sector.
Academic affairs are overseen by the Academic Council, which is formed of seventeen members: The rector, the general secretary, the vice-rectors for Academics, Administrative Affairs, Research, and University Welfare; the deans of the eight faculties; the directors of the two institutes and the offices of Planning and Regionalisation; two representatives for the professors, one representative for academic programs, and two representatives for the students.
The rector is the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
and is elected for a four year period with the possibility of reelection. The current rector is Iván Enrique Ramos Calderón, who started his term in 2003 and was reelected for a second term in 2007. The rectory has six dependencies: the Direction of Regionalisation, the offices of Information and Telecommunications, Internal Control
Internal control
In accounting and auditing, internal control is defined as a process effected by an organization's structure, work and authority flows, people and management information systems, designed to help the organization accomplish specific goals or objectives. It is a means by which an organization's...
, Institutional relationships, Legal Affairs, and Planning and Institutional Development; and the General Secretary.
The Vice-rector for Academics is responsible for the development and functioning of the academic affairs. The office is currently held by Martha Cecilia Gómez de García. The Vice-rector for Administrative Affairs deals with the administrative and financial process, making sure that they fit with the organization mission statement. The office is currently held by Edgar Varela Barrios. The Vice-rector for Research is in charge of formulation and proposing social and scientific research policies. The office is currently held by Carolina Isaza de Lourido. The Vice-rector for University Welfare is in charge of the welfare of the community regarding health, sports, and recreation. The office is currently held by Luis Fernando Castro.
Each academic division, either faculty or institute, has a directive council. These include the dean or director, the vice-deans or sub-directors of academics and research, the academic and administrative coordinators, the director of each school, department, or area; and a representative for the professors and for the students. Also, each division has an extension
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
and communication office. The research centers or institutes affiliated to the academic divisions are independent organizations at the same level as the schools, departments, or areas.
Student profile
The university has 27,725 undergraduate and 2,595 graduate students, including 211 doctoral students. Each year about 33,000 new students apply for admission, with equal proportions of female and male applicants. On average, only 25% of the applicants are admitted, of which approximately 40% are female and 60% male. The student population comes primarily from the department of Valle del Cauca, representing almost 90% of the admitted students. The departments of Cauca and NariñoNariño Department
Nariño is a department of Colombia named after Antonio Nariño. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.Its capital is Pasto, other important cities include Tumaco, Ipiales.-Municipalities:# Albán# Aldana# Ancuya...
come in second and third in terms of student representation in the school, with approximately 5% and 2% respectively.
Nearly 55% of the admitted students come from public high schools, while 45% come from private schools. By 2007, the student population was predominately middle-lower and lower class with 42% and 35% from each background respectively. 42% of the students are between 19 and 22 years of age, 25% between 23 and 25 years, and 17% between 15 and 18 years. Each year about 2,300 undergraduate and 600 postgraduate students graduate from the university.
Each year, an average of 1,263 University of Valle students take the Examinations for Higher Education Quality . The test, carried out by the ICFES
ICFES
ICFES is an acronym for Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior . It is a Colombian organization that manages and evaluates the education and Institutes in Colombia...
, evaluates the general and specific competencies of final year students from 27 undergraduate subjects. Every year an average of 53% of the test takers from the university obtain a score in the top 75th percentile, and 40 achieve a top 10 place in its subject test. The university usually excels in its Health programs, especially Medicine, Dentistry, and Physiotherapy.
University profile
The university has eight faculties and two institutes that between them offer 258 academic programs. 181 of these are undergraduate programs, and 94 are postgraduate, including 8 doctoral degrees by research. Of this, 189 programs are offered in the city of Cali, and 69 in the regional campuses. The duration of the programs are three years for an AssociateAssociate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
, five years for a Bachelor
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, one and a half years for a graduate diploma
Graduate Diploma
A Graduate Diploma is generally a postgraduate qualification, although some graduate diplomas involve the study of undergraduate level courses...
, two years for a Master, and five years for a Doctorate. As of 2009, 30 of the undergraduate programs have received a high quality accreditation from the ministry of education. In 2005, the university received an overall high quality accreditation from the Ministry of National Education, making it one of 15 in the country to have received such an award. The accreditation was for eight years, a period surpassed only by those given to the Antioquia and Andes universities.
By 2008 the faculty consisted of 836 tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
d full time professors, 32.9% female and 67.1% male, and 411 full time equivalent non-tenured professors. The highest academic degree attained by each member of the faculty broke down as follows:
- doctorate: 25%
- masters: 39%
- specialist: 19%
- undergraduate: 16%
The average age of the faculty was 49 years of age, with 39.9% between the ages of 46 and 55, and 29% between 36 and 45 years old.
The university has signed 86 cooperation agreements with educative and governmental institutions around the globe, including 24 agreements with Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
institutions and 10 with American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
institutions. The agreements include documentation exchange, double degree
Double degree
A double-degree program, sometimes called a combined degree, conjoint degree, dual degree, or simultaneous degree program, involves a student's working for two different university degrees in parallel, either at the same institution or at different institutions , completing them in less time than...
programs, joint research projects, and mobility programs for professor, researcher, and student exchange
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
. Some of the high profile agreements are with the German Academic Exchange Service
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
, the Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
and Tulane
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
Universities, and the EPFL
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
. The university is also member of several associations which include the ASCUN, AUIP, CINDA, IOHE, and the Universia
Universia
Universia is a network that consists of 1,1000 Universities in 15 countries: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. It has 12 internet sites, one for each country, and another global site...
network.
The Farallones Local Area Network allows the access of more than 4,200 computers to a 10 Mbit/s dedicated Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
link provided by the High Speed University Network , which provides the member universities with the infrastructure for advanced services such as access to digital libraries
Digital library
A digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks...
, telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
, telepresence
Telepresence
Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location....
and Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously...
, as well as educational resources including virtual campus
Virtual Campus
A virtual campus refers to the online offerings of a college or university where college work is completed either partially or wholly online, often with the assistance of the teacher, professor, or teaching assistant....
es and laboratories
Virtual Laboratory
The online project Virtual Laboratory. Essays and Resources on the Experimentalization of Life, 1830-1930, located at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, is dedicated to research in the history of the experimentalization of life...
. The RUAV is part of the National Academic Network of Advanced Technology , which is connected to the Internet2
Internet2
Internet2 is an advanced not-for-profit US networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government....
and GÉANT
GEANT
GÉANT is the main European multi-gigabit computer network for research and education purposes...
networks through the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks ' onMouseout='HidePop("30941")' href="/topics/Clara">CLARA
Clara
Clara is a town on the River Brosna in County Offaly and is the 10th largest town in the midlands of Ireland. The town has a population of 3001 , however a number of well populated housing estates lie outside the town boundary making the actual population higher...
).
Faculties
The Faculty of Administration Sciences was established on July 26, 1984, but its origins can be traced to the administration courses offered for engineering students since 1961. It offers the undergraduate programs of Bachelor of Business AdministrationBachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
, Accountancy
Bachelor of Accountancy
The degree of Bachelor of Accountancy is the principal academic degree in accountancy in several countries, and is often the only degree recognised for subsequent practice; see First professional degree. It is abbreviated B.Acy. or B.Acc. or B. Accty....
, Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
, and an Associate degree in Technology of Executive Management. It also offers graduate diplomas in Finances, Strategic Marketing, Quality and Productivity Administration, Public Administration, Public Management and Policies; and the Master degrees in Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, Organization Sciences, and Public Policies.
The Faculty of Engineering, established February 14, 1947 is the largest faculty by student population and number of tenured professors. It offers the degree of Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
with emphasis in Agricultural
Agricultural engineering
Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing...
, Civil
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, Chemical
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, Electronics, Electrical
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, Food
Food engineering
Food engineering is a multidisciplinary field of applied physical sciences which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education for food and related industries. Food engineering includes, but is not limited to, the application of agricultural engineering, mechanical engineering and...
, Industrial
Industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
, Materials, Mechanical
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
, Sanitation
Sanitary engineering
Sanitary engineering is the application of engineering methods to improve sanitation of human communities, primarily by providing the removal and disposal of human waste, and in addition to the supply of safe potable water. Initially in the mid 19th century, the discipline concentrated on the...
, and Surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
engineering, the degree of Professional in Statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, and the Associate of Engineering degree in Ecology and Environmental Management, Electronics, Food Processing, Information Systems, and Soil and Water Management and Conservation. It also offers 14 graduate diplomas; and a Master
Master of Engineering
A Master of Engineering or Master of Technology or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) (abbreviated M.Eng., ME or MEng) or Master of Technology (abbreviated M.Tech. or MTech) or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in...
by research degree in 10 areas of emphasis and one Doctoral
Doctor of Engineering
The Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
by research degree in 5 areas of emphasis.
The Faculty of Health was established in 1969 as the Health Division, from the merge of the Faculty of Medicine, and the Schools of Nursing, Laboratory Technicians, and Physiotherapy Technicians. It has the largest number of postgraduate students in the university, and the second in number of tenured professors. It offers 10 undergraduate programs which includes the degrees of Physician and Surgeon, Nurse
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an American four year academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school...
, and Dentist, 3 graduate diplomas in medical administration, 22 medical specialties, 4 nursing specialties, 3 dentistry specialties, 5 Master degrees, and a Doctorate in medical research with 3 emphasis areas.
The Faculty of Humanities was established in September 1964 as the Humanities Division. It offers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Geography, History, Philosophy, and Social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
; and the Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
with emphasis in Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Letters, and Philosophy. It also offers 6 graduate diplomas, and 4 Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degrees by research.
The Faculty of Integrated Arts was established on April 21, 1995, by the fusion the former faculty of Architecture and the Departments of Design, Music, Scenic Arts, Social Communication, and Visual Arts and Aesthetics. It offers the undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Arts with emphasis in Graphic and Industrial Design, Dramatic Art, Architecture, Social communication and Journalism, Music, Visual Arts, and the degree of Bachelor of Education with emphasis in Music. It also offers the graduate diplomas of Landscaping
Landscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
and Administration of Construction Enterprises.
The Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences was established in February, 1966, it offers the degree of Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
with emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics, and the Associate of Science in Chemical Technology. It also offers the graduate diplomas in Chemical Technology, Entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, and Ethnobiology
Ethnobiology
]Ethnobiology is the scientific study of dynamic relationships between peoples, biota, and environments, from the distant past to the immediate present....
; the graduate degrees by research of Master
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
with emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics was established in 1975, by the fusion of the Departments of Social Sciences and Economics. Its origins can be traced to 1958, when the Division of Economics was created. It offers the Bachelors degrees in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, and the Master degrees by research in Applied Economics, and Sociology.
Institutes
The Institute of Education and Pedagogy was established on February 10, 2003, to replace the Faculty of Education, established in 1962. It offers the undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Education, with emphasis in Basic Education, Math and Physics, Physical Education and Sports, Popular Education; and the degrees of Professional in Recreation, Professional in Political studies and conflict resolution, and Professional in Sport Sciences. It also offers the graduate degrees by research of MasterMaster of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
and Doctor of Education
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
.
The Institute of Psychology was established on February 10, 2003. It offers the undergraduate degree of Psychologist and the graduate degrees by research of Master and Doctor of Psychology
Doctor of Psychology
The Doctor of Psychology degree is a professional doctorate earned through one of two established training models for clinical psychology...
.
Libraries
The university library system is managed by the Library Division, created in 1963, and counts with three central libraries, six documentation centers, one specialized library, and nine regional libraries. By 2008, the library collection was composed of 681,928 titles, 51% of which were books or thesis in printed and digital format, and 37% were printed or microfilm journals and magazines. The Mario Carvajal Library, which was created under the technical advise of the Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, is one of the largest university libraries in the country with 18000 m² (4.4 acre) of constructed space.
Rankings
The following is a summary of the University of Valle rankings:! Publications
! 2009
! 2010
! 2011
|-
| QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
|
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| 601+(5)
|-
| QS Latin American University Rankings
|
|
| 54(5)
|-
|Webometrics Ranking of World Universities
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, also known as Ranking Web of World Universities, is ranking system for the world's universities based on a composite indicator that takes into account both the volume of the Web contents and the visibility and impact of these web publications...
|
|
| 955(5) / 1049 (4)
|-
|University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP)
|
| 1253(4)
|
|-
|SCImago Institutions Rankings
| 1626(3)
| 1835(4)
| 1778(4)
|-
|Ranking U-Sapiens Colombia
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| 3 / 3
|>
- Parenthesis number indicates national ranking
- This ranking is published twice a year. Semesters are separated by "/"
- This is a national ranking only
The university is consistently ranked among the top five higher education institutions in Colombia.
Research
The university has a long tradition in research that can be traced to its origins. It is home to an excellence research center, 6 research centers, 3 research institutes, and 276 groups, of which 122 are recognized by COLCIENCIAS. In 2007 276 research projects were carried out, with an investment totaling $ COP provided by fifteen national and international entities.The Excellence Center for Novel Materials is part of a high-priority national effort, supported primarily by COLCIENCIAS and implemented by 19 recognized multidisciplinary research groups in 10 universities across the nation. Additionally, it gets international support from four world-renowned institutions: The Nanotechnology center from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, the Thin Film and Nanoscience Group from the University of California at San Diego, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and the Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research on Materials from the University of Chile. Research work at CENM is organized around 4 Interdisciplinary Research Themes (IRT), which are: Advanced Coatings, Composite Materials, Nano-magnetism, and Solid State Devices, Sensors, and Mesoscopic Systems. The center acquired in 2008 an Atomic force microscope
Atomic force microscope
Atomic force microscopy or scanning force microscopy is a very high-resolution type of scanning probe microscopy, with demonstrated resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times better than the optical diffraction limit...
, the first in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, with a cost of $ COP.
Activism
The university has a student body deeply involved in social activism. Its origins can be traced to the early years of the university. In 1954 the first national student congress took place in Cali, where the main issues that the student movement would tackle were defined: the university's autonomy, and the freedom and democratization of education. Then, in 1957, the National Union of University Students was established. The university would become an important member of this organization, whose first significant action would take place in May of the same year that ended the dictatorship of General Gustavo Rojas PinillaGustavo Rojas Pinilla
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla was a Colombian politician, military officer, General of the Army and President of Colombia between 1953 and 1957.- Biographic data :...
. The events started with a strike by students of the university, followed by students of private universities in Bogotá, and then by workers in the industrial, transportation, financial, and commercial sectors.
The student movement has not been free from the influence of radical groups. This influence intensified in the 1960s, during the government of Carlos Lleras Restrepo
Carlos Lleras Restrepo
Carlos Lleras Restrepo was a Colombian lawyer and political figure, President of Colombia .- Biographic data :...
, who initiated a repressive and military approach to the university conflicts. Since then, there have been confrontations between radical groups, from inside and outside of the university, and the police, in the campus grounds and its surroundings. On some occasions this resulted in participants being injured or even killed. On April 4, 2001, during a confrontation between masked individuals and the Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron
Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron
Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron or Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios in Spanish is a Colombian National Police Riot control unit specialized on preventing and/or controlling public disturbances and riots, as well as controlling large masses of people...
, police patrolmen John Arce was killed by an explosive. This incident was followed by the incursion of the police force into the university, which left equipment, buildings, and vehicles damaged. On September 22, 2005, during a protest against the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia, the chemistry student Jhonny Silva Aranguren was killed, according by some witnesses, by the police force.
While most of the university community is against the actions of the radical movements, this has not prevented the stigmatization of the student body by the general population. This attitude has led to the belief that the guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
and subversive
Subversion (politics)
Subversion refers to an attempt to transform the established social order, its structures of power, authority, and hierarchy; examples of such structures include the State. In this context, a "subversive" is sometimes called a "traitor" with respect to the government in-power. A subversive is...
groups that operate in Colombia have clandestine
Clandestine operation
A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed.The United States Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines "clandestine operation" as "An operation sponsored or conducted by governmental...
operatives inside the university, a belief that has been supported by the discovery of unconventional weaponry inside the university grounds. This has resulted in the targeting of student activists by criminal and paramilitary
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
groups. On October 4, 2006, a student of Technology of Prehospital Attention and representative at the Academic Council, Julian Andrés Hurtado, was killed by hitmen. In his honor, the Government of Valle del Cauca and the Institute for the Development of Valle del Cauca established a scholarship program that bears his name. Another situation that reflects the stigmatization of the student body is the unfounded arrests of students during the disturbances, such as those that occurred on April 3, 2008, when four students were captured without substantial evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
, and eventually released when it was demonstrated that they were not even near the confrontation site at the time of the disturbances.
Athletics
The university participates in the Southwest division of the ASCUN tournament, along with other 26 institutions from the departments of Cauca, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca, with student, staff, and faculty teams. These games are qualifiers for the national tournament, which has been held every year since 1996. The university has male and female varsity teams in BasketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Billiards, Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, Cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
, Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, Soccer, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, table
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
and outdoor Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Track and field, Triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
, Beach
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
and indoor Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and Weightlifting. The university also participates in smaller invitational tournaments, such as the CUAO, ICESI, Javeriana, and Loyola cups.
Student groups
The university has 53 student groups and organizations, involved in research, academic, ecological, social history, and sports activities. Two of the most notable student groups are the "Carmen López" folk danceBaile Folklorico
Baile folklórico, literally "folkloric dance" in Spanish, is a collective term for traditional Latin American dances that emphasize local folk culture with ballet characteristics - pointed toes, exaggerated movements, highly choreographed. As mentioned below, baile folklórico owes its inception to...
group, and the "El Perol" storytellers
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
group.
Noted people
In over 60 years of history, the university has held among its students, faculty, and staff, many notable people, including politicianPolitician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s, and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s. This includes the current governor of Nariño Antonio Navarro Wolff
Antonio Navarro Wolff
Antonio Navarro Wolff is a Colombian politician and former commander of the 19th of April Movement guerrilla group, which demobilized and formed a political party which he also led...
, and the former governor of Valle del Cauca Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal, who not only are alumni of the university, but at one point in time were also faculty members. The former Ministry of the Interior and Justice
Ministry of the Interior and Justice
The Ministry of the Interior and Justice , is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice and interior ministries of other countries....
and ambassador of Colombia in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Sabas Pretelt de la Vega
Sabas Pretelt de la Vega
Sabas Pretelt de la Vega is a Colombian economist and businessman, who served as Colombian Minister of the Interior and Justice, and Ambassador to the Colombian missions in Italy, Greece, Cyprus, San Marino, and Malta.-Personal life:...
, attended the university as well.
Some scientists affiliated to the university are Sócrates Herrera Valencia, head of the Immunology Research Institute of the university and creator of a synthetic vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
; and Raúl Cuero
Raul Cuero
Raul G Cuero is a professor of microbiology and an inventor, with particular expertise in biogenesis.Dr. Cuero led a team from around the world in synthetic biology in the 2006 IGEM competition, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA.-Education:* Biology, University of Valle*...
, a researcher in biotechnology at the Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and an employee at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
.
The faculty of Integrated Arts is also gaining national notability. The film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
s Antonio Dorado and Carlos Moreno, both alumni of the university, are part of the new generation of Colombian filmmakers. Dorado, who is also a faculty member, directed the movie The King
El Rey (film)
El Rey is a 2004 Colombian film directed by Antonio Dorado. It was Colombia's submission to the 77th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.-See also:*Cinema of Colombia...
, which was nominated for the Goya Awards
Goya Awards
The Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain's main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards....
. Moreno directed the movie Dog Eat Dog, which was the first Colombian movie to be shown in the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
See also
- Flag of the Department of Valle del CaucaFlag of the Department of Valle del CaucaThe Flag of the Department of Valle del Cauca is the representative flag of the Colombian Department of Valle del Cauca.-History:The origin of the flag is attributed to General José María Cabal who was in charge of the independentist forces in Valle del Cauca and who in a dream saw virgin Mary...
- List of universities in Colombia
External links
- University of Valle official site
- University of Valle official site