Madrid (EFE).- The Organic Law of the University System (LOSU), which sets a minimum investment objective in the University of 1% of GDP by 2030 and aims to improve the situation of teachers hired in precarious conditions, comes into force this Wednesday.
The third university democracy reform was approved on March 9 in Congress by 182 votes in favor (PSOE, PNV, ERC and Unidas Podemos), 157 against (PP, Ciudadanos and Vox) and eight abstentions, including the from Bildu, BNG and Junts.
Some of the measures that seek to put an end to precariousness within the teaching staff include setting a ceiling of 8% for temporary contracts -on average at present they represent 40%-, reducing the number of associate and visiting professors by converting these positions into indefinite and put an end to university inbreeding.
Limit on university fees
It is also intended to introduce improvements for students: limit to the prices of university fees -which can only be maintained and/or reduced-, right to academic unemployment, extension of the stay of non-EU foreign students up to one year after graduation, etc. .
Other novelties contemplated in the new university law are the disappearance of the obligation to be a professor in order to access the position of rector -it is enough to be an official provided certain requirements are met- and a restructuring of the internal organization, with greater participation of professors and students.
Rules for colleges
In terms of gender, the law will prohibit private residence halls with a non-mixed or segregated regime from being attached to a public university. This amendment was introduced by Más País as a result of the episode of macho chants at the Elías Ahuja Residence Hall in Madrid -which has this regime-, whose hate crime investigation was archived a week ago by the Madrid Prosecutor’s Office.
The law has been harshly criticized by the majority of the opposition, who have assured that it is useless and that it will not last over time, since it does not guarantee the financing of the universities or their ideological neutrality, and has criticized that the law does not It has the support of the entire university community.
Student associations and unions demonstrated in November 2022 against a law that, together with the University Coexistence Law (LCU) -approved on February 25 of last year-, consider that it is an elitist reform that puts the public university in game.