The Honors Bill is approved in the Senate's Second Committee

The Honors Bill of the University of Cundinamarca passes to second debate in the Plenary of the Senate of the Republic.

The current bill aims to pay tribute to and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the University of Cundinamarca, initially named the University Institute of Cundinamarca (ITUC). The country recognizes and celebrates the institution as an agent of innovation and progress for the department and the region, through the training of professionals within a framework of humanistic, dialogical, and critical education.

Therefore, the State enshrines in the Law of Honors the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the University of Cundinamarca and authorizes the National Government to incorporate within the General Budget of the Nation the necessary budget items for the projects contemplated in the Strategic Plan 2016-2026 “Designing the university we want”.

Currently, the University is carrying out a general restructuring to achieve the three functions it has set for this stage: 1) Training and Learning, where the aim is to guarantee academic quality and comprehensive training; 2) Science, Technology and Innovation, whose purpose is the development and creation of new knowledge; 3) University Social Interaction, which implies the real connection of the university with the environment and society to solve its problems.

Since its inception, the university has focused on providing quality education to young people in Cundinamarca, striving to increase its reach in the department's various municipalities, not just those surrounding the capital. In the first semester of 2018, it had 13,717 students distributed across 3 campuses (Fusagasugá, Girardot, and Ubaté) and 5 extension centers (Chía, Zipaquirá, Chocontá, Facatativá, and Soacha), of which 971% were undergraduate students.

The University of Cundinamarca has consistently accounted for over 171% of the total number of students enrolled in higher education programs in the department. Furthermore, if only students enrolled in professional programs at public institutions in the department are considered, those enrolled at the University of Cundinamarca represent 471% of the total.

The University of Cundinamarca is the primary opportunity for residents of the department to pursue higher education. This is particularly evident among low-income populations, as over 77.1% of undergraduate students belong to socioeconomic strata zero, one, or two. Furthermore, when stratum three is included, it becomes clear that 98.1% of students belong to the most economically vulnerable and disadvantaged segment of the population.

All of the above is highly relevant in a department with a gross enrollment rate in higher education of 32.81%, well below the national rate (52.81%). To date, the University has provided the department and the country with 27,916 professionals.

The approval of this Law is an opportunity for the Nation to recognize the University of Cundinamarca's hard work as a development agent at the regional level and its commitment to education in the department in the areas of Sumapaz, Ubaté, Sabana Centro, Sabana Occidente, Almeidas, Soacha and the province of Alto Magdalena.

The importance of the University of Cundinamarca to the department is not limited to the number of students it enrolls, but is also evident in the contributions the university makes to society as a whole. The University has 52 research groups, 24 of which are categorized by Colciencias. Likewise, 40 of its professors hold this categorization.

The institution also has a significant academic output, so that in the last five years an average of 122 papers have been presented annually at academic events, both national and international.

Many of these initiatives aim to address the department's problems in areas such as health, engineering, agriculture, and education. Of particular note are the two patents the university has obtained for two new varieties of beans specifically suited to the Sumapaz region, where 1,450 hectares are dedicated to cultivating this crop.

Regarding faculty, the University has 1,058 professors, of whom 443 hold master's degrees and 27 hold doctorates. This is a point worth highlighting, as the university has made a significant effort to improve the quality and training of its faculty.

However, it's important to clarify that the University of Cundinamarca doesn't only serve the population of Cundinamarca; a large portion of its students come from other departments. There are students from places like Amazonas, Vichada, and La Guajira. In total, there are 1,690 students from outside Cundinamarca, representing 12% of the total student population. The university also has 8 international students.

The University of Cundinamarca obtains its income from three main sources: the national government, the department of Cundinamarca, and its own resources. From the national government, it receives funds for investment and operations as stipulated by Law 30 of 1992.

Transfers corresponding to the years 1993-1994. The Nation began to allocate resources to the University of Cundinamarca from the year 1995; however, the University received recognition as a university on December 30, 1992, therefore, the institution should have received contributions from the General Budget of the Nation in the years 1993 and 1994.

La Universidad de Cundinamarca ha entendido el proceso de transformación por el que atraviesa la sociedad actual, donde el conocimiento es considerado como el principal factor de producción y fuente de riqueza. Por esta razón, emprendió una serie de reformas y mejoras institucionales, las cuales iniciaron en el año 2015 con la construcción de su primer plan estratégico, Disoñando la Universidad que Queremos.

En este documento se plasman en un horizonte de diez años los deseos de la comunidad universitaria y de los cundinamarqueses por reinventar y resignificar la institución como una organización social del conocimiento, translocal y agente de la transmodernidad, reconocida por la sociedad en el ámbito local, regional, nacional e internacional como generadora de saber relevante, pertinente y de impacto social.

The University has been reaping the rewards of its work. Recently, the Ministry of National Education granted High-Quality Accreditation for its Bachelor's Degree in Basic Education with an Emphasis in Social Sciences for a period of four years. This means that it meets the high-quality standards defined by the National Accreditation Council (CNA).

Likewise, in the last session of September 21, the Board of Directors of ICONTEC approved the certification in ISO 9001:2015 “Quality Management Systems” for the strategic, mission, support and monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation macro-processes defined in the Digital Operation Model defined by resolution 156:2017 in the review audit that was carried out from August 13 to 16, 2018 at the University of Cundinamarca.

This recognition awarded by ICONTEC rewards the work and dedication of the entire human team of the University of Cundinamarca, work that has been developing in the last 10 years and that contributes to the strengthening of different processes of the Institution, the planning of work, the promotion of a culture of quality and the continuous improvement of daily work.

The University of Cundinamarca celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2019. Over these 50 years, the institution, through its various campuses, has worked diligently to promote education and learning, bringing quality higher education to the different provinces of the department, fostering and strengthening innovation and the use of scientific knowledge to improve the region's productivity. Consequently, the institution has established itself as an agent of the cultural, economic, and social transformation that the department has experienced.

Therefore, it is of great interest to the nation to recognize the University of Cundinamarca as a sign of gratitude and support for the significant contribution it has made to Colombians and more specifically to the people of Cundinamarca.

Source: Congress of the Republic of Colombia House of Representatives

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