HARMONIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA. Project Launch Meeting ALFA-BRIDGES

1. HARMONIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA.Project Launch Meeting ALFA-BRIDGES Dr. MynorReneCord and CordSICAUS Coordinator / CSUCAMr. Julio LunaAcademicAreaBogotá, Colombia, 15-17 May 2011

2. CONFEDERATION COLLEGE CENTER Integration American AgencyforPublicUniversitySystemthatpromotes the development of universitiesthroughcooperation and jointworkwithsociety and the state. Member of the Central American IntegrationSystem (SICA) Currentlyconsists of 19 publicuniversities in Central America and DominicanRepublic Itsgoverningbodyis the Central American University Superior Council (CSUCA), composed of the Rectors and Presidents of the studentunions of universitiesthatform. Itsexecutivebodyis the General Secretariat of CSUCA (SG-CSUCA), based in Guatemala.

3. Public and privateuniversitiesestablished in the region, by country

4. Studentenrollment of institutions of highereducationstate and private in the region, by country Source: Map of HigherEducation in Latin America and the Caribbean / IESALC, 2008/ 1 Department of Registration and Statistics, USAC-2007/ 2 Direction of HigherEducation in Honduras/ 3 NationalAccreditation Council

5. PROGRAMS AND PRIORITY AREAS • 1. Harmonization, Integration and Regional AcademicMobility.2. QualityAssurance.3. Regional Research and Education4. UniversityRelations - Society - State.5. StudentLife.6. UniversityCommunication and Disclosure

6. REGIONAL SYSTEMS 1. Central American System of Evaluation and Harmonization of HigherEducation (SICEVAES)2. Regional System of GraduateStudies and Research (SICAR)3. DocumentaryInformationSystem Central American (SIIDCA)4. Regional System of StudentLife (SIREVA)5. UniversitySystem American SocietyRelations (SICAUS)6. American University Publishing System (SEDUCA)7. Network forStudies on HigherEducation (Central REESCA)

7. CSUCA HarmonizationAgreementsLXXXVIII Ordinary Meeting, El Salvador, 24 and 25September 2009 (1): • Central strategies of the harmonizationprocess: a) Definition of basic general aspects of highereducation as a commonreferencefor Central America such as: nomenclature of degrees and titles, definition of credit, length of curriculumforcertification, regulation of academic load forstudents and glossaryterms.b) Definition of basicelements of the curriculum of specificcoursesthatserve as referencefor the region'suniversitiestoaligncurricula (competencyreference) and the promotion of regional academicprograms.c) Improving the transparency of qualifications (degrees and diplomas) awardedbyuniversitycolleges in the region, throughactionssuch as issuing the diploma supplementto the university and the establishment and development of the Regional InformationSystem on HigherEducation Central, SIRESCA .d) Conventionrecognition, equality and mutual recognition of studies, degrees and collegedegreesamongmemberuniversities CSUCA.e) Establishment of a regional academicmobilityprogram.

8. CSUCA HarmonizationAgreements LXXXVIII Ordinary Meeting, El Salvador, 24 and 25September 2009 (2): Establishment of the Regional Allocation and Credit Transfer, American commonnomenclature of degrees and diplomas of highereducation, regional definition of the durationorextent of the curriculumbytitration.Approval of AcademicCredit Central "the unit of measurement of the intensity of workload (teaching load) whichisequalto 45 hoursfor a period of enrollment (school), appliedtoanactivitythat has beenprovided, monitored, evaluated and approvedby the teacher, whichmayincludecontacthours (theory, practice, laboratory, fieldwork, interactivity), hoursblended (workbimodal), hours of independentwork and researchstudent. "Definition, at leasttwodegrees of performance capabilities / profile and / or general skills and specificreferencetobeacquiredbygraduates of the same in the region. Currentlyworkingwithbusinessadministration, and during 2011 willstartwith Civil Engineering and Mathematics. Creating at leasttwo regional academicprogramswherefaculty and studentsintegrate Central and studies are conductedwith a regional focus

9. CSUCA HarmonizationAgreements LXXXVIII Ordinary Meeting, El Salvador, 24 and 25September 2009 (3): • Issuing the Diploma Supplementor a collegedegreethatbriefly describes the basicfeatures of the curriculum of the race.• Establishment of Regional InformationSystem on HigherEducation Central SIRESCA.• Approval of the text of the proposalfor a Regional Conventionfor the recognition of studies, diplomas, degrees and qualificationsbetweenmemberuniversities CSUCA.

10. CSUCA HarmonizationAgreements LXXXVIII Ordinary Meeting, El Salvador, 24 and 25September 2009 (4): • Establishment of a Regional AcademicMobility and Studentactionsstartingwithsmall-scalemobility of resourcesfrom the sameuniversitymembers and which can beobtainedfromcooperating agencies forspecificactions of mobilitywithin and outside the region.• Delegation of SICEVAES (degree) and the SICAR (graduate), withcoordination of the SG-CSUCA for the monitoring of strategies, actions and academicgoalsfor regional harmonization, as defined in the agreement.• Establishment of a Commissionmemberuniversitiessupport, monitoring and encouraging the harmonizationprocess.

11. CSUCA HarmonizationAgreements LXXXVIII Ordinary Meeting, El Salvador, 24 and 25September 2009 (5): • Promotion and awarenesstomembers of the universitycommunityabout the needforharmonization• Makingstrategicalliancesthatfacilitate and support the process of harmonization and regional academicmobility, institutions and national, regional and international.• Resourcemanagement and modification of the regulatoryframeworksforuniversitiestorealize the harmonization and academicmobility in the region.• Implementation of measuresnecessaryfor the implementation of the proposedissue in the Central American Integrationtojoin in the races of the memberuniversities, with the gradual and flexible criteria, accordingto the characteristics and circumstances of eachuniversity and each discipline orcareertotrainfutureprofessionals in the regionwith Central and identity and visiontotakefirmstepsto the recognition of American citizenship.

12. REGIONAL AGENCIES OF ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION • American Council on Accreditation (CCA)• American System of Evaluation and Harmonization of HigherEducation (SICEVAES)• Regional System of GraduateStudies and Research (SICAR)• Association of PrivateUniversities of Central America (AUPRICA)• Central AccreditationAgency of HigherEducation in the Agri-Food and Natural Resources (ACES)• Central AccreditationAgency of Architecture and Engineering (ACAAI)• Central AgencyforAccreditation of GraduatePrograms (ACAP)

13. NATIONAL AGENCIES IN EVALUATION AND ACCREDITATION • NationalAssessment and Accreditation of HigherEducation (SINAES), Costa Rica.• Commission on Accreditation (CoA), El Salvador.• AgencyAccreditationProgram of Engineering and Architecture (AAPI), Association of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica.• NationalAssessment and Accreditation of Panama (CONEAUPA)• Nicaraguan Council EducationAccreditation (NCEA)• HonduranSystem of HigherEducationAccreditation (SHAE)

14. Programevaluated and / orcredited