International Higher Education, Spring 2000

Argentina: Between tradition and Modernization

Argentina's peculiar public university model may evoke as much horror as admiration, but no one can deny that it is almost unique: great academic and institutional autonomy; a democratic tripartite university governance structure, composed of professors, alumni, and students; periodic competitions to select professors; a free tuition policy; and a budget decided and allocated each year by the parliament. These were the main elements of the university of the golden years--a model that is today in crisis.

The last decade has been a real challenge for the universities. In a context of scarce resources and high demands for access, universities have had to contend with maintaining their traditional character or following international trends. Today, Argentina's public universities are confronted by serious problems, and the institutions seem to be unable to solve them without external aid. The main challenge for the new government is to decide what role to play in this situation.

A Decade of Modernization?
Between 1989 and 1999 Argentine university policies were marked by the concentration of resources at the federal level in order to foster major reforms. Throughout this period of financial constraints, the government applied policies associated with international trends in higher education, supported to a significant degree by international agencies. For instance, the government attempted to design a performance-indicator-based budget allocation system--with no success. It also encouraged, with good results, extensive diversification of the graduate tier, which improved the financial position of institutions in many cases. The government also created a voluntary national system of incentives to professor-researchers. Many full-time faculty members received a significant increase in their meager salaries after fulfilling specific criteria for academic productivity. Another significant change was the creation of a national agency for evaluation and accreditation of the universities.

The public universities were organized as a system, with a powerful center supplying resources and in charge of implementing the new policies. It can be said that the reforms were focused more on the goals of the whole system than on those of each institution. Statistical data on the university system were compiled and published; and there were attempts at institutional coordination through the creation of intermediate bodies. However, these changes were made without the genuine support of the universities, which found themselves negotiating from a position of financial weakness. In addition, the changes were not accompanied with an adequate increase in the budget. Any increase in resources for the sector in those 10 years was absorbed by the growth in enrollments and the creation of new institutions--which produced the rise in the fixed costs of the system.

The university sector as a whole took a defensive attitude in response to the attacks on its autonomy. In a context of financial crisis, the institutions neglected their internal academic and administrative operations, as well as the task of institutional development.

Current Government Policy
The administration that assumed power in 1999 recently announced its goals in higher education. In contrast to its predecessors, the current government has the potential to create a consensus with the university sector and enjoys the political support of the students and many university presidents. Moreover, the government has decided to use the parliament to enact its policies.

Contrary to what one might expect, Argentine higher education policy for the coming period will follow the international trends of quality improvement, efficiency, and equity. As a central goal, the government will create a mechanism of resource allocation among the universities based on equity criteria and incentives for the institutions that show productivity improvements. It has also announced accountability mechanisms for university planning as a counterpart to autonomy and academic freedom. The government also plans to evaluate graduates and to continue with the centralized program of incentives for professor-researchers. Another goal is to look for alternative sources of funding, while retaining free tuition. Government will create mechanisms whereby students and graduates pay society back for the services they receive. Students will have to join a social service program, and graduates will be required to fulfill the terms of the "intergenerational solidarity act," which involves financing scholarships for working-class students.

Future Challenges
Without a doubt, a higher education policy defined at central levels of government will be required to rescue Argentina's universities from the current situation. The government will have to face structural problems affecting teaching--such as inadequate academic salaries, which represent between 85 and 90 percent of each university's budget. Another issue to be revisited is the contest system of faculty recruitment, a tremendous tool that today requires greater transparency and efficacy. The relationship between the university system and its parts--the institutions--also needs to be reexamined. A concern pointed out by several international specialists is that pressures toward greater institutional uniformity through rigid criteria or formulas may limit innovation by reducing the wealth of institutional diversity.

At present, the public autonomous universities are facing difficult circumstances. It is possible that the government will move to limit autonomy in an effort to ensure accountability and a manageable academic structure. We believe that the Argentine public university is a central part of the academic system and that it plays a central role in research as well as in economic development. Weakening the public university would be a mistake.