Before a full chapel of Los Jerónimos, where other areas were necessary to put to use to fit all of the people inside, the Student Council of UCAM was presented yesterday morning. In the act the interventions of the university from the past 22 years were presented, as well as the services given to the Region and the actual situation of the university.

This academic year, UCAM has more than 20.000 students between the different academic courses. In the past months, the degree students chose their delegates and sub delegates, in total 319 of them, and these delegates chose the Student Council, which consists of 16 members representing all of the centres and faculties of the university in Murcia and Cartagena.

All of the members of the Student Council were present in the act, where two of the highest responsables contributed in the act by showing the compromise they have with the institution. These responsables highlighted the necessity to amplify Murcia Campus installations (library, cafetery, study halls, sport areas, green areas, etc.) pointing out, that “we know that UCAM has the resources for it, but there are a lot of obstacles put on the way”. Therefore, they found it regrettable that the students in the area of health from UCAM “are considered secondary category for the Administration, by being the last ones in choosing practices and being in very disagreeable situation in some of the centres”, to which they showed the “hope to find a solution based on respect, compromise and equality”. In a way, that “we will be treated with all of the rights, that correspond to us”.

The Council’s representant of international students (an Italian student) acknowledged the support they receive from the institution, highlighting the value-based education and the help received from personal tutors for the academic development and adaptation to the Region. More than 60% of the students at UCAM are from outside of the region, and every year there are more than 2.000 international students. 

President of UCAM, José Luis Mendoza, who qualified this act as “historical” stated to the students: “you are the foundation of UCAM, and every day we work to and for you”, apart from emphasizing the work of the professors, researchers and administrative and service personal. Regarding the demands of the students and other collectives, they were completely shared by the president: “our university has been stalled since years, and we are prevented from growing, even though we have the necessary resources for it”, which is not understandable, when it is a non-profit foundation good for the whole society. “Let’s hope that there will be a change in attitude regarding this institution, with thousands of families that need these problems solutioned, problems not created by us”.

Vice-Rectorate of Quality and Academic Ordinance, a body that integrates UCAM’s student area, that has worked with the students to establish regulations and a student representation structures. The responsible, Manuel Carlos Ruiz, highlighted that “this presentation supposes a historic milestone for the institution, where the focus has always been on the students, who are well valued” and stated that now the university “now has a voice that allows to transmit the concerns, necessities and demands of our students”, signaling that “the University is at your disposal to better the aspects that affect you in the university life, and to achieve an excellent formation”.

Rector Josefina García, assured that the more than 3.000 employees of this university are “people, who have made this institution in their life project” and reminded about the important transformation experienced in only the little over 20 years of existence. This way, the environment has grown and prospered together with the university. “Despite of the little support received from the Administration, especially in the latest years, we have advanced, and this is what we will continue doing”.

Estrella Núñez, vice-rectorate of Investigation and mother of two students of the university, showed her worry towards the long distances UCAM Medical students have to go to be able to do their practices, as they have to do them in centre outside of the city of Murcia. She hoped, that the Administration “wouldn’t discriminate students from the Catholic University, because we as parents, as the contributors that we are, have the right to have our children do their practices in hospitals of Murcia”.