Spain's 4,500-student university rule misses election
4,500 students: Spain's proposed minimum for new universities remains on hold ahead of the 29 November general election. The government will not approve the rule before polling day. On Thursday, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities opened a public review of the draft that will run beyond the vote.
The draft would bring back requirements from an earlier decree struck down by Spain's Supreme Court. The ministry says it will become clear from 2 December whether the government can still pass the rules. By then, it would be serving in a caretaker capacity.
Why the court struck it down
The court did not reject the university requirements themselves. It found that the government had not properly justified rushing the decree through, leaving no legal basis for skipping an earlier public consultation.
The ministry held that consultation from 15 to 30 October before opening the current review. It says tighter rules are needed to guard against university models that fall short of teaching and research standards.
What the rules would require
Alongside the 4,500-student minimum, new universities would have to show they had enough money to operate, backed by a bank guarantee or similar assurance. They would also need a binding assessment from Spain's National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation or an equivalent regional agency. Recognition of online universities would require approval from both chambers of the Spanish parliament and a binding agency assessment.
The struck-down decree also required universities to provide accommodation places for 10% of their students within three years of opening, spend 5% of their budget on research and ensure half their teaching staff held doctorates. Those requirements now depend on whether the revised decree can move forward after the election.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com