The strategic decision taken on the part of the board of directors to substitute the model of a strictly vocational university for one that emphasises the importance of knowledge.  An institution in which the core academic disciplines – teaching, research and outreach – make up the essence of the university and are devised in a systematical way so that they may work together and maintain channels of exchange.  In this way it is considered that the process of development will benefit the students and the society into which they integrate, a society which this university is a part of. The ever-growing commitment that the university displays towards the quality of its academic programmes.  This commitment is visible in the recently renewed accreditation of Medicine and Industrial Engineering degrees as well as in the accreditation of a further six degree programmes in the last five years.  This has come as the result of a rigorous process of self–evaluation and an unstinting will to improve at the level of the institution as a whole. In agreement with the aims and objectives of the Institution, the university has over the last few years made great advances in its organisation and distribution of resources.  It has also made significant progress in the evolution of research projects thanks on the one hand to the schema of research groups and lines of investigation set up by the university; and on the other hand due to the mechanisms created to encourage student participation in these projects. Recently the university reconsidered the role of the five year Development Plan and decided to integrate it into its long-term strategy.  This with the aim of making it more flexible, able to respond to changes as they arise.  It serves no function as the normative requirement of an institutionalised and regulatory body. UTP endeavours to establish a relationship with its students such that it transcends its institutional and academic role and takes on a holistic function concerned with the ethical and emotional education of its students.  It seeks to support them in their personal and financial lives and in their overall wellbeing. The university has chosen to adopt a method geared towards institutional development and better, more efficient use of its current buildings and resources.  A period of sustained growth over the last five years is testimony to this. The leaders, teachers, students and civil servants display a high degree of loyalty and commitment to the university.  Equally its graduates, their employers and the population of the region as a whole, whatever their profession, recognise the contribution and commitment of the university to the current social situation and to the challenges that lie ahead. The creation of additional management, training and organisational competencies to facilitate academic tasks, these include: institutional management, financial management, maintenance and development of the physical environment and infrastructure. The gradual construction of a culture of academic and institutional pedigree backed up by processes of self-evaluation and continued improvement.

Institutional Mission

It is a state university linked to society and economy in all fields, creating and participating in networks and other forms of interaction.

It is a development center that creates, transforms, transfers, contextualizes, applies, manages, and exchanges knowledge in all its forms and expressions, giving priority to sustainable development in the Colombian Coffee ecoregion. 

Is a community of teaching, learning and practice, which interacts seeking the common good in an atmosphere of participation, dialogue, social responsibility and human development, characterized by pluralism and respect for difference; immersed in ongoing processes of planning, evaluation and control. 

It is an organization that learns and develops processes in all fields of knowledge, contributing to the improvement of society, to form responsible, ethical and critical citizens; leaders of a social and economic transformation. 

The Functional Mission allows it to offer services to public or private sectors based in its academic activity, through agreements or contracts for technical, scientific, artistic, consulting services or otherwise related to its mission Objectives.

Institutional Vision

By the year 2019, be a University of high quality, leader in the region and the country for its overall competitiveness in teaching, research, innovation, extension and management for a human development with responsibility and social impact, immersed in the international community.

This speech was delivered by the Principal of the Universidad Tecnológica Pereira, the esteemed Engineer Luis Enrique Arango Jiménez at the celebration of the accreditation of UTP. Acceptance speech 1st September 2005 Speaking today of the accreditation and thus of quality control it is fitting to provide a brief history of its antecedents.  The National Accreditation System was brought into being in 1992 under Law 30 and with it the National Council of Higher Education (CESU) as a means of organising and regulating the system.  It is my opinion that the powerful movement for change within in the higher education system in Colombia is due to three articles of Law 30.  These I will read to you now for they are not long. Article 53. A national system of accreditation for institutions of higher education shall be created as a guarantee to society that the institutions under its remit meet with the most stringent standards of quality control.  Furthermore it will ensure that they fulfil their goals and objectives. Affiliation to the System of accreditation will be voluntary. Accreditation will be of a finite nature.  All institutions that receive accreditation will benefit from the prerogatives established in the Law and as a result of the authority of the National Council of Higher Education (CESU). Article 54.  The system as outlined in the preceding article will be constituted by a National Council of Accreditation, composed of academic and scientific communities amongst others.  It will in turn be subordinate to the National Council of Higher Education (CESU) that is responsible for the delineation of the duties and members of the former. Article 55.  Self-evaluation will be a constant task of higher education institutions and will form an integral part of the accreditation system. There is no doubt as to the visionary status of the legislator when he included higher education institutions in a voluntary schema of quality control.  Much less when we consider that this is grounded in a systematised process of self-evaluation.  This is ultimately to demand that every institution assume autonomy over itself by entering into a process of self-questioning and assessment. The impact of this ruling on the struggle for quality and its outcomes is beyond doubt.  The efficient use of resources, the increase in intellectual production and the level of research in universities can be traced back to the demands of this influential thinker. It isn’t an original idea.  Other countries have long since established processes of certification.  However thanks to this idea Colombia was able to implement the recommendation at an opportune moment in its history and in this way take up a leading role in comparison with other countries.  The early evolution and development of the idea have meant that the National Council of Accreditation’s (CNA) organisation and experience are now studied as a model for implementation far beyond our own borders.  More interestingly it opens the way for the National Council of Accreditation to offer consultancy services to other countries. As a consequence of this we begin to detect agreements between sister institutions in countries with similar accreditation systems.  This fosters mutual recognition of university titles and over time this will invariably result in the increased mobility of academic communities and a boom in the international job market. The Quality Control System for Higher Education governed by the CNA not only accredits those programmes that meet with certain standards of quality control; it also accredits those institutions that have a certain number of accredited programmes over a range of subjects.  This facilitates the evaluation of the institution as a whole and is known as Institutional Accreditation and is granted for a given period of time only. The Universidad Tecnológica Pereira initially accredited three programmes, this in the year 2000.  Those were: Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Medicine; it then accredited a further three in 2001: Mechanical Engineering, Sports and Leisure Science and Mechanical Technology. Having fulfilled the minimum requirements to qualify for institutional accreditation the Board of Governors decided to create a Supervisory Committee for the processes of self-evaluation and accreditation.  The strategy was launched immediately with the aim of providing support throughout the quality control reform.  At the end of that same year, 2002, the CNA was approached and requested to corroborate that the university had indeed fulfilled the criteria to qualify for accreditation.  Henceforth began the formal process of accreditation.  That process is happily brought to an official conclusion today. In today’s world official acts of quality certification are irreversible and they make all the difference.  In the same way that knowledge has superseded the importance of capital in production so quality is becoming a dominant concern in the commercialisation of goods and services.  Processes, products, organisations, management, skills, professions etc. are all certified and to stand aside is to resign oneself to a slow and arduous death.  Globalisation brings competition and with it the need to subscribe to systems of quality control that guarantee developments and create points of reference at a regional, national and international level. It is impossible to build a competitive system if there are no markers of quality.  The university has understood its importance and for this reason joins voice with those who believe in accreditation at all levels.  University programmes have been and are being accredited, university laboratories have been and are being accredited, the administration department in charge of quality control is currently being accredited under Act ISO 9001-2000 and the institution as a whole has also been accredited.  For this reason the University has received a seven-year Institutional Accreditation from the Ministry of Education. What we are celebrating today is the culmination of many years of hard work and commitment on the part of many people.  So it is that we have chosen to come together and join with the university community and those guests who have honoured us today with their presence today. As with every human invention, our University has its own history, one we have helped to create with love devotion and generation-on-generation of perseverance.  Each and everyone of those people through their actions, their decisions, their leadership, have helped to form the University that today Pereira proudly offers to its citizens and to Colombia. If we are here today marking the accreditation of the university as an institution of excellence then it is thanks in part to all those people who over the years made definitive contributions in visionary and indispensable ways to the history of the university.  They sowed the first seed and opened the way forward and I feel obliged for this reason to remember them today. For those of us who today have the university’s fate in our hands, it falls to us to carry on the work of looking after the shared social and intellectual heritage that is our university.  It is our duty to maintain the position the academic community of the university now holds at a regional and national level. I firmly believe that human beings have always been and will always be susceptible to the power of recognition.  It is sometimes the most effective tool in mobilising our forces in pursuit of an ideal, more so than material incentives.  Therefore in the name of justice and as a question of principle I will not hold back when it comes to celebrating the work of others. I would like to pay homage and give thanks to all those people who have passed through this university and built through hard work and determination the foundations on which this social enterprise stands.  They may not be with us now but they are the foundations of this temple of knowledge that in belonging to the citizens of Pereira and the inhabitants of Risaralda also belongs to the Colombian people and will always be at their service. I feel it my duty to recall with respect and admiration the original Principals and founders: Jorge Roa Mart&iaccute;nez and Guillermo Angel Ram&iaccute;rez; and all those that followed after them: Pablo Oliveros Marmolejo, Q.E.P.D., Juan Guillermo Angel Mej&iaccute;a, Guillermo Guzm&aaccute;n Londoño, Samuel Eduardo Salazar Echeverri, Gabriel Jaime Cardona Orozco Restrepo, Javier Arroyave Ochoa and carlos Alberto Ossa Ossa.  All the above are remarkable for their honesty and spirit of sacrifice in the face of every obstacle. Also, the deputy Principals, the Deans, the Directors of Studies, the teachers, the administrative staff, the workers, the students and the whole community that today can rightfully enjoy the fruits of their labour. Only a team of enthusiastic and committed workers such as the Universidad Tecnológica Pereira has today can create the momentum necessary to carry forth the improvements that an institution of category demands.  We have a team determined to face the future with optimism, casting aside all negativity and relishing the challenge of being everyday a better university.  There aren’t many organisations with the managerial team that this university boasts, I congratulate them too for their deliberation and encourage them to go forwards fighting along the path of excellence. However the Institutional accreditation granted to the UTP is not a mission accomplished; it is not an end in itself, on the contrary, it is a great responsibility and a huge challenge for the future. The quality control systems are, after all, planned within a logic of continuous improvement and require unstinting commitment if they are to be met. These processes of enrichment may well reveal those strengths that meet with standards of quality, however they also highlight the opportunities for improvement, always in search of that elusive excellence.  It, and by this I mean of course Excellence, is not a port of call; it is a moving target, a road and a frontier at the same time, it celebrates the measure of accomplishment and yet at the same time unfolds eternally into the future showing up new paths and pursuits with every step. Standards of quality are not static, they shift with the system as it improves, when all is said and done the best will always be an elite group a step ahead pulling others into line.  This is how I perceive the status of accreditation, as a state of transition where nothing can be defined in terms of absolutes; we are in front but others follow with the hunger to get ahead.  It is a healthy rivalry that the system of higher education seeks to encourage. So you see this accreditation is not the chance to lie back and relax, it is in fact the opposite.  We take on the enormous challenge to carry on improving, to overcome the challenges that each day offers and to validate ceaselessly the great honour that the State of Colombia has granted us. It must be recognised that in the first five years of the twenty first century our University has changed in ways unimaginable, it is fair to say that more has been achieved in these five years than in the last 39 years of the last century. We have built a mark of reference that contrasts 1999, dawn if the 21st  century, with 2005.  It demonstrates marked progress across the board:   Category 1999 2005 Undergraduate students   4,272  9,193 Postgraduate students 278 605 Ratio of students to full time teaching staff  9 19 Approved undergraduate programmes 20 31 Approved Masters 5 12 Programmes accredited with superior quality 0 8 Teachers engaged in doctoral studies 13 47 Teachers with doctorate 13 31 Research groups registered with Colciencias 2 70 Research groups officially recognised by Colciencias 2 28 Completed research projects 58 183 Research projects co-funded by Colciencias 9 39 Research projects co-funded by other external bodies  22 84 Particpation in centres of excellence  0 2 Annual budget for research $1.081 m $3.487m Annual budget for investment in the library   $24m 273m Relation of university funds to total Budget $11.43   $18.75m               If you were to ask me what were the defining factors in the transformation of the university into a model of progress, thirsty for results, I would not hesitate in highlighting the change of attitude.  The university has abandoned the reactionary and backwards looking position it assumed in the past, always proselytising and hiding behind the all too predictable argument of vested interests.  Claiming also hidden motives for privatisation or bemoaning the threat posed to Public Universities.  I think that in this day and age most people appreciate the need for change if we are to realise our duties with greater efficiency, they take it as read that it is the management of change that holds the key to success: there will always be new theories on how to build the wheel. This by no means that the university has become a sea of conformity, on the contrary it continues to question and is little inclined to bow down meekly.  Instead it is suspicious of everything not with the aim of obstructing change but so as to better accomplish it.  The community wants to have its voice heard and in faith it has to be listened to. The university ought to be a centre of debate and of open and informed criticism, never whimsical or off the cuff.  Sometimes I am ashamed to think of the time wasted on short term political scheming instead of being invested in concerted action.  However at the end of the day the university is just that: a hub of contrast and confrontation and we must never settle for anything else. We have respected opinions of others without surrendering our right to confront them with dignity and courage.  This is how a university should be, a place for everyone, without hegemony, a place where we can learn to listen to and respect one another.  I work on the basis of a single truth - the only truth I know; that I do not own the truth. The university needs to be a place of transition where personal interest gives way to the interests of the majority and the quest for rationality; I cannot imagine a militant university that only recognises one way of doiing things. I think that our university has a unique legacy within the social imaginary; it is one of the few institutions of its kind to boast a level of legitimacy and credibility.  It would be a great shame to throw this privilege into the common grave simply as a result of not having had the sensitivity to value our fortunate position as a university. A university should be a place of meeting, a forum for exchange, a place where we learn to respect diversity and appreciate difference.  It presents the challenge to think to the future. Universidad Tecnológica Pereira aspires to precisely this, it is with this in mind that the university community goes about its day-to -day existence, putting into practice the future it wants to be. I would like to draw special attention to the people of the region who have always stood by the university, their support has made all the difference: the university has felt the warmth of that support, it has felt accompanied; the people of Pereira and of Risaralda see the university as theirs and are of one voice when it comes to its defence.  We have seen the proof when the institution has been threatened for one or other reason. The political establishment has also shown respect for the university and its right to autonomy; this university has never been prey to duplicitous intentions.  Indeed politicians have helped to preserve an ethos free of external pressures allowing it to genuinely develop as an enterprise for knowledge where the academic concerns reign supreme.  Comparisons are of little use but I can safely say that this has not been the case in other parts of the world where the outcomes have been lamentable. There is an army of over 15 thousand graduates of all disciplines scattered throughout the country and across the world, who bear with pride the insignia of UTP.  Today they delight in the honour bestowed this university by the government.  They know perfectly well that they will be the first to benefit from this accreditation for it will enhance their academic credentials which from this moment on enjoy the same advantage as the university in receiving the official stamp of quality.  The same is to be said for out current students and for those to come. Notwithstanding the cause for celebration that unites us today, the university knows that the hardest work has yet to come: we still have an enormous debt to pay. We are seeking to improve the level of technical and technological training; we have yet to be satisfied.  We share in the concerns of President Uribe in this respect.  Our university is a pioneer in the field of technology; it was the first in the country to offer an accredited programme in the subject.  Today we are called upon to help reposition technical degrees within the education system and champion the solutions that will achieve this, giving technical training continuity and pertinence within the higher education programme. We are not content with the exceptionally high drop-out rates that the university is experiencing, something innovative has to be done to tackle the problem.  The level of poverty - all too apparent - thwarts our ambitions and we must all unite in the face of this challenge.  It is imperative that we take steps to improve social equality. We want to reinforce our practice research; if we are to develop effectively we must apply the theory and its innovations to reality.  We have to assume an authoritative role in the creation of a Regional Science Technology and Innovation programme. We have yet to be satisfied by our progress in bilingual education; we may have taken great steps in imposing a basic level of English for all graduate students but there is still a lot to do, we have to make bilingual education a norm for the community as a whole. Yes, we are happy; however we know there are huge challenges ahead; especially in terms of what society expects of us.  We are well aware of those aspirations and of the responsibility and leadership the task demands.  It is a task we shall continue to fulfil to the best of our ability, with gusto, without ever shying away from the responsibility it entails for each of us, whether professional or personal, be it individual, collective or generational. The advantages that Institutional Accreditation implies, the incentives it offers must be taken advantage of in order to carry on recruiting students from the region and beyond that from the network of alliances that have already benefited from existing infrastructures. Esteemed Minister of Education I would like to make public our gratitude for your constant support; furthermore I entreat you to pass on our thanks to the President for his unflinching commitment to our cause and for the encouragement we feel whenever he makes reference to us.  Maybe it is for this reason that we have taken on his project with such devotion; we continue to fight for quality in education and will carry on doing so because we know that this country will only succeed in reducing poverty by advancing in higher education. I would also like to recognise the altruism of the Supreme Council that has worked relentlessly for the future of the university: it has been our guiding light and our company, it has taken many wise decisions on our behalf, charting our course steadily north towards our coveted goal. Equally I give thanks to all our teaching staff - full time, transitory and temporary.  Thank you for contributing through your respective subjects to the building of a great university.  I invite those of you who have been strangers to the process to join us now in the battle for quality in higher education. In the midst of our jubilation I would like to remember those who have passed on, those who though retired celebrate this triumph as their own, those who are not able to be with us today, indeed everyone who contributed in one way or another to making us feel victorious today. Last of all my friends I give thanks to Life for giving me the opportunity to be Principal of Universidad Tecnológica Pereira, a great university full of talent and bearing an enormous sense of commitment.  I hope to carry on leading the way as best as possible, always giving the maximum to this noble enterprise that demands the same commitment from us all. Congratulations to our graduates across the ages.  Thank you, thank you very much to you all. LUIS ENRIQUE ARANGO JIMENÉZ

Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira was granted Accreditation as an Institution of Excellence under resolution 2550 on 30th June 2005.  It is as a result ranked alongside the best universities in the country and forms part of an elite group that enjoy this title of distinction. The university submitted its application to the title in 2002, year in which the Board of Governors approved, under Agreement 10 of the same year, the creation of a Supervisory Committee in charge of the self-evaluation and accreditation processes.  Thus at the end of 2002 it became possible to request of the National Council of Accreditation the corroboration that the university had met with the minimum standards required of any institution seeking accreditation.  These include a minimum number of accredited programmes over a range of subjects.  The process of self-evaluation was consequently initiated.  It lasted approximately two years and culminated in a final analysis which was sent to the C.N.A. in November of 2004. This body accused receipt of the analysis and selected the academic assessors charged with the independent evaluation of the university.  The assessors were: Ramses Hakim Murad, Co-ordinator of the Board of Comissioners for the Universidad del Bosque, Bogotá Elsa Margarita Uribe Gonzalez, Secretary of the Board of Commissioners Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá; Ernesto Guhl Nannetti of the Quinaxi Institute for Sustainable Development, Bogotá; Julio César Cañon of the Universidad Nacional, Bogotá and Juna Tomicic of the Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile. Their findings were submitted before the National Council of Accreditaiton (C.N.A.) which then elected a Councillor for defence.  On the 22nd June 2005 at the height of the CNA discussions it was recommended that the Minister of Education accredit the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira.  On 30th June 2005 the Minister of Education, by meansof a resolution, granted Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira Institutional Accreditation for a period of seven years. The act of Institutional Accreditation is applied to an institution as a whole.  It is the institution therefore in its entirety that is recognised for its record of achievement both in the goals it sets itself and in terms of its social responsibility.  These elements being fundamental to the mission statement and educational concept of any institution. By the same gesture it certifies the quality with which the university conducts its affairs both with regards to its staff and its students; in the interaction between academia and society and in the competent development of its administrative bodies, management strategy, health programme, sports facilities and financial resources.  One of the greatest benefits in being accredited as an Institution of Excellence is stipulated in Article 38 of Decree 2566, 10th September 2003.  Therein are stated the minimum standards and further requirements demanded in order to be able to offer and develop academic programmes.  Furthermore it declares that accredited institutions of higher education can offer and develop academic programmes and specialist subjects anywhere in the country.  This can be obtained simply by requesting a certificate of authenticity for the aforementioned programmes from the Ministry of Education rather than having to undergo academic assessment or submit paperwork for revision and without having to pass through the National Commission for the Quality Control of higher education institutions CONACES. Just as important, it represents a vote of confidence on the part of society that our institution is one of quality.  This has a positive effect not only on the university and the role it has to play but also on its graduates who will prized on the job market. What is more it will be able to take advantage of all the academic agreements established by the CNA with partner universities around the world.  This will increase the mobility of students and academic groupings as well as the interchange between research networks and and the collaboration between communities. Amongst the strong points highlighted by the academic assessors in their final report were: The university’s commitment to the quality of its academic programmes, evident in the accreditation of six undergraduate degrees and the renewal of the accreditation given originally to Medical and Industrial Engineering disciplines. The organisation and distribution of funds as well as the development of lines of research and investigative groups encouraging the participation of the students. The strategies implemented in the development of the institution and efficient use of the resources and space available to the university. The Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira therefore not only can be said to work at a regional level, offering outstanding education and participation in local development; it is also an institution of national merit that meets the highest exigencies of quality.  It is a model of responsibility, integrity, equality, coherence, transparency, democracy and efficiency.  The university is effective, sensitive to its context and above all able to guarantee an outstanding service to society.  All of these are fundamental considerations when accrediting institutions.

On Thursday 1st September 2005 the Technological University of Pereira celebrated its accreditation as an Institution of Excellence by the Ministry of Education.  The ceremony was conducted in the presence of the Minister of Education, Dr. Cecilia María Velez White, the Principals of the country’s private and public universities, the trade unions, representatives of the government, municipal, military and ecclesiastic authorities and the academic community as a whole. In the event the Minister of Education made official the status of the university as an Institution of Excellence, a title given validity through resolution No. 2550. The Principal of the university, the engineer Luis Enrique Arango Jiménez, presided over the ceremony in which U.T.P.became the first university in the region to receive such an honour.This historic event was marked by an evening of emotive speeches.  The Minister of Education drew attention to the responsibility of the country’s universities to engage with government educational reform policies.  More particularly she emphasised the important contribution still to be made in terms of outreach and quality of education that has nevertheless made great progress.  Higher Education figures have risen from 17%-24% throughout the region.For his part the Principal of the university, engineer Arango Jimenez made it clear “that the Institutional accreditation granted to the UTP is not a mission accomplished; it is not an end in itself, on the contrary, it is a great responsibility and a huge challenge for the future.  The quality control systems are, after all, planned within a logic of continuous improvement and require unstinting commitment if they are to be met.

Resolution 2250 (dated - 30 June 2005) The Ministry of Education, Republic of Colombia Awarding body in the act of accreditation and certificate of excellence granted to the UTP. The minister of education Through the powers invested in her by Law 30 of 1992 and with particular reference to Decree 2904 of 1994; IN RECOGNITION Of the fact that the Univerisidad Tecnológica Pereira requested accreditation as a national institution of higher education to the National Council of Accreditation (C.N.A.); And bearing in mind That the act of accreditation is the means by which the State publicly recognises the status of the University as an institution of higher education; therein implying an avowal on the part of the government that the university has met with the stringent assessment criteria in the field of academic programming, organisation, social obligation and engagement. Therefore accepting That the current standards for accreditation have been met and Taking into account not only The University’s own detailed self-evaluation and subsequent analysis But also  the evaluation conducted by independent academic assessors THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION AGREES with the general consensus of the National Council of Accreditation (C.N.A.) that declared the following on 22nd and 23rd June 2005: "It has been demonstrated that the Universidad Tecnológica Pereira has achieved the standards of quality stipulated in the relevant statutes.  It is therefore officially accredited as an institution of higher education. Moreover it has been brought to the attention of the National Congress of Accreditation that the University has achieved outstanding results in the following areas: The decision taken by the University and its Heads to integrate Information Technology programmes with those of the Humanities Department as well as certain basic Natural Sciences so as to respond better to the current social context and to the needs of the students. The ever-increasing commitment of the University to its standards of quality. The constant attention given to research projects in all departments. The importance of a schematic vision in the planning of the university’s development and the punctual fulfilment of its objectives. The holistic approach to education adopted with a view to forming highly competent and morally grounded human beings. The university’s responsibility to the region and outstanding conduct in all matters pertaining to the environment. The culture of self-evaluation that has contributed to the sustained and noteworthy development of the university over the last few years." In the light of these achievements the National Council of Accreditation – C.N.A. – deems it fitting that this House grant Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira Institutional Accreditation, valid for a period of seven years from the moment of execution. This House validates the decision of the National Council of Accreditation and upholds the judgement of the academic assessors with respect to the quality of Universidad Tecnológica Pereira’s academic programmes, its organisation and its social obligation and engagement. As a result of this the Minister of Education resolves ARTICLE 1: to grant the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira Institutional Accreditation for a seven-year period as of the moment of its execution. ARTICLE 2: That the decision taken in Article 1 be registered in the National Database of Higher Institutions (S.N.I.E.S.). ARTICLE 3:  That this resolution be considered legitimate as from the moment it is registered in the National Database of Higher Institutions (S.N.I.E.S.), as is declared mandatory by the Judicial Administration Code, article 44, item 4. ARTICLE 4:  That a copy of said resolution be made available to the National Council of Accreditation for its records. ARTICLE 5: That said resolution will take authority from the moment it is registered in the S.N.I.E.S.   Declared and Realised In Bogota D.C. on the 30th June 2005. The Minister of Education Cecilia Maria Velez White

Luis Enrique Arango JimenezActual Rector Carlos A. Ossa Javier Arroyave (1995 - 1997) Ricardo Orozco (1993 - 1995) Gabriel J. Cardona (1979 - 1993) Guillermo Guzmán (1977 - 1979) Juan G. Angel M. (1974 - 1977) Samuel Salazar (1972 - 1974) Bernardo Trejos (1972 encargado) Pablo Oliveros M. (1969 - 1972) Guillermo Angel (1966 - 1969) Jorge Roa Martinez Fundador y primer Rector de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, 25 de abril de 1960 hasta su muerte el 17 de abril de 1966.

Quality: In each and every one of the activities and processes, in addition to the results obtained. Continuous improvement of the people and processes for management excellence.   Teamwork: With the commitment approach, participation and dialogue.   The Sense of Belonging: Institutional Identity.   The Dignity of Work: By the love of what is done.   Efficiency and Effectiveness: Into action and results in contributing to the achievement of corporate goals.   Honesty: And the responsibility commitments.   Equity: And equal opportunities in the rational care of the needs of users.   The axiological principles: Ethical, moral and aesthetic Values.   The Self-criticism: And permanent reflection in function of improvement and qualificattion.   Solidarity: And human respect through the cortesy and good treatment.   Agility and Oportunity: In response to requests submitted.

Autonomy: It is the institution's capacity to self-determine their academic, administrative and financial management.   Liberty: It is the ability to take measures for critical reflection and responsible reflection.   Social dimension of knowledge: The creation and transmission of knowledge. It is aimed at promoting the development of production processes and improving the living standards of each society.   Quality: It is the ability to base and generate academic (teaching, research and extension, administrative and human development) of excellence, from the various epistemological and theoretical possibilities to achieve the purposes and policies of the university.   Justice and Equity: It is equal opportunity for access to the university and to the benefits of the exercise of its mission. It is the opportunity to be measured with the same criteria and mechanisms.   Corporateness Is defined as the sense of identity and institutional affiliation reflected in the ability to make a collective effort.   Comprehensiveness: As an educational institution, look for the full development of the individual in their dimensions ethical, moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic.   Universality: It refers to the conceptual space to realice the multiplicity of knowledge.   Democracy: It refers to the combination of a set of rules and procedures for the exercise of power, control, opposition and collective decision making through referendums or instruments which ensure the broadest participation of the university community.

Dr. Luis Enrique Arango Jimenez              rector@utp.edu.co The Rectory is the unit responsible for the planning and academic and administrative management, in accordance with legal regulations and statutes of the University and of the decisions and actions of the Superior Council and Academic Council, in pursuit of achieving the Institutional Mission.

Ilex Project Justification One of the most important current challenges of the Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira is to have a close relationship with the environment, including large sectors of the community, the businesses, and the government; that enables it to have a positive projection through teaching, outreach, and research activities efficiently and effectively. The processes of globalization and open economy, intercultural communication and the high pace of scientific and technological progress, put pressure on our lives, and require the development of communicative competence in one or more foreign languages to enable the participation, on equal terms, in global culture, without losing the sense of belonging to our culture. The Humanities and Languages Department has been given the task of leading the establishment of the Institute of Foreign Languages of the UTP, aware of the growing demand for knowledge of foreign language, especially English, generated by the current cultural and economic development of our country. Foreign languages also fulfill a role of paramount importance as a factor of human resource development abroad, as evidenced by the continued scholarships granted by foreign governments or international foundations. To access these programs successfully, a proficiency in a foreign language, such as English, is commonly asked for. Unfortunately, a lot of these offers are wasted (95%, according to the ICETEX), for not fulfilling this requirement. General Objective The main objective of the Institute of Foreign Languages of the UTP is to respond to the need that undergraduate students of the different programs offered by the University of proper comprehensive training in the management of a foreign language, preferably English, have. The students can opt for other languages like German and French, for example. This preparation will be fundamental to meet the requirement established by the university to demonstrate proficiency in English as a Foreign Language (Agreement 49 of November 9th, 2000 of the Academic Council of the UTP). The institute will offer courses in foreign languages also directed to any person that requires it with or without connection to the college. Specific Objectives Offer language courses designed for an overall education of university students in preparation for taking the standardized tests necessary to fulfill the requirements demanded by the university. Design and implement extension courses in foreign languages aimed to: - adults - children – postgraduate students - graduates - college students and of other universities - government agreements with educational institutions Provide texts and interpreting translation services. Provide consulting services to educational institutions for the development of programs. Design and implement testing tools. Syllabus design The communicative approach of the English program is designed around the skills of listening, oral speaking, reading and writing. It has also been given a structural component that includes specific elements of grammar and vocabulary. General Objectives To learn the English language as a tool for knowledge sharing. Acknowledge the importance of English as a universal language used to communicate with people, countries and cultures different from ours. Differentiate characteristics of learning a foreign language in relation to other fields.  Understand and critically evaluate the basic content of the heard messages.  Express feelings, reactions and points of view in English. Read texts using special strategies to appropriate the vocabulary, the grammar and have reading comprehension. Assume and demonstrate a positive and self-learning attitude oriented to practicing English. Gain awareness of the cultural component of the English language.

Fine Arts Faculty Basic Sciences Faculty Health Science Faculty Faculty of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Education  Industrial Engineering Faculty  Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering  Faculty of Technology 

The first meeting of the Buildings and Construction Committee was convened on 20th March 1958 in the Episcopal Palace.  It was presided over by the mayor of Pereira Dr. Oscar Vélez Marulanda.  On this occasion Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez was requested to inform the Committee as to the rulings made in Bogotá over the University’s future.Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez made clear that as a result his meetings with various government Ministers and thanks to the presence of Monseñor Álvarez he had obtained from the Minister of Education a guarantee to the effect that the university would receive an annual budget of $200,000.00 from the state for the construction of the university.  In this way the government would assume the responsibility of financing the building whilst the planning department also offered to take this project into account within the five-year plan.  Furthermore the Minister took the opportunity to request that at the first opportunity the Mayor of Pereira make himself known to the Ministry of Education in Bogotá so as to render the promises official.The Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira was made up of a plot of 18 hectares in which the main pavilions of the building were constructed, these were to be completed in such a way as to achieve the overriding objectives whilst all the time remaining faithful to the original plans.  The first stage of building covered 7000m squared as specified in the documentation provided by the architect Gustavo Villegas Campo.  The support of organizations such as The society for the Improvement of Pereira under the leadership of Rafael Cuartas Gaviria, the Mayor of Pereira Dr. Oscar Vélez Marulanda, the National Association of Industries, the Chamber of Commerce.  The latter sent a memorandum to the President of the fifth Commision of the Senate in favour of said construction. The first phase in the construction and development of the university covered an area of 7000m squared at a cost of $350 per square metre and amounting to a total budget of $235,000.00.  In April 1960 the idea for the three faculties was brought once more into question – Site Design Managers, Mechanical builders, Chemical Technicians.  In a conversation held between Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez, and the nation’s President Dr. Alberto Lleras Camargo the latter opposed the proposal stating “that site design was an art subject and should not have a faculty named after it.  It was more suitable to create a Faculty of Industrial Management and Administration”.Dr. Gilberto Cano Gallo. Principal of the Technical Institute of Industry declared himself to be in agreement with the President adding that it would nevertheless be possible to create other Faculties in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.  Site design however was more properly a specialist subject of the Institute to which it was affiliated “an institute that should work parallel to the university since it was ultimately responsible for the foundation studies of what would later be considered at degree level within the university itself.  Indeed it was Dr Gallo that was charged with “the planning of the initial faculties with a view to submitting it before the Board of Directors of the Universidad Nacional for their approval”.What is more he proposed that the initial petitions be for the central administration building and classrooms as there was as yet no clear indication of what faculties would constitute the original university.  On 16 May 1960 from the study of the town hall Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez took up his position as Principal of the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira under the the Act of Possession 434.

Art science technology for new generation The Universidad Tecnológica Pereira is an official entity at state level.  It was created in accordance with Law 41 of 15 December 1958 as ordained by the Congress of the Republic.  Its founder and first principal was Jorge Martínez Roa. The university opened its doors on the 4th March 1961 with only one undergraduate degree programme, that of Electrical Engineering. Slowly the institution began to offer more programmes.  In chronological order these are: 1962:  Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering 1965:  Institute of Music Pedagogy, today the Faculty of Fine Arts and Humanities.  In 1981 its programmes in Fine Arts and Music Teaching were officially approved, followed in 1988 by the Philosophy teaching programme. 1966:  Instituto Politécnico Universitario.  Originally equipped to train Engineering Assistants today referred to as Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Technicians.  It later became the Faculty of Technology. 1967:  Faculty of Education Science.  Currently it offers Certificates of Education in Physics, Mathematics, Spanish and Literature, Ethno-Education and Community Development, Infant Pedagogy.  It will soon inaugurate an Educational Computer Technology Degree. 1968:  Methodology in the Chemical Laboratory (today Chemical Technology) 1968:  Architectural Design (currently unavailable) 1977:  Faculty of Medicine 1989:  Sport Science and Leisure 1991:  Management of the Environment 1991:  Information Technology and Computer Science 2002:  Physics Engineering 2003:  Electrical Engineering 

Planetarium General Information It is a moving simulator device, which represents in small scale the celestial sphere and 5000 stars visible to the naked eye under ideal conditions, planets, satellites, the sun and moon on a hemispherical dome representing the sky, simulating the prettiest night anyone can see, with a cloudless starry background. In addition, the planetarium is able to reproduce the motions of the celestial sphere (day and year), with variable speeds. In this way, a typical night of any season can be seen in just a few minutes. Another type of motion allows the audience to see the sky from different latitudes, so that the viewer can be transported anywhere in the northern hemisphere of the earth and see different skies.   It also has other projectors to represent the planets, moon, sun, the ecliptic, the meridian, Ecuador, satellites, the pole, the horizon, the Milky Way and the figures of the constellations. The planetarium is located in the center of a circular room of 8.0 meters in diameter, with 70 individual reclining chairs for the convenience of the visitors.

Welcome Our commitment to academic excellence is unavoidably present in our institutional project. Our institutional project is focused on academic excellence and in teacher-student relationship, as they have the leading roles of the teaching-learning process. Our challenge is to achieve the object of education through excellence in teaching-learning process, where pedagogical relationship is established, in order for the teacher to be a guide, a tutor, a counselor with moral, intellectual and scientific rectitude. In the undergraduate programs our goal is to strengthen and develop higher education through excellence in teaching and learning, not excluding the possibility of opening new programs to extend the action of the University and meet the needs and demands of the region and country. In postgraduate programs, we focus clearly on quality of content and processes, while increasing the offer and pursuing diversification.   Mission: With the support of human talent, provide academic guidance in areas of educational modernization, curriculum and quality assurance of the undergraduate and postgraduate programs offered by the University. It also guides the development of human talent and professionals teaching careers in the academy. Vision: Be the academic body that provides development and projection to the relevant areas of knowledge in the Faculties, Schools and Centers

General Information The General Secretariat of the Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, is attached directly to the Rectory and ensures the proper and lawful execution of academic and administrative procedures, through counseling, issuance, publication and custody of all laws, agreements and resolutions emanating by the Superior Council and Academic Council and advises the Rector from a legal point of view and thus protects the interests and property of the University. It was created in 1960 by resolution number 1 issued by the Superior Council. Currently, this unit has a structure made by the Secretary General, a law office, which handles the contracting process of the University and an administrative assistant that helps in all the processes in this unit.  Among other functions, according to the General Statute, the Secretary General is responsible for: Endorsing with his/her signature the minutes, agreements and other acts issued by the Superior and Academic Councils, which must be signed also by the respective Chairman. Keeping and guarding under appropriate conditions the files of the Supreme Council and other bodies of which he/she is the Secretary. Authenticating the signatures of the presidents of the councils and scholars, the Rector, the Vice-Rectors and Deans of each faculty. Reporting on legal and regulatory terms, the acts issued by the Rector and the Councils of which he/she is the Secretary. Providing legal advice to the university, the rector, the management bodies and university officials who need it for making decisions. The Document Management Group, a dependency that is responsible for the custody of the legal file of the University, is attached to the General Secretariat. With this structure, the General Secretariat has a clear Vision of being participant in the negotiations and developments that lead to institutional accreditation, using effectiveness and process efficiency, modernization and growth of the university, respect for fundamental rights of the members of the community, seeking determinations that lead towards these Objectives while being recognized by the international scientific and academic community as an Institution of High Quality. Mission Ensure adequate and legal enforcement of academic and administrative procedures through advice, publishing, and custody of all laws, agreements and resolutions issued by the H. Superior and Academic Councils and legally advise the Rector in order to protect the interests and property of the University.

About Us  The Vice-Rectory of Administration is the unit that advises and supports senior management in the formulation of plans, policies, projects and management and financial strategies for decision making.  This unit has four working fronts which are: Administrative Management: Standards and regulations of administrative tasks, answering of complaints and claims, management of donations and organizational studies.  Economic and Financial Management: Management of additional resources, technical and financial study of institutional projects, advice on preparation of project agreements and budget, calls for the allocation of resources, reporting to control agencies. Integrated Quality System: Advice, monitoring, and training for internal and external audits; and functional integration of management systems Accounts Unit: Verification and assurance of the requirements of service contracts processing and report of progress, orders of service and commission.  To perform these fronts there is a staff structure, made by the Vice-Rector of Administration and a group of professionals, technicians and assistants.   Mission  Plan, manage, evaluate and control the processes efficiently, effectively and timely with concrete answers to the fundamental demands made in the fields of science, technology, arts and humanities.    Vision  Achieve a high degree of administrative productivity and a high level of human development through a continuous improvement process and an organizational culture based on results

Mission  Unit which contributes significantly to the creation, transformation, transfer, contextualization, implementation, management, innovation and knowledge sharing in all its forms and expressions, giving priority to sustainable development in the Colombian Coffee Region. The Institutional mission of the University allows it to offer services from his academic work, to public or private sector through agreements or contracts for technical, scientific, artistic, consulting or otherwise, related to its mission objectives.    Vision  By the year 2019 be a Vice Rectory of high quality, leader in the region and the country for its overall competitiveness in research, innovation and extension to the scientific, technological, environmental and cultural development, with social impact and immersed in the international community.

Mission  Social responsibility and university welfare provides comprehensive training; human, social and cultural development and institutional support, in an atmosphere of participation, dialogue, ethics and critical thinking, contributing to education for social transformation, growth and development of the region and the nation.  Vision  Have a university community with quality of life by strengthening the culture of welfare, being a leading coordinating body, committed to social development and reducing dropout in higher education.  GENERAL OBJECTIVE  Plan, organize, direct, control, facilitate and evaluate the programs, projects and activities of university welfare, social responsibility and reduced dropout. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES  • Strengthen institutional well-being, which enables the quality of life of the university community.  • Strengthen the institutional policy of social responsibility through the development and implementation of relevant activities.  • Encourage the adaptation, retention and successful graduation of university community members, through a systematic monitoring, to strengthen their performance and self-regulation in university life

The university administration adopted a policy of decentralization and deconcentration.  University management in all its forms will be framed in a continuous planning process. All activities in the university will be evaluated and the results will be utilized to continuously improve processes.  The criteria and mechanisms to enter the university as a student or employee will ensure equal opportunities and selecting the best candidates.  The investment in the university will be determined by the Institutional Development Plan. The university management conducts regular welfare programs for the entire university community. The range of academic programs must be the consequence of a social need. The academic activity will be directed to the articulation of teaching with research and extension.  The academic work is directed towards strengthening the academic and interdisciplinary work. Promote the intellectual manifestations and support its disclosure. Allocate annually the budget funds in accordance with the requirements of approved research projects.  Maintain ongoing relationships with the environment. Organize and strengthen academic supports. Ensure the university information system. Have an ongoing communication within the university and of this with the environment. Purposes  Transcend the profession-university model for the learning-university one where teaching, research and extension tends towards the overall development of man and society.  Work for the continuous improvement of academic quality. Encourage University Welfare and promote the human development of all members. Participate and promote various social development processes in order to contribute to the improvement of society.  Encourage the participation of the university community. Increase university presence in the regional, national and international levels.  Recover, strengthen and preserve the cultural values which promote the development of society.  Promote the culture of the written tradition. Promote interdisciplinary.

“Scientia et Technica pro Humanitate sub Libertatis Tutela” Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez was the first Principal of the Universidad Tecnológica Pereira.  He was elected to this position on the 16th May 1960 by the then Mayor of the city Emilipo Vallejo Restrepo.  From the end of the 1940s on Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez worked relentlessly towards the realization of his great dream – the construction of a University for Pereira.  This dream finally became a reality at the start of the 1960s. Dr. Jorge Roa Martínez was born in Guateque (Boyacá) on 28th March 1891, he completed his PhD in Law and Political Science at the Universidad Nacional and although still young he assumed the post of Government Secretary for Boyacá in 1924.  He was also nominated Governor during the Presidency of Marco Fidel Súarez and acted as Boyacá’ s Representative to the Chamber. He did not arrive in Pereira until around the year 1926 and it was here that he met and married the distinguished Tulia Drews Castro.  Dr. Roa Martínez was above all a man of great sensitivity and humanity with an acute sense of civic duty.  We could go as far as to say that he was one of the most important citizens to have passed through the city of Pereira in the sixty years since its birth. He was one of the founders of the Rotary Club and in the course of his lifetime he occupied the most important senior positions within this organisation.  In addition to this he was twice National Governor of the Rotary Club; champion of local Rotary initiatives and one of the best Rotary members in the country.  All this at a time when there was but one Rotary district. In 1943 he became involved in the brilliant initiative to build the San Jorge Hospital and two years later was a vocal participant in the construction of the Matecaña airport. From 1941 to 1946 he was president of the Society for the Improvement of Pereira in which time he instigated a rigorous programme of citizenship.  After 1946 he stayed on as a member offering his vision, insight and wisdom to the organization. In 1947 he was elected governor of Boyacá for a second time, his message to the Assembly is a noteworthy discourse in it he articulated the foundations for economic development that that illustrious part of the country enjoys today. His significant cultural and intellectual education led him to declare that “a people without education is like a body without a head”.   He also published essays such as the Infra-revolution in the Arts; The social and economic implications of Tax; On Mexican Mural Painting; the Evolution of Panamericanism, to name but a few.  He directed, wrote the prologue to and defended the project on the History of Pereira (a contribution made by the Rotary Club in 1963 for the centenary of the city).  In the interval between 1953 and 1954 he was elected Governor of the Rotary District for the second time taking on once more the Presidency of the Club in Pereira.  He was awarded important distinctions such as the Cross of Boyacá in which he was ranked as an outstanding officer.  He also received the José María Córdoba medal, the José María O’ Higgins award in Chile and that of Citizenship in 1954.  He received distinctions form the society for Public Reform (S.M.P.) and the award of merit from the Rotary club amongst others. In 1957 he was President of The Honourable Supreme Tribunal of the city of Pereira, a position he held for one year before assuming what was to be a life long yet triumphant struggle for the establishment of the Universidad Tecnológica Pereira.  In his thirst to make his vision a reality he left no leaf unturned, consulting every educational institution, using every University Council meeting as the opportunity to discuss the way forward.  His cause took him to the door of every President of the Republic, he presented his plans at every meeting of Congress until he, along with his associate Guillermo Angel Ramírez and the many illustrious representatives and Senators of Pereira, secured the passing of Law 41 in 1958 and Law 85 in 1968.  These latter constituted fundamental elements to the establishment of the Universidad Tecnológica Pereira. Jorge Roa Martínez was founder of Universidad Tecnológica Pereira and Principal from the moment of its inauguration in 1960 until his death on 17 April 1966.  He also contributed to the formation of the Instituto Técnico Superior and other educational organisations. As mayor of Pereira he was charged with the honour of planning the centenary celebrations that began 13 years in advance of the event.  He had the foresight to identify the problems the city would experience in the future.  As mayor he submitted a dossier of nine projects complete with justification; amongst these were the Hydroelectric Plant in Dosquebradas, The Mayoral Palace, the university and the town planning strategy.  This list of priorities constituted the way forwards and the means to successfully combat the latent demands of development that were already evident at that time.

Art, science and technology for the new generations It has fallen to me to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the academic enterprise of this our beloved Universidad Tecnológica Pereira:  40 years of uninterrupted service to the community cannot pass unnoticed.  For this reason I have decided to use today's celebrations as the opportunity to illustrate all that the university has done and is doing of worth, an institution  which has become associated with the créme de la créme of society. 40 years of service are brought to a close at a time of great agitation and change in all spheres of university life: the space is changing physically with the construction of new buildings; there is academic change a foot with the accreditation of all our programmes and administrative reform through a series of measures created to bury the simplistic notion of reality that has had such a negative effect on the university's future. In this last respect in particular I would like to draw attention to: the sharp increase in places for students wishing to enrol, the move to make English compulsory for students of all disciplines and the introduction of free intensive courses in English Language with this in mind.  Also the inclusion of the university in regional projects that contribute to local development. We want to start the century with a new perception of what a university is: an institution that uses its autonomy to meet its objectives, that views the individual as a complex being interacting with their fellow members at a global level.  The university is no longer a place for the retrograde attitudes that consider the alma mater as no more than the passive instrument of mechanical learning. Most of all we would like to start this new era by offering deserved thanks and recognition to all those people who through their determination and hard work made possible the temple of knowledge and home of study we see before us today. Luis Enrique Arango Jiménez

Implicit in the mission: Participation Dialogue Pluralism Tolerance Respect for Difference Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira is a sate institution of higher education, linked to the knowledge society in the fields of science, technology, arts and humanities Implicit in the flag: Intelligence Wisdom Purity Transparency Loyalty Force Toughness Harmony Will Love

Tesón de almas libres y abiertas tras el mañana en la lucha sin par honor de razas fuertes y altivasp tallando bronces de libertad.   Crisol de ciencia, forja la historiapaulas que anidan arte y saberlucha de nobles hombres que empuñan lanzas y sueños tras el deber.   Hachas labriegas vertiste en llamas que a la ignorancia irradian saber de insignes mentes urdes la historia que forjan ciencia, técnica y fe.   Brilla por siempre bajo tu amparo beneficiosa luz del saber libres caminos tejen la gloria oda de ciencia, fuerza y poder.   Bravos titanes ciñen la gloria y a la materia doman sin fin abren caminos a la esperanza que surca el aire del porvenir.   Música: Anibal BenavidesLetra: Oscar Eduardo López Estrada

8:00 am to 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Public Consultation - Computer Rooms Monday to Friday - 6:00am to 10:00 pm (continuous) Saturdays - 7:00am to 7:00pm (continuous) Sundays - By appointment Public Consultation - Academic programmes Monday to Friday - 2:00pm to 10:00pm

To transcend the model of the vocational institution dedicated exclusively to creating professionals.  Instead the university will favour a system in which teaching, research and further education work together to stimulate the holistic development of the individual and of society in general. To work towards a long term improvement in academic competence.  To increase the health and wellbeing of the university and stimulate the humanistic development of all its members. To promote and participate in different programmes of social development and so improve the conditions of society as a whole. Encourage the participation of the university community and increase the presence of the latter in the regional, national and international panorama. Recover, strengthen and preserve those cultural values that contribute to social development. To nurture a culture founded in the tradition of writing.  To encourage inter-disciplinary collaboration.