The effects of the Fund for the Improvement of University Quality on the National University of Córdoba

Authors

  • María Celeste Escudero Universidad Nacional de San Luis

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.2972

Keywords:

Higher Education, Universities, Educational Policy, Financing Reforms, Organizational Change, Organizational Culture

Abstract

University public financing policy reforms in Argentina during the 1990s were aligned to global and regional developments. Thus, in 1995, the Fund for the Improvement of University Quality (FOMEC) was created, an instrument for allocating additional funding to the historical budget, which prioritized the improvement of teaching over other activities. Based on the theoretical framework of Stephen Ball and the Sociological New Institutionalism, this paper seeks to answer: What effects has the FOMEC had at the National University of Cordoba (UNC), Argentina? This research utilizes hierarchical and discriminant cluster analysis to identify the distribution of FOMEC projects among the participating academic units. Stakeholders’ perceptions were analyzed through interviews and documents. Data analysis suggests three core effects. First, FOMEC projects were not distributed in a homogenous way among the academic units within UNC, varying significantly among different disciplinary areas. Second, institutional change conformed to coercive and mimetic forces. Lastly, there are internalization processes of at least five partial innovations in their work cultures, such as: “Strategic Planning of Activities”, “Project Management”, “Teamwork”, “Evaluation Processes” and “Management of Alternative Resources to the Budget”.

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Author Biography

María Celeste Escudero, Universidad Nacional de San Luis

Doctora en Ciencias Económicas-mención Economía por la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba y Licenciada en Economía por la misma universidad. Ex-Becaria Doctoral y Posdoctoral del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Actualmente se desempeña como Profesora Adjunta del Departamento de Ciencias Económicas, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Jurídicas y Sociales de la Universidad Nacional de San Luis (UNSL).Ha sido integrante de redes de investigaciones y de diversos proyectos de investigación. Autora y co-autora de capítulos de libros, publicaciones en revistas con referato y de ponencias en eventos científicos.

Published

2018-06-11

How to Cite

Escudero, M. C. (2018). The effects of the Fund for the Improvement of University Quality on the National University of Córdoba. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26, 71. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.2972

Issue

Section

Articles