Consejo Nacional de Rectores
The National Council of Rectors is a body created by the Agreement for the Coordination of State University Higher Education in Costa Rica, signed on December 4, 1974 and amended in 1982.
This agreement, in its Chapter I entitled “The Coordinating Bodies of State University Higher Education”, states:
Article 1:The body in charge of coordinating State University Higher Education shall be composed of:
- The National Council of Rectors (CONARE).
- The Expanded CONARE.
- The Higher Education Planning Office (OPES), which will be its technical body.
CONARE will be formed by the rectors of the signatory institutions of this Agreement.
Based on Article 2 of the agreement creating CONARE (Chapter I entitled “The Coordinating Bodies of State University Higher Education”), it will be formed by the rectors of the institutions signatory to this agreement.
Accordingly, CONARE is currently composed of:
- Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez Espeleta, Rector of Costa Rica University (Rectory UCR). [i]
- Ing. María Estrada Sánchez, Rector of Costa Rica Institute of Technology (Rectory ITCR or Rectory TEC).
- M.Ed. Francisco González Alvarado, Rector of National University (Rectory UNA).
- M.B.A. Rodrigo Arias Camacho, Rector of State Distance University (Rectory UNED).
- M.Ed. Francisco González Calvo, interim rector, National Technical University (Rectory UTN). [iii]
- Mag. Eduardo Sibaja Arias, Director of Office of Higher Education Planning (OPES). [ii]
Mr. Gastón Baudrit Ruiz, Director of CONARE’s Legal Counsel, attends the Council’s meetings as a special guest.
CONARE has its own legal status, according to Law No. 6162 of November 3, 1977.
CONARE is a collegiate body that meets once a week in ordinary session. It does not have management; however, it has other directors who do not attend the Council’s sessions, which correspond to the following institutional programs:
- M.Sc. Laura Ramírez Saborío, Executive Director of SINAES.
- Mag. Eduardo Sibaja Arias, General Director a.i. of CeNAT.
- Dr. Jorge Vargas Cullell, Director of State of the Nation (PEN).