Relevant consultations fail in the UNAM rectory

Of the 17 candidates for the Rectorate, 14 already know what it is like to go through customs at the UNAM Governing Board to become directors of Faculties or Institutes, and three, in fact, have already met with the 15 notables of the body collegiate.

In October 2015, Sergio Alcocer presented his work project to the Board to seek to be rector. He was one of the favorites to reach the sixth floor in the place of José Narro Robles, of whom he had been general secretary, until before resigning to be undersecretary for North America of the Foreign Ministry.

But the ghost of his closeness to the government of Enrique Peña Nieto and the threats of a part of the community to destabilize the highest house of studies if he were named ex-officio head of the institution, left him outside the Rectory Tower.

In the same succession process, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas was called by the Board to be interviewed as a possible rector.

He was then, at 45 years of age, the youngest candidate. As director of the Faculty of Economics, he had already been evaluated and approved by the collegiate body in 2010, and for a second period in 2014, which did not end because he accepted the invitation of the rector, Enrique Graue, to join as its general secretary.

Héctor Hernández Bringas is the third Unamite who has already been interviewed by the Board to be the ex-officio head of the institution. Eight years ago, together with Lomelí and Alcocer, he was a finalist in the process that Graue won.

Hernández Bringas is one of the few examples of a university student who has not been director of a Faculty or Institute and who has already been in front of the Board.

“They ask you questions about your plan, although they also ask questions with a twist, such as what resources you will use to implement your proposals or why participate in the process. It is a kind of exam with many synods where the challenge is to show poise and solvency in the answers,” recalls the candidate.

Of the 15 notables who interviewed Alcocer, Lomelí and Hernández in 2015, only Dr. Gina Zabludovsky Kuper, current president of the Governing Board, remains, since the rest of the members were renewed with Graue.

Of the 14 candidates who have already passed through the Board, Ambrosio Velasco is the first to know what it means to meet with the collegiate body for an appointment.

22 years ago, after the 1999 student strike ended, and in the midst of the search for reconciliation at UNAM, the Board appointed Velasco as director of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in February 2001 and in 2005 opted to continue him.

In 2002, the Board approved Luz del Carmen Vilchis as director of the then National School of Plastic Arts, which had not had a woman to direct it, and a year later, in 2003, she interviewed Sergio Alcocer, whom she appointed as director. from the Engineering Institute

Seven years passed until two other candidates in this succession process were able to learn what it was like to interview the Governing Board.

This is William Lee, who in 2010 was appointed by the Board as director of the Institute of Astronomy and again in 2014 for a second period, which did not end because he joined the coordination of Scientific Research in this rectorate.

Also in 2010, Imanol Ordorika interviewed the 15 notables, in his quest to become director of the Economic Research Institute, but in this process Verónica Villarespe was appointed.

Two years later, in 2012, Patricia Dávila joined the list of candidates for the Rectorate who knows the process of interviewing the Board when she was appointed to lead the FES Iztacala, a position she repeated in 2016 after meeting again with the 15 notable.

For 2013, Jorge Alfredo Cuéllar and Alberto Vital Díaz joined the list of candidates who have already been called by the Board, in processes in which the body gave them its endorsement to become director of the FES Cuautitlán and the Research Institute Philological, respectively.

During this rectorate, the directors of the Faculties of Law and Medicine, Raúl Contreras and Germán Fajardo, were interviewed by the Board on two occasions. First in 2016, when they were appointed, and then in 2020 to be re-elected.

In 2016, Luis Álvarez Icaza also learned what the interview process with the Board was about when he was appointed director of the Engineering Institute, a position he left to head the UNAM Administrative Secretariat.

Already in 2017 the Board met with Laura Acosta, whom it appointed director of ENES León, and again in August 2021 for a second period.

The university students who have never met with the Governing Board are María Esperanza Martínez, Daniel Trejo Medina and Guadalupe Valencia.

The data

Ten finalists

• Last night, in various academic circles the version spread that the Board will call 10 finalists; However, the final list is announced today.

Already known to the Board, 14 of 17

Of the 17 candidates for the Rectorate, 14 already know what it is like to go through customs at the UNAM Governing Board to become directors of Faculties or Institutes, and three, in fact, have already met with the 15 notables of the body collegiate.

In October 2015, Sergio Alcocer presented his work project to the Board to seek to be rector. He was one of the favorites to reach the sixth floor in the place of José Narro Robles, of whom he had been general secretary, until before resigning to be undersecretary for North America of the Foreign Ministry.

But the ghost of his closeness to the government of Enrique Peña Nieto and the threats of a part of the community to destabilize the highest house of studies if he were named ex-officio head of the institution, left him outside the Rectory Tower.

In the same succession process, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas was called by the Board to be interviewed as a possible rector.

He was then, at 45 years of age, the youngest candidate. As director of the Faculty of Economics, he had already been evaluated and approved by the collegiate body in 2010, and for a second period in 2014, which did not end because he accepted the invitation of the rector, Enrique Graue, to join as its general secretary.

Héctor Hernández Bringas is the third Unamite who has already been interviewed by the Board to be the ex-officio head of the institution. Eight years ago, together with Lomelí and Alcocer, he was a finalist in the process that Graue won.

Hernández Bringas is one of the few examples of a university student who has not been director of a Faculty or Institute and who has already been in front of the Board.

“They ask you questions about your plan, although they also ask questions with a twist, such as what resources you will use to implement your proposals or why participate in the process. It is a kind of exam with many synods where the challenge is to show poise and solvency in the answers,” recalls the candidate.

Of the 15 notables who interviewed Alcocer, Lomelí and Hernández in 2015, only Dr. Gina Zabludovsky Kuper, current president of the Governing Board, remains, since the rest of the members were renewed with Graue.

Of the 14 candidates who have already passed through the Board, Ambrosio Velasco is the first to know what it means to meet with the collegiate body for an appointment.

22 years ago, after the 1999 student strike ended, and in the midst of the search for reconciliation at UNAM, the Board appointed Velasco as director of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in February 2001 and in 2005 opted to continue him.

In 2002, the Board approved Luz del Carmen Vilchis as director of the then National School of Plastic Arts, which had not had a woman to direct it, and a year later, in 2003, she interviewed Sergio Alcocer, whom she appointed as director. from the Engineering Institute

Seven years passed until two other candidates in this succession process were able to learn what it was like to interview the Governing Board.

This is William Lee, who in 2010 was appointed by the Board as director of the Institute of Astronomy and again in 2014 for a second period, which did not end because he joined the coordination of Scientific Research in this rectorate.

Also in 2010, Imanol Ordorika interviewed the 15 notables, in his quest to become director of the Economic Research Institute, but in this process Verónica Villarespe was appointed.

Two years later, in 2012, Patricia Dávila joined the list of candidates for the Rectorate who knows the process of interviewing the Board when she was appointed to lead the FES Iztacala, a position she repeated in 2016 after meeting again with the 15 notable.

For 2013, Jorge Alfredo Cuéllar and Alberto Vital Díaz joined the list of candidates who have already been called by the Board, in processes in which the body gave them its endorsement to become director of the FES Cuautitlán and the Research Institute Philological, respectively.

During this rectorate, the directors of the Faculties of Law and Medicine, Raúl Contreras and Germán Fajardo, were interviewed by the Board on two occasions. First in 2016, when they were appointed, and then in 2020 to be re-elected.

In 2016, Luis Álvarez Icaza also learned what the interview process with the Board was about when he was appointed director of the Engineering Institute, a position he left to head the UNAM Administrative Secretariat.

Already in 2017 the Board met with Laura Acosta, whom it appointed director of ENES León, and again in August 2021 for a second period.

The university students who have never met with the Governing Board are María Esperanza Martínez, Daniel Trejo Medina and Guadalupe Valencia.