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New entrance registrations increase by 3% and the total goes up to 15%

New entrance registrations increase by 3% and the total goes up to 15%

The number of new entrance registrations for official study programmes at the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) has increased by 3% in the 2019-2020 academic year. This is the same growth as was recorded last academic year for the bachelor's degree courses at the UVic, UManresa, official master's degrees and doctorates at UVic-UCC, the Professional Campus, students on the blended learning bachelor's degree in Translation, Interpreting and Applied Languages and Speech Therapy offered jointly by the UVic and the UOC, and the BAU, EADA and ESERP affiliated centres. These figures are even better when the percentage of the total number of students registered at the University is taken into account, which this year has risen to 15%, 5 points higher than a year ago. This figure is significant, particularly bearing in mind that this is the first academic year in which all the students at the University now belong to UVic-UCC, five years after the university's federation.

These are some of the registration figures for the 2019-2020 academic year which were presented at midday by the rector of UVic-UCC, Josep-Eladi Baños, accompanied by the directors general of the Balmes University Foundation, the Bages University Foundation, and the director general of the Foundation for Advanced Health Sciences Studies, at a press conference which took place during a lunch at the Rector's Office in Vic. According to Baños, "the registration figures for this academic year maintain the trend of recent years, and confirm that the federation attracts interest, and is an institution that creates appeal among new students."

As Baños explained, there are various reasons for this growth, but there has been a major increase in new entrance registrations for university master's degrees such as those in Montessori Teaching, Teacher Training for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Vocational Training and language courses taught on the Vic campus. The Manresa campus also had good registration figures for the master's degrees in Simulation Methodology and Physiotherapy of the Musculoskeletal System. This growth of 5 points compared to the last academic year is also due to the consolidation of study programmes such as Medicine and Automotive Engineering, which this year are entering their third year, and are the focus of growing demand.

Study programmes at the UVic grow even though overall demand drops by 4%

The bachelor's degree programmes on the Vic campus have experienced significant growth in terms of demand as first preferences. 83% of the new students who have registered this year had applied for their studies at Vic as their first choice during pre-registration. This figure is 4 points higher than the equivalent from one year ago. According to the rector, this figure is "qualitative and shows that we are able to attract people. Students come because they want to, and not because we are their second choice." In addition, according to Baños, this figure is even more significant taking into account that the overall demand for the studies taught at the UVic has dropped by 4%. Baños announced that the University is studying the demand for its bachelor's degree programmes, in order to respond by programming new study programmes and course types that will deal with the "educational tsunami that will soon be upon us," in the Rector's ironic description. He said that this review will also include master's degrees and in that respect, he said that "there is no need to worry about a slight decline in bachelor's degrees if registration for master's degrees increases."

In addition, 79% of the places available have been filled, and three courses - Physiotherapy, Automotive Engineering and Physical Education and Sports Sciences - have introduced a minimum entrance grade. The Faculty of Business and Communication Studies has seen a 18% rise in registrations due to the increase in new entrance registrations on bachelor's degrees in business. In the Faculty of Education, Translation and Human Sciences, there was a 12% rise due to an increase in registration on the bachelor's degree programmes in Teaching, Physical Education and Sports Sciences and Psychology, which this year increased the number of places available. The increase in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare was 3%, with a rise in the demand for Physiotherapy degree courses and a consolidation of the bachelor's degree of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, after the blended learning option was introduced. Finally, the Faculty of Science and Technology once again had good results for the bachelor's degree course in Automotive Engineering taught in Granollers, despite the slight decline in other Mechatronics and Multimedia engineering courses.

There continues to be a slight female predominance among new students, 52% of whom are females and 48% males. Some degree courses have a strong masculine presence, such as the engineering courses and Physical Education and Sports Sciences, and women predominate in others, such as Nursing. The three major geographic origins of the students are: Osona, with 20% of the new registrations, Vallès Oriental with 13%, and 11% from France. As for means of access, admissions from high level training cycles (27%) have increased. Entrance after entrance tests is the most common channel, used by 52% of new students.

UManresa slightly increases its total volume of bachelor's degree students

The number of students studying bachelor's degrees on the Manresa campus of UVic-UCC has grown by 4% in the 2019-2020 academic year, to 1,767. New entrance registrations have remained stable, with a slight decline attributable to the decision to limit new students on the Nursing and Physiotherapy courses to ensure students receive adequate attention. All the places on these two courses have been filled. A minimum entrance grade has also been applied for entrance to the Physiotherapy course.

One of the distinctive features of the Manresa campus is its strong contingent of international students. 36% come from outside Spain. Most of these come from France. French students come to the capital of the Bages region to study Physiotherapy (they account for 67% of the students on this bachelor's degree course), and to study the double bachelor's degree in Podiatry and Physiotherapy (where they are 58% of the students choosing this double degree). There is also a significant community of Italian students, especially on the bachelor's degree in Podiatry.

Despite the considerable presence of foreign students, the Manresa campus also has plenty of students from the surrounding area: 22% are from the Bages region. Other Catalan regions sending significant numbers of students to UManresa are Vallès Occidental and Baix Llobregat (with 5% each).

The majority of students who are new entrants at the Manresa campus are women (68%). However, the distribution by sex is not uniform in all the bachelor's degree courses. As a result, the number of men and women on Business Administration and Management courses is equal at 50%, while on the Pre-School Teaching and Speech Therapy courses, women account for 96% and 94% of the respective totals. Men are also more common on the degree course in Physiotherapy, although the proportion is more balanced (53%). 61% of the students who have joined this course on the Manresa campus did so through upper secondary school education and the university entrance examination. Meanwhile, one in four were admitted from an advanced level specific vocational training course. The importance of this means of access varies depending on the studies involved. As a result, it is particularly significant in the degree course in Pre-School Teaching and Nursing, where it is the access route for 48% and 44% of the new registrations respectively.

The Faculty of Medicine starts teaching at the units in Vic and Manresa

This academic year, the third in the bachelor's degree course in Medicine, has seen teaching start in Manresa and Vic at the teaching units launched in the two cities. The director general of the Bages University Foundation (FUBages), Valentí Martínez, believes that the new teaching unit is another step in the development of this bachelor's degree course, which is the result of "the collaboration between the two foundations. Without the federation agreement, we would not currently be talking about this project or these spaces."

New entrance registrations have increased significantly, as well as total registrations, it was the first choice of 107 students, and a total of 700 people applied for the course. Half of the new students are from Catalonia, and the rest come from the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Andalusia and Portugal. 78% are women and the minimum entrance grade was 11.798. As for the teaching staff, according to the director general of the Foundation for Advanced Health Sciences Studies (FESS), Marina Geli, the Faculty has succeeded in "keeping its talent loyal by recruiting professionals who work as lecturers. 67% are from the surrounding area and 20 of them are heads of service." They are all implementing a model "linked to the humanisation of the profession of doctor, with technology at the centre of the learning process."

Strategic projects on the two campuses

The director general of the Balmes University Foundation (FUBalmes), Joan Turró, outlined the main projects for investments and facilities. One of these is the Beta Technology Centre's move to Can Baumann, to make part of that facility into "a scientific-technical campus that fosters a symbiosis between the University and industrial facilities." The project, which will cost two million euros and will occupy 1,500 square metres, is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

As for the health campus that is to be located in Prat de Galliners, Turró predicted that it will not be completed within the next 6 years, as "it is necessary to give careful consideration to its uses and its needs." A project that is going to start in the near future is the construction of the RUVIC 2, a second university residence promoted by a private owner in partnership with the University, which will provide 300 places on the Carretera de Roda road, very close to the Faculty of Medicine.

Another of the major projects that could open late next year is the University's Auditorium in the old church of the Hospital de la Santa Creu. With a capacity for almost 300 people, "it will be available for use by both the university and by the city."

Turró also discussed the figures in the transparency ranking, in which UVic-UCC was once again rated the most transparent university in Spain's entire system for the fourth consecutive year, and this year it did not share the position. According to the director general, "this is an outstanding achievement that is the result of a demand from the community, and which is managed and governed by a committee without any management representatives."

In Manresa, an investment of one million Euros has enabled the extension of the CISARC, the simulation innovation centre, and has improved its technological facilities. Located on the second floor of the University Clinic, it covers 1,000 m2 and has 8 complete simulation units which can generate more than 50 different scenarios and work with a total of 120 participants simultaneously. This is one of the main new features for the 2019-2020 academic year at UManresa, which as emphasised by Valentí Martínez, director general of the Bages University Foundation, "completes and reinforces the campus's commitment to simulation as a learning methodology in its entire range of bachelor's degree, postgraduate and master's degree courses, as well as training cycles and continuous training for professionals." Other commitments in this area which have taken shape in recent years include the University Master's Degree in Simulation Methodology, the Chair in Simulation and Patient Safety and the Interinstitutional Research Group on Educational Innovation, Simulation and Patient Safety (GRInDoSSeP).

Other important lines of work at the Manresa campus during this academic year are the exploration of the possibilities of blended learning for Health Sciences bachelor's degree programmes, and the Podiatry degree in particular, and the implementation of training tracks that enhance the synergies between the higher vocational training cycles on the Professional Campus and bachelor's degree programmes. Students who will be graduating this year as Senior Specialists in Pre-School Teaching or Administration and Finance at the UManresa professional campus may complete their training with a bachelor's degree in Pre-School Teaching or BMA respectively, lasting only 3 years. Meanwhile, the consolidation of various relationships with Latin America is also an objective for this academic year. A new Master's Degree in Dependence Care Attention will be launched, which will be carried out in partnership with San Sebastian University in Chile. Likewise, UVic-UCC has recently accepted the vice-presidency of the Continuing Education Network for Latin America and Europe (RECLA), which according to Valentí Martínez "will provide the framework for a very close relationship with more than 120 Latin American universities for three years."

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