Recently Established Private Universities and the Tensions Surrounding State Oversight

An Examination of the Initial Operating Period, the Notion of Autonomy, and the Scope of Regulatory Frameworks in Argentina

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the tensions present in the relationship between newly created private universities and state agencies in Argentina, particularly during the initial operating process with provisional authorization that these institutions undergo. Its main objective is to explore the legal framework that underpins the tensions that arise during this process, the role of the actors involved, the concrete manifestations of the conflicts, and the strategies that are implemented to maintain a delicate balance, where the principle of autonomy for these nascent universities is partially conditioned by the supervision exercised by the State through the National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation (CONEAU) and the Ministry of Education (through the National Directorate of University Management - DNGU). It is in this relationship that the coexistence of these different instances generates tensions that manifest in the institutional, governance, academic, administrative, and financial dimensions, from which universities may perceive the supervision as a limitation on their self-governance and academic and institutional autonomy, or as an opportunity to improve their practices.