After completing the participatory process, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment changes its name.

After a deep reflection on the work of the Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences of the Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) and a participatory work process with all faculty members, teachers and students, the university administration approved the renewal of the name to Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment. With this new name, the faculty seeks to better represent and promote the current training, research and outreach activities within the university community.

The renewal process began in 2020, when the students of the faculty’s Student Center presented a petition to update the name to one that represents the expanded diversity of the fields and topics they are developing, while also taking into account the challenges of the future.

With the aim of evaluating the pertinence of the petition and preparing an appropriate proposal, the Faculty Council decided to create a commission, which consisted of the dean, Dr. Adison Altamirano; the representatives of the academic departments, Dr. Juan Carlos García, Dr. Ramón Rebolledo and Dr. Ricardo González; the representative of the administrative staff, Sergio Sáez; and Roberto Brito, a student of the program in Engineering in Natural Resources.

“We are very pleased with this important change. The renewal is a milestone and the result of a participatory work with our entire community. Over the years, our faculty made a lot of progress in the fields of research, undergraduate and graduate studies, and ventured into new topics and fields of knowledge,” commented Dr. Adison Altamirano. According to him, the new name truly represents the work of the faculty, including the new emerging fields and the progress and growth they already achieved and will achieve in the future.

PARTICIPATORY WORK AND AGREEMENT

The committee agreed that the new name should represent all dimensions that the faculty addresses in undergraduate and graduate education, research and outreach.

The analysis of the petition showed an important development and expansion regarding the fields of work related to the environment, ecology, production compatibility and the preservation of natural resources.

“This change is important because the faculty significantly evolved. The new name describes our experiences and a lot of what we are doing. We can identify with it and I think that it properly represents us,” said Fresia Cantero, the staff representative of the Faculty Council.

The director of Outreach and Community Engagement of the faculty, Claudia Bassaber, is also pleased with the new name, since she finds it more comprehensive. “It will allow us to strengthen the position and projection of the faculty, favor the interaction and cooperation, lead to greater opportunities for the development of joint activities in the agricultural, environmental and biotechnological fields, and contribute to the sustainable development of the region and the country,” she explained.

Roberto Brito, the representative of the faculty’s Student Center, who actively participated in the commission, highlighted the result of the proposal and the fact that the students were the ones who proposed the change of name. “Although it was a long process with several stages, it was well received and drew the attention to the innovative and pertinent nature of the request. Another fact that is worth mentioning is the participatory process, which considered the opinion and vote of everybody of the faculty,” he pointed out.