COLLEGE OF DEANS

This College, responsible for keeping a fluid communication among the Rector, the deans of schools, institutes, colleges, and other authorities, serves as an academic and administrative coordination agency. It evaluates -and submits for approval-different subjects and approaches, on teaching, school administration, and, in general, on issues that permit better planning and development of the University. The College of Deans consists of the Rector, who is the chairperson, the deans of schools, institutes, colleges, the Coordinators of Humanities, Scientific Research, and of the National College of Sciences and Humanities. The College secretary in charge is, by ordinance, the University Secretary General.

COLLEGE OF HIGH SCHOOL DEANS

Since its creation in 1985, this College has became as an advisory body, responsible for maintaining and improving the communication among the Rector, the general director, and the deans of the National Preparatory School, and the College of Science and Humanities. Through plenary sessions, this College submits proposals about academic, research and cultural issues related to the National Preparatory School, and the College of Science and Humanities, to be offered to the authorities. It also conducts specific research, giving its opinion about academic and administrative problems, which directly affect the performance of the University High School system. This College includes the Rector, who is the chairperson, the general director and the deans of the National Preparatory School's nine campuses, and the College of Science and Humanities' coordinator, the director the College of Science and Humanities' Academic Unit of High School Period, as well as the directors of the College of Sciences Humanities' five campuses. The College's secretary also corresponds to the University Secretary General.

GRADUATE STUDIES COUNCIL

The Graduate Studies Council was created between 1970 and 1980 in order to have a coordinating agency in charge of appointing the UNAM general guidelines on Graduate Studies. The Council has the faculty to decide the creation or the reforms to the curricula of specializations, master's programs, and PhD programs, as well as to promote the elaboration of new projects among different institutions. It also organizes programs of research on teaching. This board is headed by the Rector, who is entitled to delegate its function to the UNAM General Secretary, or to the General Coordinator of Graduate Studies. It also includes the Coordinator of Scientific Research, the Coordinator of Humanities, the coordinators of the National School of Professional Studies, coordinators of Graduate Studies, the chiefs of Graduate Studies Department in the UNAM schools, institutes, colleges, the director of the Academic Unit of Professional Cycles, and the College of Sciences and Humanities Graduates Studies.

COUNCIL OF PLANNING

The Council of Planning is an entity in charge of coordinating planning projects offered by the different university departments. It also serves as the Rector's advisory arm. Among other attributions, this board studies and proposes the general rules for the institution's planning. It consists of members of the University community appointed by the Rector, who is the chairperson, and a Technical Secretary, who is the General Director of Planning, Evaluation and Academic Programs. For discussion on some specific issues, The Director is entitled to invite other authorities to the Council sessions; The College of Deans, in order to create and consolidate a permanent exchange and cooperation between the different sectors of Mexican society, approved in 1991, the external advisory councils, a mixture of advisers to the technical councils. These councils -with an honorific nature-include graduate students, and outstanding individuals by his/her professional performance, and specific experience on some areas related to the academic agencies.

ACADEMIC COUNCILS OF AREA

These councils are responsible for the academic planning, evaluation and decision in order to strengthen the University's essential tasks. There are four academic councils, which include the different schools, centers, academic units, institutes, colleges: the Academic Council of Physic-Mathematics Science and Engineering Area, the Academic Council of Biology and Health Sciences Area, the Academic Council of Social Sciences Area, and the Academic Board of Humanities and Arts Area. Each one of these councils consists of a coordinator, the deans of the participating departments, a representative council of academic staff, one student and one researcher from each area, as well as one student representative of the Academic Unit of the Professional Cycle, of the College of Science Humanities' Graduate Studies, as well as two professors from each area, members of the Academic Council of High Schools. All of the preferential representatives have a substitute.

ACADEMIC COUNCIL OF HIGH SCHOOLS

The Academic Council of High Schools is a collegiate body for academic planning, evaluation and decision making, in order to strengthen the high schools' main activities, offering better use and development of its resources. It is also responsible for relating the National Preparatory School academic activities to the Academic Unit of the College of Sciences and Humanities, and to the academic board of each area of study, as well as the integrating agencies. This Council consists of a coordinator, the National Preparatory School director and general secretary, the College of Sciences and Humanities' coordinator, and the director of Academic Unit of the High School Cycle; two representatives of the National Preparatory School academic staff of each area, and two representatives of the Academic Unit of High School Cycle academic staff of each area of study; as well as one professor, one researcher, one student, who are members of the four academic councils of each area of study. All preferential representatives have a substitute.

ADVISER COUNCIL OF COMPUTING

The Adviser Council of Computing is a university body created to support and advise on computing issues, and it has the following objectives: to be a discussion forum on computing problems taking place in the University community, to participate in the development programs including computing, and similar study areas such as information technology, telecommunication, and electronics; to advise the university authorities on creating the purchasing and maintenance policies of equipment; and promote the search for resources for the development of the University computing. This Council is chaired by the UNAM general secretary, appointed by the Rector, or, in his absence, by the Committee's technical secretary. Its members are the following UNAM authorities: the general secretary, the administrative secretary, the academic services secretary, the general attorney, the coordinator of Humanities, the coordinator of Scientific Research, the director of Institute of Research in Applied Mathematics and Systems, the general director of Planning, Evaluation and Academic Projects, eight members of the university community with a high level in computing knowledge -appointed by the Rector-- and one member named by the University Properties.

DEFENSE OF UNIVERSITY RIGHTS

On August 7th 1985, Director Jorge Carpizo created the Defense of University Rights, an office in charge of enforcing the necessary mechanisms and methods to protect the individual rights granted by the university law from act, terminations or omissions contrary to the university legislation, whenever they are unreasonable, unfair, inappropriate, or incorrect, or if they have been left unanswered beyond a reasonable term. The Defense of University Rights is an entity of an independent nature, responsible for enforcing the observance of university legislation, receiving complaints submitted by teachers and students, who have suffered a violation of their rights.

This office is an independent body as its work and recommendations are not subject to any university authority, allowing it to play an unbiased role. In order to accomplish its mission, the Defense receives complaints from the university members, who are affected by some determinations made by the authorities or academic departments or administrative units, it then begins the corresponding investigation, orients those people with conflicts outside the limits of the Defense, and promotes a solution to those problems within its limits as soon as possible. The Defense of University Rights was the first Mexican institution to fulfill the Scandinavian Ombudsman's prestigious functions.

UNIVERSITY TRIBUNAL

It is a disciplinary arm, responsible for knowing and sanctioning any member of the academic staff and students community who fails to comply with the specific obligations imposed by the university legislation. The senior professor from the School of Law Technical Council acts as the chairperson of the Tribunal; the Attorney General is the Tribunal secretary. The senior professor from the Technical Council of the entity having a case acts as the vocal, except for the School of Law, in which case the vocal should be the second senior professor from its Technical Council, or the senior researcher of the respective Institute. When a case includes student responsibilities, the Tribunal calls in two representatives from the technical council of the school where he/she studies.