In the field of university education no changes, administrative or
instructional, are recorded for the past biennium; but there has been
a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the administrative government
of the University of Montevideo. In September, 1918, the executive sent
to the Congress, along with an accompanying message, the project of
a law clearly defining the constitution of the directive councils of
the several faculties of the University of Montevideo as established
by the laws of 1908 and 1915. Contention had arisen as to the right
of electing representatives to each of these councils. By the new law
each such council was to have 10 members and a dean. In the faculty
of law four of these were to be elected by the attorneys who were also
professors; four attorneys to be selected by those neither professors
nor substitutes; one minor attorney by those neither professors nor
substitutes; one student delegate by the students themselves.
In the faculty of medicine four members were to be elected by the
professors, substitutes, and chiefs of clinics and laboratories; three
members to be elected by the physicians not embraced in the above
categories; one member to be elected by the pharmacists; and one by the
dentists not included in the categories above; one member to be elected
by the students of medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.
In the faculty of engineering four members were to be elected by
the professors and substitutes; three members to be elected by the
engineers; and two by the surveyors who were neither professors nor
substitutes; one member to be elected by the students of engineering
and surveying.
In the faculty of architecture five members were to be elected by the
professors and substitutes; four members to be elected by architects
who were neither professors nor substitutes; one member to be elected
by the students of architecture.
By decrees of 1917 enacted into law, seven years of advanced courses
were required for the degree of doctor of medicine and five years
for the degree of architect. Special courses of one and two years in
construction and materials, leading to certificates but not to degrees,
were formulated and allowed by the ministry of public instruction.
In pursuance of the policy of exchanging professors between the various
countries of South America formulated at the Pan American Conference
held at Buenos Aires in 1910, special exchange was arranged with Chile
in 1916.