The Board of Directors of the School of Humanities (Tucuman University) met in an extraordinary session at the Faculty of Physical Education yesterday, with the purpose of addressing the crisis in which the school finds itself. Representatives of the teaching staff, students and non-teaching staff approved a series of administrative resolutions to solve the students’ situation. Other motions, including a petition to sever links with the mining enterprise “La Alumbrera”, are to be escalated to the vice chancellor’s office and to the Principal Board of the University.

The deacon, Judith de Babot and vice-deacon, Rossana Nofal, presided over the meeting with a voice, but without a vote.

For the first time, the Board of Directors of a faculty at the University of Tucuman, have declared themselves to be against such a relationship.

“The extraction process has a serious social and environmental impact. Moreover, this relationship has no visible advantage for us and even if it did, the harm it is doing cannot be justified,” argued Natalia Aremendariz, president of the Student’s Centre and instigator of the motion.

The resolution was approved by eight positive votes, one abstention and no votes against. During the meeting, it was decided, that the highest authorities within the University should be asked to put a stop to any building development and to prioritise the faculty within the next budget to finance an internal works programme.

Profesora Maria Lenis pointed out that, “When we speak of a genuine budget, we speak of national funds and not of the biased ones of the University of Tucuman.”

Other details were added to the motion such as the type of licences required for the works, the need to complete the administrative brief initiated by Rector Juan Cerisola and the participation of all the university departments in the works programme. In the short term, it is hoped that even the technical plans are completed to enable a rescheduling of the university calendar.

Meanwhile the academic exams, programmed for the 31^st March, were suspended until the dates for the final term of the 2010 calendar were made known. It was also decided to supply an office where the students are able to discuss study problems and attend to any hardships emerging from this situation.