American University (UAM) suspended the registration of hundreds of students coming from the confiscated Central American University (UCA) – now Casimiro Sotelo Montenegro National University – arguing that the students had registered without submitting their official transcripts. However, some students consulted by DIVERGENTES explained that the educational institution had accepted their admission on the condition that they sign a letter of commitment in which they agreed to hand in their official transcripts in six months.
The university also justified the students’ suspension because they did not present their official syllabus, however, the students indicated that when they registered at UAM the academic authorities did not ask for this document.
“Initially they made me sign a letter of commitment that said I had six months to bring the official papers and start with the validation process,” said Roxana, a third year Communication student who enrolled at UAM last week after learning of the UCA seizure.
Roxana attended classes at UAM this Tuesday morning but was informed on campus that students coming from UCA could not continue their studies at this institution. To verify the information, she tried to enter UAM’s virtual platform, but her accesses were eliminated as well as her institutional email.
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“My user name appeared as if it did not exist, the same thing (happened) with the mail, but I have many classmates who were taken out of classes and others were summoned by the deans,” said the young woman.
The university only informed her that they will return the US$55 she paid for pre-enrollment last week. According to Roxana, UAM was offering new UCA students a monthly tuition payment of $150 regardless of their major. The tuition fee for this semester was going to be $100.
She said that as a result of the suspension of registration at UAM, she will analyze the academic offerings offered by Jesuit universities in El Salvador and Guatemala, and if she does not manage to study in some of these, she will evaluate leaving the country “because I do not want to stop studying”.
Until last week UAM was conducting a whole welcoming process for newly arrived UCA students. They set up booths to guide new arrivals and help them with registration. Some new students had scheduled placement exams for their subjects. However, since Monday, the university gave the orientation to stop these activities.
Study at Casimiro Sotelo or leave the country
Aura was unable to sit in her classroom chair at UAM because her registration was suspended. The reasons given by the educational institution were the same as those given to her classmates: in order to continue her university career she had to register with her official grades and present a syllabus. This despite the letter of commitment that the same institution made her sign to submit the documents in a period of six months.
However, even if she presents these documents, she does not believe that she will be allowed to study at UAM. So far, academic authorities have rejected all those arriving from UCA. Aura explained that even first-time students will not be able to enroll even if they want to start their degree from scratch.
“They are not letting anyone study, they have to study at UCA by force,” said Aura, who was only in her second year of university. For now, her plans are between studying this semester at Universidad Nacional Casimiro Sotelo Montenegro and continuing at a foreign university next year.
On the other hand, José, brother of a UCA student whose registration was also suspended by UAM, believes that the Ortega and Murillo dictatorship will not allow any student of the Jesuit institution to transfer to another university.
José explained that UAM authorities contacted his brother to tell him that they will reimburse his tuition money. His destination will be UCA in El Salvador where he hopes to continue his studies.
Jesuit Order under attack
Last week Central American University was seized and stripped of its legal status, through ministerial agreement 104-2023-OSFL, approved by María Amelia Coronel Kinloch, Minister of the Interior. In exchange, the National Council of Universities created Casimiro Sotelo Montenegro National University to replace the Jesuit university and announced the new elected authorities.
On August 19, the National Police and members of the Judicial Power seized the residence of priests of the Jesuit Order, located in Villa El Carmen, next to UCA. According to the authorities, the residence became State property.
Under this context of persecution, civil organizations have reported the arbitrary detention of four people since last Saturday: Adela Espinoza Tercero, graduate of the confiscated UCA; Gabriela Morales, student of the confiscated Juan Pablo II University; Joseling Mayela Campos, student of the University of Engineering; and Josseth Miranda, Campos’ partner.