These days the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia is presenting its 2013 social balance, which is a sustainability report that includes the most important management indicators from the first year of the 2013-2022 National Strategic Plan, that becomes the University navigation map for the next 10 years.

This document demonstrates the continuous university growth in  quality, relevance and coverage, that results into a higher number of students, teachers, administrative staff, research activities,  social responsibility, infrastructure projects; numbers that make visible the University and its accomplishments as a socially responsible institution, through the democratic exercise of accountability.

This report was completed by using the Global Reporting Initiative Methodology, 3.12 version, level 3 with an extension of 193 pages divided in 8 chapters: preliminary, the University, Social Responsibility, environmental dimension, human rights, financial balance and appendixes.

The strategic direction for the next ten years was designed with the participation of the University community across the country, which is a key issue to build legitimacy in order to strengthen our institutional transformation. Remember that in our website you can view this information. (Please connect the Digital PEN)

In 2013, GUNI4, TELESCOPI5, CNA6, CEMEFI7 and Forum Empresa8 acknowledged the results of the University’s good management and social innovation practices; simultaneously in different regions of the country, organizations and government entities awarded the different University campuses for their social work; and their relevance to their particular context; among others.

As part of the quality audit program sponsored by the Ministry of law and Justice and the Inter-American Development Bank; the auditors PARTNERS assessed and certified the mediation centres in Bogota, Cali and Medellin, for the quality of its services to the vulnerable community.

The University received approval from the Ministry of Education to offer three (3) new Masters Programs online. There are: Masters in Education, Bogotá, SNIES 102643, Masters in Child and Adolescent Development, Santa Marta, SNIES 102639, Masters in Economic and Territorial Development, Bucaramanga, SNIES 102291 and Masters in Information Technology and Communication SNIES 102764, Bucaramanga. Remember, registration is open for our online graduate programs and as students, teachers, administrative staff and University graduates you can receive discounts for being part of these programs. Cheer up! (Please connect to the postgraduate microsite​)

With the participation of teachers and the assistance of specialists, a new curriculum program aimed at obtaining more realistic knowledge was designed. This process has generated a significant renewal of qualified registers for our programs in different University campuses; ensuring the relevance of knowledge to each particular region.

In a national agenda for the strengthening and expansion of inter-institutional relationships, each University campus convened its groups of interest in the region. Trade Unions, entrepreneurs, community leaders, political leaders, students, teachers, researchers, public administration, the solidary sector, among others met in the presentation of the “Balance Social” 2012.

After an intense Quality Standardization Program undertaken by the University throughout the country; its campuses in Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, Ibague, Medellin, Pasto and Santa Marta, made progress in selecting academic programs that could receive a high quality accreditation, in order to obtain institutional accreditation.

In December, everything was set to begin construction of the project, University in the heart of Medellin. This is considered the largest private investment undertaken in recent years in downtown Medellin. Over a four (4) year period, an architectural sustainable project for sharing life will be constructed. The project will include communal living areas, laboratories, classrooms, sports, cultural centres, parking areas, among other provisions; located in an open, comfortable, safe, modern place connected to the Metro tram. With the idea of renew downtown Medellin around the new Ayacucho tram, other educational institutions like the Universidad de Antioquia have also developed architectural projects, which will make the area into the academic and cultural heart of Medellin. We should also mention that  new areas meant to experiment, dream and learn have already been planned to have an impact in different University campuses such as Bogota, Bucaramanga, Villavicencio; soon Ibague, Espinal, and Neiva, among others.

Now the UCC community has a new powerful interaction tool to communicate with all the internal and external people. It was launched with a new trademark which is more dynamic  with information of interest, providing online applications that includes  high portability and connectivity; as required by the new competitive and productivity conditions.

On September 2nd, the university community took part in the transformation of the University, when it unveiled its new University visual identity that had been renewed and modernized. The event took place at the Cali Campus, and was broadcast live simultaneously to the other 18 campuses in the country, with the participation of the musical group “Prophets”, who performed the official University song, "Se Mueve" live. All the University Campuses celebrated with folk groups, music, dance and cultural events representing the cultural richness of the University; with good energy and emotion they embraced the new University visual identity. Countries like the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Italy and Spain were also able to view the webcast.

With presence in all   18 campuses of the University, and with an average of approximately 12,000 students per semester, the Open Lingua program continues to strengthen the processes of teaching and learning a foreign language to members of the university community. On December 23rd 2013, through Resolution No. 83772, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce granted approval for the registration of the Open Lingua trademark for a 10 year period, from the date of issue.

It is based on different strategies such as agreements with solidarity organizations, Trade Unions, private organizations; or through scholarships for high athletic, artistic and cultural performances. The University supports 6,912 women and 5,931 men in all eighteen (18) of its campuses, to help them continue their professional studies.

Other key issues in 2013, are in the online edition of Balance Social 2013 "Universidad Socialmente Responsable" 

In 2013, our university community was made up of 4712 professors, 2447 staff members, 51491 enrolled students and 7892 alumni who are also part of the overall number of 126358 alumni.

With investments easily surpassing 32.750 million Colombian pesos, two essential variables of the “Urban and Architectonical Development Master plan” were integrated: on the one hand environmental sustainability attained through new eco-friendly buildings and the rational use of resources and on the other hand, standardization of learning environments through the innovation of educational technologies whereas the investment in technology rose up to 4500 million Colombian pesos in hardware alone and more than 2700 million in software. All of the above along with infrastructure works aimed at developing research and teaching by means of clinical laboratories, teaching blocks, simulation boards, clinics, computer labs, engineering laboratories; the main purpose is to offer a high and optimal level of integration to invigorate the processes of both teaching and learning.

In terms of actions aimed at promoting social responsibility, more than 382.000 at-risk people were assisted through our Social Outreach programs; out of that overall figure, 9.129 were violence-displaced people. On the other hand, 6156 users were assisted in Urgent Care services along with 41522 users assessed in External Consultation services at Corporacion Clínica Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. Besides that, 115 children and teens with disabilities are served at Hippotherapy Center Foundation. In regards to social responsibility, our outreach services impact in around 60 municipalities distributed in four metropolitan areas, two districts and twelve municipal seats.

In regards to entrepreneurship, which is incorporated all along through academic and administrative activities of the university community, and especially in terms of Cooperative Entrepreneurship, 117 business ideas were collected, 55 business plans  were built and 71 companies were either established or put in the start-up process. All of the above means that 243 possibilities of life-projects structured, supported and/or invigorated by the University; in order to contribute to the levels of sustainable social development in different regions of our country.

During 2013, a number of 191 agreements were processed as described below: 79% of those agreements are within the Cooperation Frame; 10.5% are related to internships and 10.5% are related to Teaching Services. As classified in terms of impacted field or sector, 58.1% were subscribed with the private sector; 58.1% with the Public Sector and 7.9% with the Cooperative Sector.

Overall, our University invested $384.465.079 Colombian Pesos to fund the studies of our professors in Specialization courses, Master´s Degrees and Doctorate Programs in other universities in our country. Also, 202 of our students were in other countries as part of the actions aimed at improving the quality of academics. Apart from that, 12.843 students earned scholarships because of their academic performance or gained discounts in their registration fees because of the agreements the university has subscribed. To complete this panorama, 14.178 students participated in our anti-drop out program called ENLACE 2013 (Enlace means “link”) 

Our University also awarded bonuses for 184.020.593 Colombian pesos to reward academic productivity in 15 of the branches and it also contributed with more than 6000 million Colombian pesos to fund research and support financially 119 research groups.

About 7000 faculty and staff member earned benefits in our “+Juntos” (+Together in English) program which awards benefits in terms of paid-absences, bonuses, training opportunities and social assistance. Some of these benefits include the possibility to attend free English courses through our OPEN LINGUA Program which was taken by 480 instructors and 186 employees. Out that number, 527 people passed their courses (79%) while 139 people failed their courses (21%).

In our environmental approach, the number of reams of papers in 2013 purchased in 2013 was reduced to 18.8%. Overall, our University community saved 6’955.008 liters of water and nearly 300 tons a year of solid waste produced in the 18 campuses are collected by entities authorized by local authorities. It is worth mentioning that each branch classifies and hands out recyclable material to cooperative organizations devoted to this work.

Finally, in order to promote quality, our University obtained from the National Ministry of Education 219 Official Registrations for undergraduate programs, 10 of those Official Registrations were obtained in 2013. Moreover, seven of our campuses were admitted into the National Accreditation System along with the supervision visit of the academic colleagues from the National Accreditation Council as described below: In Bogota for the Law Program; in Bucaramanga for the Spanish Language Teaching Program, the Nursing Program, Business Administration Program and Computer Science Engineering Program and finally in Pasto for the Dentistry Program. The three latter programs recently received a high quality accreditation. 

Assets: By the end of 2013, the balance was closed showing a figure of assets for $408.045.199 which represents a growth of 0.92% when compared against 2012.

Liabilities: It totaled $192.173.304 which reflects a reduction of 5.9% when compared to the previous year and representing 47% of the overall assets.

Equity: Represented by $215.871.895 which shows an increase of 7.8%, that is, $15.768.021 when compared against 2012 which represents 53% of the overall assets.

In 2013 a communication strategy was implemented to present the institutional social balance; this strategy is mandatory in Colombia only to public entities but the University, which is a private institution, decided to use this strategy due to its high effectiveness in improving communication with the general and local publics.

In 2012, the results of the University were presented for more than 5,800 people in 18 different cities through the accountability strategy with the participation of various representatives of the external sectors, such as unions , the city administrations, governors , municipal councils, departmental assemblies , traders, solidarity sector , health sector, national police department , chambers of commerce , among others; thus performing a direct and constructive dialogue process, from a rediscovery of the University as a national entity, with significant progress in University Social Responsibility with real possibilities to increase the impact on regions through partnerships and agreements.

This year, the 2014 Social Report entitled “A Socially Responsible University” has started by the University authorities through the Accountability presentation to the academic and administrative communities, government entities and general public. On May 14, this presentation was held at the Campus of Pasto, it had a great attendance from outsiders and the local media; in May, this opportunity for dialogue is scheduled to be held at the Campuses of Monteria, Pereira, Cartago, Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja, Villavicencio and also at the national head office; and in the June, it is going to be held at the campuses of  Espinal, Ibague, Santa Marta, Arauca, Apartadó, Bogotá, Neiva, Cali, Popayan, Quibdó and Medellin.

The presentation of the Accountability allows to effectively project the management of the University, because it facilitates the understanding of its achievements, while feedback is performed by interest groups.

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