This device, first launched in 2023, aims to enable more students to complete their university studies.
La Universidad Nacional de Rosario The university celebrated the welcome ceremony for the fourth cohort of rEGRESAR, a program run by the Academic and Learning Area in conjunction with the twelve faculties to support undergraduate students who had to interrupt their university studies and are seeking to achieve their dream of earning a degree. With over 800 new students enrolled this year and more than 250 graduates already enrolled, the initiative is solidifying its role in guaranteeing the right to higher education. The ceremony was held at the Faculty of Exact Sciences, Engineering, and Surveying.
During the meeting, the authorities of the UNR and the coordination team highlighted the collective and individual value that each return to the classrooms represents.
The Rector of the UNR, Franco Bartolacci, emphasized the mutual commitment between the students and the institution: “What is happening here today is as relevant for you, who are returning to close a chapter, as it is for the Universidad Nacional de RosarioThis program wouldn't exist, no matter how much institutional will there is, if it weren't for your courage in sacrificing personal, work, and family time to achieve this goal. In such a large and demanding public institution, there's often a risk of losing sight of each individual and reducing the student to just a file number. That's why we're working to change that approach: we want to convey the enormous importance of your decision and commit to supporting you closely and personally so that you can successfully graduate.
The Secretary of the Academic and Learning Area, Carina Gerlero, highlighted the pedagogical and institutional transformation enabled by the initiative: “For us, the 'Return' program is very much about this: inviting you to come back and feel that the university has its doors open to each of you. But it also challenges us as an institution, each faculty, each administrative area, and each professor. Just as you are driven by the desire to graduate, we feel compelled to guarantee that right. It is a process that enriches us collectively.”
For their part, the program's general coordinators reinforced the project's civic and academic dimensions. Camila Palacios emphasized: “Promoting retention, supporting regular progress in the upper grades, and increasing the graduation rate are the central objectives we work toward every day in the rEGRESAR program. We understand that all this effort rests on two fundamental pillars: guaranteeing learning and making graduation possible. Because for us, graduating is also a right, and the public university must guarantee it.”
Along the same lines, Paula Curetti added: “Returning to the university is not just about picking up the books again; it’s about exercising the right to full university citizenship. We want you to know that you are not alone: the university supports you and needs you. Returning, continuing your studies, and graduating also means transforming the public university. Behind each of the more than two hundred graduates who have already gone through this program is the commitment and sustained work of this entire team.”
The motivations behind the return
The data collected in the registration forms reveals a clear pattern: rather than seeking work accreditation, the main motivation for most applicants is to bring closure to a personal and family story.
The program is intended for undergraduate students of all majors who have dropped out of their studies, especially those who interrupted their coursework more than three years ago, and those who have up to 30% of their degree remaining or the completion of their final project, thesis or dissertation.
To facilitate this return, rEGRESAR implements a personalized tutoring system comprised of faculty, teaching assistants, graduates, and advanced students. This team provides close and seamless support throughout each student's journey, coordinating efforts between the central Academic Area, the Academic and Student Affairs Offices, and the Student Affairs Offices of each academic unit.
The responses from those who enrolled in this program reflect five main reasons for returning. The first is to complete an unfinished chapter, a sentiment echoed by most of the new participants. The second is the desire to fulfill a personal dream that began many years ago but, for various reasons, could not be realized. Third, a high percentage of students stated that they seek to prove to themselves that they can succeed, recognizing that at this stage they have new tools to complete their degree. A fourth reason was the positive impact on their families of earning a university degree, often becoming the first graduate in their family. And finally, professional growth that will lead them to another stage in their lives.
With this new cohort, UNR reaffirms its role as a space for support, learning and the generation of opportunities, opening its doors so that each interrupted story can find its long-awaited graduation moment.
For more information: https://unr.edu.ar/programa-regresar/