Let’s keep everyone close as a community, President’s Annual Report 2020

In his speech, Dr. Cipriano Sánchez García, L.C., highlighted all the achievements made during 2020, a year that allowed Anahuac to open its doors in a different way.

On February 23rd, Anahuac University in Mexico City held the ceremony of the President’s Annual Report to the University Community 2020 in which Dr. Cipriano Sánchez García, L.C. shared the achievements made by our institution last year, and the advances of the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan.

After the Eucharistic celebration, in which all University Community members were entrusted, the President’s Committee was received in the Auditorium of the President’s Office Building of north campus with the anthem Veni Creator, where representatives of the academic faculty, administrative staff and students of our University Community were present.

During his report, the President recognized that 2020 was not an easy year, since “the presence of the pandemic added to all the difficulties that normally accompany humans.” He made it clear that “the great work of the University was to be a source of certainty for all the community members in terms of health care, academic quality of the university offer, in solidarity and support for students and in sources of work for teachers and the administrative personnel.”

Likewise, he addressed the strategic approach that governed as a project throughout 2020, stressing that “the mission of Anahuac University is to generate first-line professionals with an integral formation that reflects the values that allow them to transform the society in a positive way.”

Integral Formation for Everyone
According to the President, in this sector “the challenges for 2020 were a call to face the circumstances and establish new strategies and actions to endorse the commitment to the University Community in terms of their integral formation, which is the University hallmark.”

This is why, in order to better address the identity and mission fields, and the university life needs, it was reported that Bernardo Rangel, PhD, dropped the Vice President position, which was undertaken by F. César Hernández Rendón, LC and Fernando Rincón-Gallardo Elguero, MS.

He also explained that one of the relevant achievements of the Office of the Vice President of Integral Formation was the pilgrimage to the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe in February 2020, an event where 2,173 persons participated. He also stressed that “Hagamos Lío” (Let’s Make a Mess!), organized by the Pastoral staff of Anahuac University Network, was able to transmit testimonies to 600 participants over a week.

In terms of university life, it was emphasized that Anahuac University Leadership and Excellence programs offered new training models through novel virtual courses and workshops, which will extend through the summer academic period and interact with other universities of the Network.

Digital Innovation and Transformation
In this regard, the President said that on March 17th, when the entire operation of the University shifted to a digital dimension, the organization decided to take care of the students, teachers, and administrative staff health. “The faculty began teaching courses from home and the continuity plan was implemented in order to keep the services operating for the University Community. The Home Office challenge involved a considerable coordinated effort from the IT Division, which provided laptops or desktops, software, and the mechanisms needed to connect to the University's servers,” he added.

He also explained that more than 20 thousand licenses were enabled to access the required home environment platforms and applications and, through the Academic Continuity Plan website, support materials were shared with manuals, video tutorials, and testimonials of the work performed by teachers during the pandemic.

“The implementation of support systems and platforms so as to carry out university life activities, such as debates, polls, the University Comprehensive Welcome (BIU, in Spanish), and the launch of a comprehensive system to meet economic support requests during the contingency demonstrated the university’s technological and digital strength, something we should feel healthy pride of,” the President argued.

Community at the Service of Mexico
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 3,250 volunteers carried out more than 160 projects with municipal, state, national, and international impact.

Anahuac University, known for doing social work, through the School of Architecture, FabLab, the School of Health Sciences, and the School of Design, in coordination with the Office of Social Commitment, manufactured and donated more than 8,000 face shields, 3,000 face mask clips, and 120 laryngoscopes for over 20 hospitals at the State of Mexico and Mexico City, in order to support COVID health care professionals.

Through partnering with the crowdfunding platform MiCochinito.com, the University joined the Familias sin Hambre (Families without Hunger) program by Cáritas Mexicana and the Social Union of Mexican Entrepreneurs (USEM, in Spanish) to support families who lost their sources of income. This action caused the University to win the CASE Latin America Platinum Award 2021.

Before addressing the last two strategic lines (institutional development and governance), the President noted that “both aspects rule the internal and external growth of the University and give us the assurance that the steps we are taking are solid and generate certainty both inside and outside.”

Institutional Development
The President recalled that the institution he leads was present in the three most relevant graduate forums worldwide: International Week of Education in Madrid, Spain; QS World Grad School Tour in Lima, Peru; and the International Graduate Studies Fair (FIEP, in Spanish) in Bogota, Colombia.

He also said that “thanks to state-of-the-art media such as the Somos Anáhuac app or the University new website, it was possible to efficiently build specific microsites to concentrate new information, specially the Safe Return Plan.”

Likewise, he noted that the Office of Institutional Communication made it possible to share important university life events, such as the Class 2020 Farewell Speech, the University Comprehensive Welcome (BIU) in August 2020, the Excellence Awards in two ceremonies, the opening of the 2020 Academic Course, the honorary degree conferment ceremony for Architect Agustín Hernández Navarro, or the Seniority Award Ceremony for staff members.

Governance
Since the beginning of the pandemic, our President confirmed that Anahuac University in Mexico City was deeply focused in taking care of the health, operation, and employment of all its members. “We wanted the campus life to focus on a better balance between personal life and professional development,” he said.

This space also motivated the generation of training activities for teachers and students in relation to the Code of Conduct, promoting a culture of respect and accountability through the mechanisms of the Advisory and Disciplinary Board.

He also assured that in order to support the psychological and emotional well-being of the university community during this pandemic and in response to the NOM-035 Mexican standard, sports and nutrition remote training was provided to improve the home environment. The University clinic supported the nutrition program as well. In addition to training and integration seminars for directors, academic and administrative coordinators, with the participation of 514 collaborators.

The University reaffirmed its commitment to its collaborators through the Anahuac Committee of Balance, Family, and Work (CABAFAT), which allowed us to receive the Family Caring Company (Empresa Familiarmente Responsable) badge by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

Anahuac University in Mexico City before COVID-19  
As the infections increased rapidly, the President explained that from March 14th to 16th, a 100% of the in-person classes migrated to the virtual scheme so as to ensure the completion of the current academic semester. Also, international students who were participating in the international academic exchange program were offered support in deciding whether to remain in Mexico or to return to their country of origin.

Facing the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, “Anahuac University in Mexico City started to prepare in-person activities at the campuses, once conditions were suitable. The result of this effort was the Safe Return Plan, aimed at reducing the risk of infection and promoting recommended hygiene measures and the responsible participation of all the members of the university community based on three aspects: well-being, health/cleanliness, and sanitization.”

It is important to note that the Safe Return Plan complies with the remarks of various competent authorities and the A CARE recommendations, the Anahuac University Network program, and the suggestions of national and international organizations and experts.

“By the end of this year, many of our students have met some of their classmates only through a screen, their teachers only through digital platforms, and the campus only through YouTube or Instagram videos. However, we can proudly say that the academic quality of our teachers has multiplied with the big effort to train themselves to master digital tools and give a valuable academic service that would not compromise or harm the professional future of the young people at Anahuac University. Thank you for contributing with your dedication to meet this challenge," he added.

Dr. Sánchez García also said that with this pandemic, they have learned a different way to open the doors of the institution, “to keep together our sense of belonging to a university inspired by Christian humanism. Perhaps this has been one of the toughest challenges: to remain together as a community.”

In his speech, he assured that Anahuac University in Mexico City has high academic and human standards as a community that is going through a difficult time, with the certainty that valuable technological means are not the definitive solution to be better human beings and better professionals.

“This Report seeks to reflect that Anahuac University in Mexico City continues to look for opportunities for our young people to continue to be trained as professionals, but above all to be trained as men and women who embrace the importance of being and making better people in their world. And that, amid difficulties, they learn to give a new value to the sense of one’s life, to make it less superficial, more authentic and valuable. And to show more interest in a life project focused in serving and helping others," he explained.

Lastly, he made it clear that the mission of Anahuac University is to form leaders for the new times: men and women who, with their competences and values, commit themselves to the world. “This report looks with gratitude at the past and, at the same time, commits to creating a future that everyone can contemplate with hope. We are an institution of excellence, we are positive action leaders and seek to overcome evil with good.”

Note that prior to beginning his report speech, the President appointed a member of the Anahuac President’s Committee as the new Academic Vice President, Lorena R. Martínez Verduzco, PhD.

This event, besides being a ceremony act, sought to create a space to reflect, acknowledge, thank, and focus on the path of Anahuac University in Mexico City. Also, to recognize achievements and thank those who made them possible.