Closure of the Osorno campus of Santo Tomás University approved

The Undersecretariat of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education approved and ordered the execution of the closure plan for the Osorno campus of the Santo Tomás University (UST), through exempt resolution No. 6,137, dated September 9, 2026. The administrative act was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,556, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Section II, pages 1 to 7, with the official reference CVE 2870858. The resolution bears the signature of Fernanda Valdés Raczynski, Undersecretary of Higher Education.

The legal framework of the closure

The decision is adopted under article 25 ter of Law No. 20,129, which requires higher education institutions to submit a Closure Plan to the Undersecretariat before executing it, and Supreme Decree No. 29 of 2021, from the Ministry of Education, which regulates the processes and closure plans for campuses, degrees, or programs. Law No. 21,091 on Higher Education and Law No. 19,880 on the bases of administrative procedures are also invoked.

The file originated from letter RN No. 32-2023, dated June 9, 2023, with which the National Rector of UST presented the plan, accompanying the minutes of the Board of Directors session on June 1, 2023, which agreed to the closure, and the certificate from the institution’s general secretary. The University Education Division reported favorable compliance with the requirements through internal memorandums No. 06/750, dated July 10, 2023, No. 6/12,087, dated November 21, 2023, No. 06/504, dated May 8, 2024, and No. 06/810, dated August 26, 2025.

Falling enrollment and suspension of admissions

The background provided by the university supports the closure based on the sustained decline in enrollment:

• The campus registered 955 students enrolled in regular undergraduate degrees in 2021.
• As of the date of the Closure Plan, the campus maintained 579 current undergraduate students, between regular and continuity plans.
• University enrollment in the province fell by nearly 20% in the last five years and represents only 1% of the country’s university enrollment.
• In 2021, the institution suspended the admission of new students for 2022 to analyze the future of the campus.
• Infrastructure problems detected during the accreditation process were added, which prevented access to clinical fields in health area degrees, as well as the difficulty of strengthening the academic staff due to the low availability of PhDs in the area.

Continuity of studies and academic records

The plan commits to the full implementation of the curricula until the graduation of the last student, without changes in dependencies and keeping equipment and laboratories operational. For degrees that require curricular or professional internships, such as health and psychology, the university declares formalized agreements with clinical sites that cover the projected period until closure. The rector ensures that no continuity measure will incur additional charges for students.

The management of academic records remains on the CLAS platform, which preserves the historical information of all campuses; students and alumni may continue to request certificates through the institutional intranet or in person at any campus, including Osorno. According to the theoretical progression presented, the last student would graduate in the second semester of 2027.

Terminations and Labor Rights

The plan details the termination procedure for academics and administrative staff, guided by the Vice-Rectorate for People:

• Assessment of the contractual situation, seniority, and accumulated vacation time for each worker.
• Termination letter based on “Needs of the Company”, pursuant to article 161 of the Labor Code, with payment of severance for years of service and legal vacation.
• Termination of fee-based contracts on their expiration date, without renewal.
• Personal conversation with the campus authority to communicate the cause.

Article 3 of the resolution obliges the university to inform the Undersecretariat, within 10 business days after the completion of the plan, regarding its compliance. Article 4 provides for notification by certified mail, and Article 5 establishes that a motion for reconsideration may be filed against the resolution before the Undersecretary of Higher Education within five days from the notification.

The closure of the Osorno campus directly affects the 579 current students, the faculty, and the administrative staff of the area, and turns UST into a reference case on how the closure plan mechanism provided for in Law No. 20,129 is applied. Publication in the Official Gazette enables the execution of the plan and activates the academic support and labor safeguard deadlines committed by the institution.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,556, of September 23, 2026, Section II, pp. 1-7 (official reference: CVE 2870858).