The University Reform Act (Spanish: Ley de Reforma Universitaria, abbreviated LRU) was a Spanish law promoted by Socialist Education Minister José MarÃÂa Maravall and the PSOE under Felipe González in 1983. Officially titled Organic Law 11/1983, of August 25, on University Reform, commonly known as the University Reform Law, it was in effect from 1983 until January 13, 2002, when the (Ley Orgánica de Universidades, LOU) came into force.
The University Reform Law aimed to modernize a university system inherited from the Francoist regime, which had been governed solely by the of 1943. The law initiated a comprehensive overhaul, starting with the modernization and, in some cases, democratization of curricula. It reduced the duration of bachelor's degrees (licenciaturas) to four years and engineering degrees to five years, while promoting three-year diplomas (diplomaturas) and technical engineering degrees. It also introduced pathways between degrees, including access to second-cycle-only programs (3+2 structure). Through subsequent regulations, the law facilitated "transversality," enabling student mobility across programs via a credit system, where one credit equaled 10 hours of instruction.
In terms of university organization, the LRU established a model centered on departments and multi-degree academic centers. It created competitive examination boards for faculty appointments, consisting of three members selected by lottery and two appointed by the university, reinforcing the university community's right to academic autonomy.
Article 11 of the law opened opportunities for professional consultancy and encouraged academic staff to engage in consulting and research. Article 46-2 enabled universities to evaluate faculty performance in teaching, research, and administration individually.
The political program of the governments led by Felipe González was a project of "modernization" to align Spanish society with other advanced democratic societies. Its historical reference was the moderate socialism of Indalecio Prieto. Despite an ambitious agenda, the PSOE aimed to consolidate democracy, address the economic crisisâÂÂpromising to create 800,000 jobsâÂÂand enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of productive structures while promoting a fairer and more equitable society through universal healthcare, education, and pensions. As historian Santos Juliá noted, the PSOE sought to "change everything without revolutionizing anything" within a "project of state and societal regeneration," encapsulated in Felipe González's slogan, "Let Spain work."
However, the economic and political situation inherited from the Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo government was challenging. Economic stagnation persisted, with unemployment exceeding 16%, inflation above 15%, and a runaway budget deficit. ETA terrorism continued, and the threat of a coup remained, as evidenced by the attempted coup on October 27, 1982, which the Calvo-Sotelo government thwarted just before the October 28 elections.
A key aspect of the University Reform Law was the restructuring of academic staff categories. The law maintained the historical distinction between Faculties and Higher Schools (five-year programs) and University or Technical Schools (three-year programs), establishing two main categories for each:
Advancement between categories required a specific competitive examination. However, the LRU's transitional provisions allowed for the integration of existing academic staff categories (numerary professors, including Full Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors, as well as non-numerary contracted or interim staff, known as PNN) if they met certain criteria. Numerary Associate Professors were integrated into the University or University School Professor categories, while Assistant Professors joined the Associate Professor categories. This integration sparked significant debate in the Congress of Deputies, leading many Socialist deputies and senior officials to forgo transitioning to full professor status via these provisions.
While numerary staff integration was automatic, non-numerary staff (PNN) required a suitability test (idoneidad). Those with five years of service and a doctoral degree obtained before July 1983 were integrated into the University Associate Professor category. Those without a doctorate by that date joined the University School Associate Professor category.
The law capped contracted academic staff at 20% of total positions. To facilitate career progression, it introduced the Associate Professor role, designed for professionals or secondary school teachers with a doctorate, teaching a maximum of 3âÂÂ6 credits.