UNA NUEVA VISIÓN EN LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR: TREINTA AÑOS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD ESTATAL A DISTANCIA, COSTA RICA (A NEW VISION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THIRTY YEARS OF UNIVERSIDAD ESTATAL A DISTANCIA , COSTA RICA)

UNED of Costa Rica is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Its contributions to Costa Rican society have been many and of great importance for the growth of the country. Three important moments have provoked points of inflection in its historical development coincidental with the three decades of the institution's life: (1) the first decade, from its beginnings in 1978 to 1989, when schools are created; (2) the second decade, from 1990 to 1999 marked by the construction of an educational project; and finally, (3) the third decade, from 2000 to the present, characterized by the consolidation of such a project. This essay offers an introspection of every one of these stages or decades to show the reader how the institution's educational response was built in each period. When analyzing UNED's development, it is important to emphasize the democratizing assignment given to UNED since its creation and how UNED's fidelity to this mission has been manifested throughout its history and during the different stages reviewed in this essay. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]