In the Alejandro Covarrubias room of the Central House, the Certification ceremony of the Teaching Skills Strengthening Courses, Second Semester 2013, was held, in which 53 academics from the University of La Serena participated.

During the Second Semester 2013, the Teaching Directorate, through the Teaching Improvement Unit, organized courses that addressed topics such as: Development of student discursive competencies: Comprehensive Reading; Development of Strategies for the Student's Autonomous Learning; Formulation of learning outcomes; PDI: Interactive digital whiteboard; Google Apps for teaching; Use of Tecleras as a teaching strategy for active learning; Concept maps and collaborative learning with CmapTools; Database; Bibliographic Search Manager; PREZI as a tool for Teaching; Strategies for the evaluation of learning: A practical experience; Didactics of mathematics teaching; Active methodologies in the teaching-learning process: Generating active learning; Higher education and special educational needs: Methodological adaptations; Transferable Academic Credit System (SCT) at ULS; and Excel as a tool for teaching management.

In total, there were 147 professors participating in this initiative in 2013, belonging to the four faculties, "who have incorporated new teaching methods into their work, more attractive for students and in accordance with the Educational Model of the University of La Serena." ', stated the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, who added that as part of the implementation of the Educational Model, 'the institution has considered it essential to improve the internal capabilities of the teaching body and culture, stimulating and promoting continuous improvement and training. through general and sectoral plans. These improvement courses aim towards that purpose. 

The academic vice-rector, Dr. Jorge Catalán, highlighted that this certification ''is another demonstration of how we advance, deploying our potential systemically, progressively increasing the quality of education, prioritizing teaching and having teacher development as a key aspect. for the fulfillment of our missionary option'', pointing out that institutional policies guide the actions that have given a strong boost to teacher improvement and qualification to face new challenges. 

In addition, he pointed out that the curricular renewal of all the University's careers makes it necessary to develop new conceptions of training processes by academics and new competencies to implement them, ''a task that is being undertaken with notable success by the Directorate of Teaching and the Teaching Improvement Unit''. In this sense, he added that along with supporting the leveling of students' skills, this unit has been advising on curricular renewal in all faculties and the qualification of teachers through various actions, among which the implementation of 16 courses in the last year that have had the commitment and participation of a considerable number of academics. 

University authorities, deans, directors and academics from the house of higher education were present at the ceremony, framed in the commemoration of the XXXIII anniversary of the ULS.