Government
The Pontifical Catholic University of Peru is autonomous in the administrative, economic, regulatory, government and academic fields. Although the Catholic Church does not have a direct participation in the administration of the university, until 2016 the university recognized the Archbishop of Lima as its great chancellor (honorary title). Recently this position has been granted to the prefect of the congregation for Catholic education of the Holy See in Peru.[8] The university is governed by its teachers, who elect their authorities directly, with partial participation of the students and graduates (student third).
• - Ecclesiastical authorities: Currently, Cardinal "Cardinal (Catholicism)") Carlos Castillo Mattasoglio holds the position of Grand Chancellor;[8] however, this is an honorary title and does not deal with the government of the university. This task is reserved for the rector, who is the highest authority in that area. The functions of the Grand Chancellor focus on the institutional relationship between the University and the Catholic Church. Likewise, he is in charge of granting the canonical mandate to teachers of theology subjects. In addition, the statute of the university considers the presence of five representatives of the Peruvian Episcopate before the University Assembly, who are appointed by the Episcopal Conference of Peru. The bishops that make up the University Assembly for the period 2022-2015 are the Vice Grand Chancellor Monsignor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte O.F.M., Cardinal Pedro Barreto, Monsignor Javier del Río Alba, Monsignor Robert Prevost Martínez O.S.A., and Monsignor Juan José Salaverry Villarreal") O.P. The Academic Director of Relations with the Church has a position with voice and vote before the PUCP University Council. Its functions include: ensuring the maintenance and strengthening of Catholic identity, promoting permanent dialogue around the issue of faith and collaborating in maintaining a good relationship between the university and the episcopate.
• - University Assembly: The University Assembly is the highest governing body of the University. It is made up of the rector, the three vice-rectors, the twelve deans of the academic units, the thirty representatives of the ordinary professors (divided by each academic department), the twenty-six student representatives, the two representatives of the graduate students and the five representatives of the Peruvian Episcopate. Its mission is to ensure the correct functioning of academic, regulatory and administrative matters at the PUCP. It is responsible for electing the rector and vice-rectors and, if applicable, declaring the vacancy of their positions; agree on the creation, merger, suppression or restructuring of academic units, their specialties or their sections; elect annually the University Electoral Committee. The University Assembly meets in ordinary session once a semester and in extraordinary sessions at the initiative of the Rector.
• - University Council: The University Council is the largest promotion and execution body of the PUCP. It is made up of the rector, the three vice-chancellors, five of the deans, a department head, the six academic directors, and four of the twenty-six student representatives (belonging to the University Assembly) and one representative of the graduate students (belonging to the University Assembly).
• - Rectorate: The Rector is the legal representative of the university, being the one who presides over the two main governing bodies of the University: the University Assembly and the University Council. There are also three vice-rectors: academic, research and administrative. They support the rector in the government of the University and, in case of impediment or vacancy, one of them assumes the position. According to the PUCP statute, every rector must have taught at this university. The University was founded by the first of them, Father Jorge Dintilhac SS.CC., who governed it, with some brief interruptions, for thirty years (between 1917 and 1947). In 1924, Father Dintilhac resigned from the position, which was assumed by Monsignor Pedro Pablo Drinot y Piérola, who died in January of the following year, causing Father Dintilhac to return to the rectorate. In 1946, due to the delicate state of health of Father Dintilhac, Víctor Andrés Belaúnde was appointed rector pro tempore, a position he would hold until 1947, the year of Father Dintilhac's death. The next rectors would be Father Rubén Vargas Ugarte, S.J. (between 1947 and 1953) and Monsignor Fidel Tubino Mongilardi (between 1953 and 1962). The R.P. Felipe Estanislao Mac Gregor Rolino S.J. He was one of the most influential rectors of the university (between 1963 and 1977), since he presided over the institutional renewal plan and governed the university during the years of political and social combustion in Peru during the military governments of Juan Velasco Alvarado and Francisco Morales Bermúdez. José Tola Pasquel, who was appointed rector in 1977, was the one who started the line of lay rectors at the PUCP. He would be followed by Hugo Sarabia Swett in 1989, Salomón Lerner Febres in 1994, Luis Guzmán-Barrón Sobrevilla, Marcial Rubio Correa in 2009, Carlos Garatea Grau in 2019 and Julio del Valle Ballón") in 2024.
Academic areas
The university offers several undergraduate, master's and doctoral study programs, grouped into its faculties and schools:
Made up of professors and students, the academic units are the basic units of the university. Its main objective is academic and professional training. Each academic unit is served by one or more academic departments. Each academic unit is governed by a council, which is made up of between three and four students, between six and eight teachers, and a dean, who leads the council and is the visible head of the unit. The university currently has thirteen academic units: two general studies, a graduate school and 10 faculties. Each faculty has one or more specialties. Each specialty represents a professional career taught at the university, each of them is directed by a coordinator.
The academic departments are the units that group the university professors. Each academic department represents an area of knowledge dealt with at the University on which research, teaching and social projection are developed. Each department is headed by a department head and is made up of one or more sections. Each section represents a professional career and is directed by a coordinator.
The academic directorates are the units in charge of organizing and supervising specific areas of institutional work. Currently, the university has six units of this type, each with a director at its head.[9].
Student organizations
The university has the following student organizations:.
• - PUCP Student Federation (acronyms: FEPUC): It is the entity in charge of representing, defending and bringing together the more than 17 thousand students of the university. It is made up of a president, a vice president and five secretaries (who are elected annually in November of each year), governed by a statute and controlled by the board of prosecutors. Its maximum deliberative body is the assembly of FEPUC delegates where representatives of all faculties participate. In addition to student defense and organization, it carries out activities such as conferences, debates, forums and reports, as well as promoting marches in favor of student rights, justice and democracy; spread the importance of human rights, and organize various student activities. It was created by the students themselves in 1955.
• - Student representatives in the Assembly (acronyms: REA): It is made up of the 26 students who are part of the university assembly. It was born from university legislation during the government of President Juan Velasco Alvarado in the 1970s.
• - Student Commission of the Consortium of Universities "Consorcio de Universidades (Perú)"): Promotes a student organization that is an active part in the development and dissemination of activities that encourage the interrelation of students in various areas, so as to contribute to greater comprehensive training of the student members of the Consortium. Currently, this delegation is made up of two students from each university.