University Status
In 2005, the Israeli government voted to support upgrading the College to university status. . The change of status was not immediate since the decision only allowed the College to apply for revision by the Council for Higher Education in Israel, which must ultimately approve the change. University status is an issue of prestige, increased government funding for research, as well as the ability to issue doctorate degrees.
In July 2006 the Council for Higher Education rejected the proposal (which had been paired with an initiative by Shimon Peres to unite several regional colleges in the Galilee into one umbrella university). The Council accepted the conclusion of a committee it had itself set up that decided that no new university would be established in Israel in the next five years. The committee did not discuss, or perhaps avoided the discussion of, the merits or shortcomings of the two initiatives. Subsequently, criticism was directed at the Council for ignoring the decision of the government.
In August 2007, prior to achieving official university status, the college was renamed the "Ariel University Center of Samaria." Although Prime Minister Ehud Olmert endorsed the change, both Minister of Education Yuli Tamir and the Council for Higher Education vowed to block it, with the latter announcing in 2008 that they would not recognise degrees awarded by the college. The name change was recognised in 2010, although the college remained without university accreditation until it was approved in July 2012.
Upgrading the Center to university status, which was seen as a victory for the settler movement, was controversial. Settlements such as Ariel are considered illegal under international law by the international community, and Palestinians see them as an obstacle to peace, but the Israeli government disputes this.
Read more about this topic: Ariel University Center Of Samaria
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