Academic Trajectories in Undergraduate Education in Social Sciences and Humanities at the National University of Asunción (2018-2022)

Abstract

This study compares academic trajectories between two faculties of the National University of Asunción: the long-established Faculty of Philosophy (FFUNA, 1948) and the recently created Faculty of Social Sciences (FACSO-UNA, 2018) over the period 2018–2022. Drawing on 18,540 academic records, the analysis reveals marked differences in key indicators: terminal efficiency reaches 35.8% at FFUNA versus 14.3% at FACSO, average time-to-degree is 4.06 years at FFUNA compared to a projected 5.93 years at FACSO, and dropout rates are higher at FACSO (38.6% versus 25.3%). The study also identifies a pattern of “unproductive retention” at FACSO, where students remain enrolled for extended periods without proportional academic progress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, FFUNA experienced a sharp initial decline in graduations followed by strong recovery, while FACSO showed greater initial stability but more pronounced subsequent fluctuations. The comparison between a consolidated faculty and an emerging academic unit offers an ideal case to examine the evolution of academic indicators at different stages of organizational development. This article stems from an academic initiative led by faculty members from FACSO seeking to generate empirical evidence to inform strategies for improving student trajectories at the National University of Asunción.