 The university began its work in 1945 in a small house located in downtown Cali , with faculties of Agronomy , Business , and Nursing . In 1946 the Faculty of Chemistry was established , followed by the Faculty of Architecture in 1947 , and in 1948 the Faculty of Electrical Engineering , which changed its name in 1949 to the Faculty of Electromechanical Engineering . At this early stage , the university faced its first financial crisis , a situation that was preceded by the destitution of the rector Ramírez in 1949 by political reasons , and caused by the diminishing support of the local government . The crisis , which almost ended in the university closure in 1950 , would represent one of many chapters of the financial difficulties faced by the university in its history . 
