A consciência de Sísifo: trajetórias da Avaliação Institucional na UFC

Abstract

The institutional evaluation (IE) is an appealing theme which has been present in the discussions concerning Education since the 80. It’s importance is supported by the debate about the quality of superior education (SE). This research deals with the IE at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) departing from: 1) the systematization of the IE historical processes at UFC; 2) the evaluation of the Proper Commission of Evaluation (PCE) and 3) the settlement of the IE entailment of UFC with the actual educational policies in the country. The methodological path followed, was based upon a qualitative approach of the case study type, composed by theoretical study bestowed upon the bibliographical and documental modalities as well as by field research. The documental study was held back firstly in the IE programs developed for the Brazilian SE. Afterwards, we analyzed the reports of four IEs developed at UFC, departing from the 1990, aiming at systematizing the processes pointing at continuance and changes. At last we dealt with the UFC PCE. “For so, we analyzed the Institutional Auto-Evaluation Schedule” elaborated by the National Commission of Evaluation of the Superior Education (CONAES), the reports of the UFC PCE meetings and the reports produced by this commission, besides following the PCE meetings. As a result of such investigation we identified that all the IE programs for the Brazilian SE used, in a greater or smaller extent, evaluation as a means of control. Those programs had a great repercussion inside the ISE. Thus, when it comes to UFC, the linking with the institutional planning is outstanding in all the experiences we analyzed, besides giving the emphasis in quantitative indicators and of a productivist vision of University focusing in final results. Nowadays, the IE at UFC, besides the CPA, acting could not get rid of the problems which were present in previous experiences, due to the way IE policy of the National System of Evaluation of the Superior Education (SINAES) was created. It is on this account, a result of a longer process which intends to legitimate an efficient way of making UFC, based on the productivist pragmatism, efficient management, and vertical hierarchy of administration.. Thus, what could be apparently new, is in fact, a result of a long institutional culture and, nevertheless, only explained through the understanding that the evaluation process is a result of previous processes. Departing from the accomplished study, we may conclude that the UFC CPA complies with the law in bureaucratic terms. Nevertheless, it does not accomplish the essential, which is to put upon the right track an evaluation which fosters the broad knowledge of advances and difficulties of the institution.