Democratização do ensino superior: análise das políticas de acesso e promoção da permanência no bacharelado em Gestão Pública na Universidade Federal da Paraíba (2017 - 2023)

Abstract

This study addresses a panoramic reading of the policies and practices of democratizing access to undergraduate courses in Public Management at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) between technical and social criteria that guided their varied formatting. Highlighting specific determinants related to the advances and setbacks of democratization of access to higher education, the study aims to discuss the aspects that require a critical view of the technical and strategic decisions of democratic access and student retention in the Bachelor's Degree in Public Management (BGP) course at UFPB and, consequently, identify the main motivations for the considerable dropout rate of the BGP course from 2017 to 2023. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted for the production of the monograph. The methods used in this work were documentary research, bibliographic reviews, a questionnaire applied to the student community, and semi-structured interviews with members of the Federal University of Paraíba, such as the Pro-Rectory of Undergraduate Studies, Pro-Rectory of Student Assistance and Promotion, and Faculty of the Bachelor's Degree in Public Management. Other qualitative methodological procedures include data collection in peer-reviewed articles, official reports, and literature that deals with the importance of democratization of access to higher education aimed at the area of Public Management. During the research, we sought to mobilize the following questions: What are the policies and techniques mobilized to promote democratic access and continuity in the Bachelor's Degree in Public Management at UFPB? What are the main challenges for students in terms of access and continuity of the course? And, what is the relationship between student complaints and the course dropout rate?