Da Universidade da Serra à Universidade de Caxias do Sul/RS (1955 2002): o pensar e o construir da universidade na serra gaúcha

Abstract

This study analyzes the history of Universidade de Caxias do Sul, located at Rio Grande do Sul, between the years of 1950, decade of the creation of the first higher education classes on the city of Caxias do Sul, and 2002, end of the management characterized by the regionalization of the university. The history of the Universidade de Caxias do Sul associate at the higher education in the Brazil, here constructed, was possible through of search, selection and analysis of documents, oral speaks, periodic that saves aspects of memory and the history of Institution, of region, and country. The documents stored at CEDOC/UCS and those given by the Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica are used as source of research, as well as the bibliography relative to the high education in Brazil, in Caxias do Sul and in the region. The study used interviews with professors Jayme Paviani and José Clemente Pozenato, as representatives of the researchers group that, since the university creation, in 1967, helped to think and build it. Using the newspapers, it was possible to establish dialogues with the regional society and understand aspects of the politics, economy and culture. The Revista CHRONOS, used as interpretative source of the thinking and building of the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, between 1967, when the first edition was published and 2007, when the last one was, following the context of creation, consolidation and crisis of the university. The study reflects over the community and regional university, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, having been the first university in the mountains region, with a pattern reminds of the need of reflect over the many kinds of the high education in Brazil and its importance on the many contexts and scenarios. The work is part of Cultural History in studies in dialogue with the History of Education, related to micro-history, when one considers the institution and at the same time, the macro-history as it relates to higher education presence in Brazil and worldwide. The theoretical framework of qualitative research and the possibility of greater flexibility of the interdisciplinary study where history and education, higher education and regional society, intersect, constituted the work. The research pointes that the history of the University of Caxias do Sul is inserted on the economic, social, cultural context of the country and mountain region of Rio Grande do Sul, whose characteristics allow regional and community and allow the 12 institution to develop teaching, research and extension with the look globalized and regional roots. The work does not provide an unequivocal truth, but problematizes the present and the future of the University of Caxias do Sul in the region, as an Institution of Higher Education, establishing permanent dialogue with the community in a context of different forms of IES and has, since the beginning with the internal community‟s collective, teachers of core thinking, and external: the Catholic Church, Group Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Sisters of the order of St. Joseph, city of Caxias do Sul, State Government of Rio Grande do Sul, Federal Government, entrepreneurs in the process of consolidation and that allowed its configuration as one of largest IES in the State.