Association wants to force president to choose the most voted for dean – 07/21/2023 – Panel

This Friday (21), in Belo Horizonte, deputy Patrus Ananias (PT) receives representatives of Andifes (National Association of Directors of Federal Higher Education Institutions) to put together a bill that would remove the pen from the hand of the President of the Republic when it comes to appointing presidents of federal universities.

Today, each federal institution has the autonomy to establish its electoral processes, formally called consultations with the academic environment, but these must result in a triple list of names whose final nomination is by the president.

If the law is approved, the elective processes will continue with autonomy, but the preferred name of each institution will have to be indicated. Ananias must report the project to the Federal Chamber.

According to Ana Beatriz de Oliviera, president of the Andifes Autonomy Commission and rector of UFSCar (Federal University of São Carlos), on more than 20 occasions in the last four years, former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) decided on names unrelated to the results of consultations with students, professors and university employees, opting for political appointments.

In Rio Grande do Sul, for example, federal deputy Bibo Nunes (PL) boasted in the campaign of having appointed the rector of UFRGS, Carlos André Bulhões, third on the triple list, chosen in 2020.

The proliferation of names linked to Bolsonarism in the rectories caused a rift in Andifes itself. In February 2022, with the blessing of then Minister Milton Ribeiro, presidents of six universities appointed by Bolsonaro founded their own association, Afebras (Association of Presidents of Federal Universities of Brazil).

The president of Afebras is Cândido Albuquerque, rector of UFC (Federal University of Ceará), who was nominated in 2019 by Bolsonaro even though he was preferred by only 4.6% of his academic community.

Questioned whether the Lula government would be interested in giving up interference in the nominations, Ana Betriz believes that the detachment of the Bolsonaro administration in nominating only allies has changed the parameters of discussion on the subject.

“The Bolsonaro government transformed all our expectations and scenarios. I see an openness in the federal government in the sense that this transformation needs to take place”, he says.

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