Gestão universitária e qualidade na extensão: institucionalização de cursos de línguas estrangeiras na UFSM

Abstract

This research was carried out within the scope of the Professional Master's Degree in Public Policies and Educational Management in the line "Policies and Management of Basic and Higher Education" of the Federal University of Santa Maria, RS. It is about university extension, in the context of the foreign language courses, linked to the Department of Modern Foreign Languages (DLEM), the sector of functional allocation of the author. The objective was to recognize the quality indicators related to the extension courses in foreign languages at the UFSM to propose their institutionalization. The research methodology used was qualitative of case study type. The benchmarks and legal framework dealt with university management, quality in higher education, conceptions, history of extension, relevant legislation and the importance of foreign languages for internationalization of universities. The instruments used to get data were: bibliographic research, participant observation, documentary analysis, semi-open questionnaires online and semi-structured interviews. The subjects of the research were academic managers, tutors and students of the foreign language extension courses of the DLEM, as well as university managers the of the UFSM. Data analysis was performed using the content analysis technique. The results proved the interest on the institutionalization of extension courses in foreign languages in UFSM by the academic and external community. As product of this research the quality indicators used to create a unit for language teaching are: a pedagogical time to management; elaboration of a language policy for the UFSM, considering the internationalization process; in relation to the infrastructure - budget allocation, own physical space or a bigger number of available classrooms for the courses, new acquisitions of equipments and inclusion of new servers; in community-university related issue, the challenge is to enlarge the offer of language courses for the internal and external community as well as foreign language options; in pedagogical plan, the participants consider: a didactic-pedagogical training of the tutors, a harmonious interaction between the tutors and students, a curriculum which contemplates cultural activities, a didactic material of excellence and a formative evaluation with feedback to the students. Regarding to the academic plan of the courses, it is advisable to disclose the academic productions of extension and didactic materials.It is proposed the “Núcleo de Extensão em Línguas Estrangeiras” (NELE) as a unit which is part of the UFSM.