Social knowledge gatekeeper : um estudo de caso em uma universidade comunitária do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Brazilian universities, from the education reform started in the 60's, reverse the existing model politicized public by encouraging the expansion of higher education appearing then the Community Supported Universities(CSU). These private universities, nonprofit and public utility arising from the lack of public higher education institution (HEI) or confessional in regions far from major centers as are installed mainly in the capitals of the states. With this, the mobilization of local and regional leaders, new degree courses focused on isolated regional shortages are open, and these institutions, become the entrance doors of HEI to a population hitherto unmet , promoting the systematization of knowledge available and returning it directly to the company constituted. The Community Supported Universities act as portals of knowledge (knowledge gatekeepers), and to provide access to higher education for a society hitherto unmet, CSU acquires a social relevance that can also contribute to a reflection on the role of social one knowledge gatekeeper. Through a case study in a CSU multicampi of Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil. The research proposes, through the evaluation of endogenous factors present in a community and HEI, by deepening its social dimension, assess the absorptive capacity , proximity and the regional capital of the faculty of HEI, also identifying the levels of perception of the identity of the HEI study population. Through the results of the research we propose a model that provides identification of a Community Supported University as social knowledge gatekeeper and the results demonstrated the feasibility of the model, as well as identifying the characteristics that enable its applicability.