Proposição de cursos e vagas no IFRS: um manual orientador

Abstract

Federal Institutes (IFs) are institutions specializing in Vocational Education and Training (VET), designed to integrate teaching, research, and extension in coordination with regional development. Acting in initial and continuing, technical and higher education, the IFs have become key players in the expansion of public higher education in Brazil. However, studies point to discrepancies between their legal prerogatives and the practice of offering courses, revealing poor coordination with local productive arrangements, failure to meet supply percentages mandated by law, dropout rates, and a significant percentage of unused places, factors that undermine the potential of VET as a public policy. In the case of the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), data from the Nilo Peçanha Platform and the Higher Education Census highlight these challenges and align with the institution’s strategi c objective of improving the criteria for creating courses and places. Given this scenario, this study aims to develop a guidance manual to be used in opening and monitoring courses and places in professional and technological education at the IFRS. As part of the public policy research line, this study is qualitative and descriptive in nature, based on a systematic review of the literature and a documentary analysis of regulations related to the topic for the 38 Brazilian IFs, as well as a situational analysis of the processes for proposing courses and places at the IFRS, using documents and interviews with staff at the campuses and the responsible office of the provost. The results of these three stages, triangulated and synthesized categorically, led to the development of the manual, which compiles a list of 10 interrelated elements relevant to the offering of courses and enrollment places. Of particular note is institutional capacity as central to the outcomes of course proposals, while strategic planning and networks of cooperation and partnerships are identified as elements that must be improved in order to strengthen the analysis of the other elements of the process. The relevance of this research is in its potential to support more assertive decisions at organizational level regarding the offering of courses, contributing to a reduction in dropout rates and unfilled places, as well as to the strengthening of the role of IFs in the regional development and students’ individual development, in terms of public po licy. This study thus aligns with three Sustainable Development Goals: quality education; decent work and economic growth; and industry, innovation, and infrastructure. It is recognized that the manual does not eliminate the discretion inherent in the decision-making process, given the diversity of factors involved in offering courses; however, the establishment of clear criteria and the standardization of procedures tend to improve decision-making in the process and, consequently, the efficiency of the courses.