The dean’s elections in Federal University of Pernambuco:

a democratic experience in 1983?

Abstract

This work analysed the elections for rector at the Federal University of Pernambuco in 1983, with reflections on the impacts of the civil-military dictatorship of 1964 on democratic freedoms. The research was carried out from the collection, selection and analysis of a wide and varied documentary set from the National Archive and the Digital Library's Digital Library. As a result of the search, it was found that elections of dean were laid down in 1983 by the greater articulation and organization of the academic community and the increase in struggles for the democratization at that university. The selection model for the dean position remained indirect, but it is possible now to consult university students during the election. The fact that the election for this role and consultation with the academic community in the vote was lucky did not guarantee that the vacancy would be occupied by the candidate with the most votes, considering that the definition was made by the President of the Republic, through a list that the university sent to the Ministry of Education and Culture, a situation common to other educational institutions in the period. Despite this context, the elections for rector in 1983 resulted in democratic advances, as in the face of the crisis of the dictatorial government, discussions on democracy within and outside the university walls expanded, mobilizing the academic community and other social segments with debates and other forms of everyday resistance.