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The state of the university: held in a sarcophagus or in the Bed of Procrustes?

This essay calls our attention to the serious disease that has affected University nowadays. The 'sarcophagus' metaphor as well as the 'Bed of Procrustes' fulfils the purpose of: emphasize the fact that University is forsaking its traditional mission and suffering dangerous transformations; hope for University sets free from all its constrained forces, by allowing a new rebirth. University is being captured by ideology, by reason, by terminology and by neoliberalism and market interests. Consequently, it is losing autonomy and voice and has no longer identity, language and own thinking. Instead of being an institution that works for Humanity, society, culture, democracy and liberty, University is becoming a factor and an instrument for spreading the financial and 'mercantile' rulers' doctrines and revenues. As a piece of evidence this can be seen through the 'reformism' and guidelines on University's reorganization and management, on offers and courses profile. As markets, University no longer offers only sells. Thus, University joins and shares responsibility upon the civilizational, cultural, ethical, moral and social crisis that is spreading throughout the world. University is becoming a human and social irrelevant institution, without the capacity to transmit archetypal and positive influences. In order to reverse the situation, the University's main leading characters must take it off from the 'sarcophagus' or from the 'Bed of Procrustes', where, by action or omission, have held it captive.

University; Neoliberalism; Market; Identity crisis; Need to reform


Publicação da Rede de Avaliação Institucional da Educação Superior (RAIES), da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) e da Universidade de Sorocaba (UNISO). Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km. 92,5, CEP 18023-000 Sorocaba - São Paulo, Fone: (55 15) 2101-7016 , Fax : (55 15) 2101-7112 - Sorocaba - SP - Brazil
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