Transparency perception in higher education: an analysis beyond legal aspects

The main objective of the study is to evaluate how the stakeholders of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) perceive, in addition to the legal aspects, the transparency practices that are being applied by the institution, considering the characteristics of the information disclosed, as well as the transparency itself. The perception of users of citizen service channels such as e-sic and ombudsman regarding the characteristics of the information and response received are also evaluated. A methodology (index) for assessing these three dimensions of perception (information, institution transparency and response received) is developed and tested with 1070 HEI stakeholders, by applying a structured questionnaire validated by experts. The results for the Information Perception Index indicate that the institution has adequate information and the Transparency Perception Index allowed the institution to be rated at a good level. Regarding the perception of the responses received, a portion of users did not get the expected response (request met on time), but in general, most perceive the response received as adequate. It is concluded that, in general, the investigated HEI has a good evaluation of transparency by its stakeholders. The instrument and methodology developed in this study can be applied in different institutions for transparency assessment.

Keywords:
Information; Perception; Evaluation