“Somos pela liberdade de conhecer, entendida como a mais ampla oportunidade de adquirir conhecimentos de nível superior”

a constituição de uma Universidade em Passo Fundo (déc. de 1950-1960)

Abstract

This article analyzes the communitary effort that mobilized a dream, the constitution of a university in the Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul to meet the desires for continuing education and to keep graduates in the region. To this end, it begins from the analysis of period documents from the Sociedade Pró-Universidade de Passo Fundo (SPU), created in 1950, and the Consórcio Universitário Católico (CUC), led by the Bishop of Passo Fundo and established in 1956. Since the creation of the CUC, the possibility of incorporating the Consortium’s courses into the future University of Passo Fundo was highlighted, a fact that happened, after continuing debates, from 1961 onwards, with the signing of an agreement between the parties. Initiatives for state and federal control and merger, a suitable environment for the university was established. This followed the creation of its maintaining body, the Fundação Universidade de Passo Fundo (FUPF), in 1967. In the following year, despite controversies, party-political issues, a dictatorial context and other issues, the formalization of the Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF).