Third Mission University Program Evaluation through analytical and methodological dimensions

Abstract

The third mission program that has been going on continuously since 2018 with a community living in a slum in the city of Campinas, in the State of São Paulo, in Brazil, involves undergraduate and graduate students from different courses. The playful activities with children, conversations with adults and health care actions have made it possible to build a connection with the slum dwellers and construct knowledge about the different aspects of life in that territory. This work evaluated the university third mission program through the analytical and methodological dimensions proposed by Cristofoletti and Serafim and analysed these dimensions based on their use in the evaluation of the program. A cross-sectional, exploratory, qualitative methodology was used through focus groups with students participating in the program and researchers. It was observed that the program is characterized by a critical look at reality and by transforming and dialogical practices. The analytical and methodological dimensions used in the evaluation proved to be powerful for a broad qualification of the program. However, some improvements were made to them and to the methodology applied for a better use of the analysis.