Thirty years of university autonomy: Different results, contradictory effects

Abstract

The evolution of university autonomy in Brazil in the last three decades presents different results for both public and private systems. While the public system enjoys academic freedom and no administrative or financial autonomy, private system has financial and administrative autonomy but no academic freedom. The exception is the public state universities of São Paulo, where results show a balance between both aspects of the autonomy. The demands of the 21st century’s first decades, however, have imposed a review of the exercise of autonomy by all institutions, due to the internationalization of higher education, the requirements for improving management in general and promoting accountability in the public sector.