Dangerous Change

Today we visited Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) , which does not use any form of affirmative action and, as we were told in advance, the discussion of affirmative action, specifically of quotas was to be off limits in this interview. Sr. Luis Octavio however, was very forthcoming and willing to talk about the issue. He also provided us with some rich data. We are very grateful for his generosity.

A walk around the well appointed campus felt like a visit to an oasis. We could not help but notice the immaculate grounds, the marble floors, and the botanical gardens that seamlessly blended the indoor and outdoor spaces. The difference between the UFRJ campus and the UERJ (Rio’s State public university) is was stark. Most notable to us however was the dearth of black and brown students on the UFRJ campus.

I asked Professor Octavio what he thought about UFRJ’s policy, and if it ought to be changed. He acknowledges that this is the subject of ongoing debate in the administration but asserted:

“I think change is dangerous. We have a process that works. Our university has some traditions, and we are conservative about change.”

Such a change would have to be decided upon by the CEG (Counselo de Ehsino de Graduaçao), a counsel made up primarily of faculty, with some input from students and technical administrative staff.

UFRJ