The Nursing Course at the UFMG School of Nursing received accreditation by the Mercosul Regional Accreditation System for Undergraduate Courses (Arcu-Sul System), administered in Brazil by the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep). The certification is valid for a period of six years.
The Arcu-Sul System’s general objective is to permanently evaluate the quality of higher education at the undergraduate level in Mercosur member and associated countries and the consequent advancement in the process of regional integration with a view to educational, economic, social, political and culture of the countries in the region. The visit by the evaluation committee, appointed by Inep, took place from November 20 to 24, 2023, composed of a Brazilian evaluator and two foreigners.
The director of EEUFMG, professor Sônia Maria Soares, thanked the coordination of the undergraduate College and the teachers who made themselves available to organize this process. She highlighted the commitment of the entire academic community to achieve this objective and emphasized the importance of this accreditation. “It is a great honor for our School and it brings us great joy to receive this accreditation at such a special time, as we complete 90 years and are approaching our centenary. This result certainly strengthens us and expresses the collective and collaborative effort of our teachers, administrative technicians and students in fulfilling our mission. It was a process that required the collection of a series of qualitative and quantitative data, which were previously analyzed by the evaluators, in addition to an on-site visit by two team members. All of this gives us greater visibility for our School and opens up possibilities for partnerships and institutional cooperation in different modalities”.
Teachers and students of the Nursing course. Photo: Personal archive.
Professor Eunice Francisca Martins, coordinator of the nursing undergraduate course during the evaluation period, highlights the importance of this accreditation. “This result attests to our quality in national professional training and our commitment to expanding our borders to neighboring countries! Our thanks to everyone who makes our course happen on a daily basis, including the academic community and partner services”.
According to professor Allana Dos Reis Corrêa, current coordinator of the collegiate, it is a result that goes beyond the commitment of the committee that worked in the evaluation process. “It is a reflection of the quality of the UFMG Nursing course as a whole: teachers, students, technical-administrative staff and the pedagogical project executed with quality and mastery”.
The specific objectives of the System include: ensuring the quality of accredited undergraduate courses, in accordance with criteria established by mutual agreement between countries; facilitate the movement of students and teachers between accredited institutions; speed up the processes for recognizing university degrees or diplomas; facilitate scientific and cultural exchange that favors reciprocal knowledge and solidarity cooperation between the respective academic communities of the countries; favor the development of the culture of evaluation as a driving factor for the quality of higher education in the region; encourage and nurture the internationalization of HEIs and undergraduate courses.
The EEUFMG Nursing course was created in 1933 with the commitment to train nurses to work in the health care of people and their families at different levels of care and services in the Brazilian health system. Currently, it has more than 530 students and around 70 professors, including masters and doctors, who work in undergraduate teaching, extension projects, research and postgraduate programs.
Communication consultancy for the School of Nursing.
