The university classroom is an invaluable site for social activism. In this study, I focus on the university classroom in order to consider how university instructors care for students. More specifically, I consider what I call critical care--that is, care underscored by critical and critical communication pedagogy. I start by defining care, critical pedagogy, and critical communication pedagogy. Then, I focus on my own experiences autoethnographically to understand some of the ways I have come to understand care. After conducting interviews with teachers and those teachers' former students, I conducted dyad interviews between the teacher and the teacher's former student. I use the transcripts of these interviews as the data for an analysis of how these teachers and students understand care in their relationship. Because the teachers selected must have some background with critical and/or critical communication pedagogy, I also use the transcripts to build a case for critical care. I argue that critical care is the best way to build more humane and equitable classrooms.

This project responds to the question: How do communication educators encourage students to enact the communicative practices necessary for a life of rhetorically engaged civic action? In responding to this question, the academic field of communication studies is recognized as a site for implementing the lessons of rhetoric, democracy, and civic engagement. This project contributes to the civic engagement scholarship from a communication studies perspective by foregrounding human communication as an essential component of the civic engagement process. As an interpretive inquiry, the philosophical thought and the pragmatic action of twentieth-century rhetorician and social activist Jane Addams (1860-1935) provides a hermeneutic entrance point for identifying and understanding the ways in which faculty members in higher education might conduct service-learning in a more responsive and engaged manner. <br> Practicing situated communicative service-learning, a pedagogical approach that embraces the historical moment and the challenges facing service-learning on today's college campus, provides one possibility. Addams's philosophical thought and communicative practices inform the integration of situated communicative service-learning into the communication studies field and college campus through the understanding of commonplace stemming from the Greek understanding of topoi (Aristotle). This praxis-centered approach to service-learning provides ground for students to understand the rhetorical and communicative practices necessary for a life of engaged civic action. By grounding individual communicative practices in a communication classroom setting, communicative habits can grow and flourish in communities. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Communication and Rhetorical Studies / PhD; / Dissertation;

One way critical educators can understand and orient to Paulo Freire's work and the tradition he inspired is by turning their attention to the alienation and affirmation of what he describes as the "ontological vocation of being human." In this dissertation, I read across Freire's work in order to synthesize what I argue are three central commitments of his ontological vocation: 1) that the self/world are sociohistoric and 2) unfinished, and 3) that the human presence is historic. Next, I read Paulo Freire's more famous "banking" and "problem-posing" models of education through the lens of these commitments in order to demonstrate each as metonyms that stand in for his larger interests in alienating and humanizing cultural action. Finally, I argue that Deanna Fassett and John T. Warren's critical communication pedagogy can be a generative framework through which teachers and researchers can recognize and arrest the alienation of the ontological vocation.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Aubrey A. Huber, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Speech Communication, presented on March 29, 2013 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: HELP AS COMMUNICATIVE PRACTICE: A CRITICAL ETHNOGRAPHY OF A TEACHER EDUCATION CLASSROOM MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Nathan P. Stucky As a scholar studying critical communication pedagogy, I am interested in the ways help is produced in communication by future educators. I take Stewart's (1995) claim seriously that words are not merely representational, but instead produce reality. Working from this paradigm, I examined help-producing communication and its implications to theorize help and generate strategies to improve help practices, specifically between teachers and students. To collect data for this project I conducted an ethnography of the teacher education course, "Schooling in a Diverse Society," EDUC311. I was interested in future teacher discourse because teaching often is articulated as a helping profession. For example, a common argument from my research was that to teach is to help students learn content, skills, and particular worldviews. Schein (2009) argues that help is a process that cannot be easily explained. He asserts, "Helping is a common yet complex process. It is an attitude, a set of behaviors, a skill and an essential component of social life" (p. 144). However, very little work has been done to theorize or analyze the implications of help, particularly in terms of communication and educational contexts. In this dissertation, I examined how future teachers articulate and produce help in and through communication. In my experience as a former teacher education student, I found that the help articulated in teacher education classes, that focus on democracy and social justice was remarkably different than the help articulated in everyday experience. Hunt (1998) resolves, "A focus on teaching for social justice reminds us that our children need not only a firm grounding in academics but also practice in how to use those academics to promote a democratic society in which all get to participate fully" (p. xiii). Social justice educators recognize students have the ability to enact change. They recognize inequity and actively work with their students to understand their subject positions in order to work against systems of oppression. In social justice education, help is a process "with" students instead of "help for" students. EDUC311 explores the relationship between social justice and democracy. As a required course for all teacher education students at Southern Illinois University, this course provided me with an ideal population of future educators. By studying the communication of future educators in a course that emphasizes social justice, I analyzed the ways they produced notions of help, generated a definition of social justice-oriented help, and provided strategies that current and future educators could use to better help their students.

O fenômeno do fracasso escolar no ensino de 1º grau, os interesses dos jovens adolescentes por mídias, as características e comportamentos específicos destes jovens em início de adolescência motivaram esta pesquisa sobre o cotidiano de alunos e professores de 5ªs séries. Assim, a preocupação central deste estudo está voltada para questões que dizem respeito aos adolescentes, situando-os em duas instâncias formadoras: escola e televisão. O presente trabalho, realizado sob a forma de pesquisa qualitativa, consistiu de um estudo de caso e de um experimento didático com professores e alunos, realizados em 1994, numa escola pública de periferia na cidade de Campinas, no Estado de São Paulo. Neste contexto, apresentam-se na tese: * informações obtidas com o estudo de caso acerca da escola, do corpo docente e sobre uma das 5ª séries, objetos de investigação; * informações obtidas sobre a classe pesquisada (5ª série B), seus interesses, problemas, sua relação com a escola, com a TV e com a telenovela; * uma experiência didática sistematizada e analisada através da Pedagogia da Comunicação. As atividades desenvolvidas para o estudo do cotidiano escolar encaminharam-se para a utilização da Pedagogia da Comunicação, através de uma experiência de ensino-pesquisa. O experimento procurou tornar dinâmico e interessante o processo de ensino-aprendizagem escolar pelo entrecruzamento intencional das instâncias sociais do saber: escola, televisão e vida cotidiana do aluno. Obteve-se o envolvimento dos alunos e, com estes, o trabalho pôde ser executado num clima de parceria, de satisfação cultural, de diálogo, de construção conjunta de conhecimentos. Por outro lado, muitos dos objetivos previstos para serem alcançados com os docentes não puderam ser atingidos na íntegra por diferentes problemas, entre os quais, os existentes na estrutura e organização da escola pesquisada que terminaram influenciando o docente. Acredita-se que os elementos levantados com a pesquisa contribuíram, entre outros aspectos, para o entendimento da relação aluno - televisão - professor podendo indicar caminhos para a realização de \"pesquisa enquanto ensino\". / The school failure phenomenon in the 1st.degree teaching, along with the teenagers interests on the media, as well as students characteristics and special behaviour in an early adolescence have motivated this research on the daily life of pupils and teachers in the 5th. years of the 1st. Degree. So, the main purpose of this study is turned to questions related to adolescents, placing them in two different forming instances: school and television. The present work, was carried out as a qualitative research and consisted of a case study and a didactic experiment with teachers and students during the year of 1994, in a suburban public school , in Campinas, a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The topics below make part of the corpus of the present Thesis: * information obtained by a case study about a school, its teachers, and specifically on the 5th years; * information attained on one of the researched class (5th year B ), the students interests and problems as well as their relation with the school/ television and the soap opera; * a systematised and analysed experiment through the Communication Pedagogy. All the activities carried out to study the daily school life were led to the usage of the Communication Pedagogy through a teaching-research experiment. The experimentation tried to make the teaching and learning process dynamic and interesting by the intentional crossing of knowledge social instances: school, television and students daily life. We have obtained the students participation and along with them the work could be accomplished in a sharing atmosphere where dialogue and cultural satisfaction as well as a co-operative knowledge construction could always be noticed. On the other hand, many of the foreseen objectives to be reached with the teachers could not be accomplished totally. The real activities carried out with the students and teachers are described in the following pages and make the corpus of the present research.

Este estudo analisa, discute e avalia o compromisso institucional da Universidade com o quefazer público e ao encontro da educação social e do bem viver, considerando situações desiguais das vulnerabilidades humanas e – também, por isso – escolhe construir pistas por uma Pedagogia Universitária Comunicacional. Identifica e caracteriza o compromisso em ser transparente com os quefazeres públicos na integração e intercâmbio das instituições com a sociedade. Revela, destaca, afirma e indica a Comunicação em Outras Linguagens como possibilidade importante para melhorar os processos interativos e de diálogo entre as pessoas. Mesmo consagrada pela excelência acadêmica, a instituição de ensino aprende com o tempo, sua trajetória, ao olhar para dentro de si e, para além dos elos visíveis com a sociedade. A marca histórica dos cem anos do Movimento Estudantil de Córdoba (Manifesto de 21 jun 1918) serve para lembrar que muitas daquelas demandas, por liberdade e ressonâncias do coração humanizado, não foram resolvidas pelas universidades e seguem como necessidades sociais e aspirações acadêmicas. Metodologicamente, trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa em educação, de caráter descritivo exploratório e documental, com recursos da fenomenologia e da dialética, focando as universidades públicas federais localizadas no Rio Grande do Sul. A partir da prática docente experimentada, com a política educacional e a legislação pertinente, é Tese ensaística e exploratório-descritiva, baseada na pesquisa de documentos, na autobiografia e na observação militante. O autor tem 22 anos de docência na UFRGS, 41 anos de vida acadêmica, premiações, reconhecimentos, pedras, muita poeira, chuvas, sóis, girassóis e luas, ânimos, desânimos, reanimações e pronunciares de palavras da esperança num outro mundo possível, aqui e agora. À procura da ‘universidade’, encontrou a ‘universalidade’, tais os contextos desse universo. Os resultados deste estudo autenticam que a Universidade precisa contribuir e influir, apontar rumos, sugerir alternativas, elaborar pensamentos, pesquisar situações, projetar resultados e estudar contextos, incentivando e se direcionando para o bem comum. Por isso, a Tese afirma que os conhecimentos universitários precisam de uma Comunicação Pedagógica, dentro e fora da instituição de ensino, que os tornem visíveis, mais disponíveis, mais operacionalizáveis e sempre mais compatíveis, inter-relacionados e identificados com os interesses e as necessidades da população. A escolha pela grafia ‘Universidade’ (primeira letra maiúscula) reivindica e reitera a esperança de que ela não seja instituição comum, mínima ou indiferente e, sim, aferida, nesses tempos líquidos, pelo sentimento, pela aspiração e pela vontade das pessoas. Similar é o raciocínio para escrever ‘comunicação’ ou ‘Comunicação’. A poesia – resta provado - oferece, no formato de poemas e artes variadas livremente, alternativas e instrumentos qualificados para a criatividade e o desenvolvimento melodioso da Comunicação em Outras Linguagens. A advertência é inegável: a ‘universidade’, por vezes, dependente, submissa, descompromissada, controlada, controladora, sofre tentativas e pressões para ficar retida em seus frascos, caixas, arquivos e gavetas. E com ‘gente’ dentro! Até “gente que ‘cuida’ de gente”! / This study associate the University’s institutional commitment with the public function and against the social education and the welfare, seeing unequal situations from humans’ vulnerabilities and – therefore – choose to frame steps for a Communicational University Pedagogy. The justification is based on the compromise of transparency with the public function in integration and interaction with society. Even consecrated by academic excellence, the educational institute learns by the time, its way, when looking internally and, beyond the connections with society. The historic signal from the One hundred years of Cordoba’s student movement (act from Jun 21, 1918) is used to remember that, many of those demands, was not resolved by the universities. Methodologically, is a qualitative research in education, of exploratory and documentary descriptive character, with resources from phenomenology and from dialectic, focused on the public federals universities localized in Rio Grande do Sul. Starting from experienced teachers practice, with the educational politic and the appropriated legislation, is essay’s thesis, based on documental research and exploratory-descriptive, in the life’s history, in the historiography and militant observation. The author has 22 years teaching at UFRGS, 41 years in academic life, many awards, stones, many dust, rains, suns, sunflowers and moons, moods, dismays, resuscitations and pronunciations of “words of hope” on another possible world, here and now. Looking for “university”, I have found “Universality”, this way are the contexts of this universe. The university needs contribute and influence, indicate the ways, suggest alternatives, build thoughts, search situations, plan results and analyze contexts, encouraging and focusing to the social welfare. Therefore, the thesis that the university’s knowledges crave for a Pedagogic Education, in and out of the teaching institute, that come they to the light that make they more available, more operable and more compatible, related inside they and identified with the interests and necessities from society. I Choose the term “University” (First capital letter), by the hope that this don’t turn to be a simple institute, minimal and indifferent and, although, tested, at this “liquid times”, by the people’s feelings. It is Like: I wrote ‘communication’ or ‘Communication’. The ‘university’, sometimes, dependent, submissive, uncompromising, controlled, controller, undergoes attempts and pressures to stay retained in her box, files and drawers. In addition, with “People” inside! Up until “people that ‘care’ people”!

Este estudo analisa, discute e avalia o compromisso institucional da Universidade com o quefazer público e ao encontro da educação social e do bem viver, considerando situações desiguais das vulnerabilidades humanas e – também, por isso – escolhe construir pistas por uma Pedagogia Universitária Comunicacional. Identifica e caracteriza o compromisso em ser transparente com os quefazeres públicos na integração e intercâmbio das instituições com a sociedade. Revela, destaca, afirma e indica a Comunicação em Outras Linguagens como possibilidade importante para melhorar os processos interativos e de diálogo entre as pessoas. Mesmo consagrada pela excelência acadêmica, a instituição de ensino aprende com o tempo, sua trajetória, ao olhar para dentro de si e, para além dos elos visíveis com a sociedade. A marca histórica dos cem anos do Movimento Estudantil de Córdoba (Manifesto de 21 jun 1918) serve para lembrar que muitas daquelas demandas, por liberdade e ressonâncias do coração humanizado, não foram resolvidas pelas universidades e seguem como necessidades sociais e aspirações acadêmicas. Metodologicamente, trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa em educação, de caráter descritivo exploratório e documental, com recursos da fenomenologia e da dialética, focando as universidades públicas federais localizadas no Rio Grande do Sul. A partir da prática docente experimentada, com a política educacional e a legislação pertinente, é Tese ensaística e exploratório-descritiva, baseada na pesquisa de documentos, na autobiografia e na observação militante. O autor tem 22 anos de docência na UFRGS, 41 anos de vida acadêmica, premiações, reconhecimentos, pedras, muita poeira, chuvas, sóis, girassóis e luas, ânimos, desânimos, reanimações e pronunciares de palavras da esperança num outro mundo possível, aqui e agora. À procura da ‘universidade’, encontrou a ‘universalidade’, tais os contextos desse universo. Os resultados deste estudo autenticam que a Universidade precisa contribuir e influir, apontar rumos, sugerir alternativas, elaborar pensamentos, pesquisar situações, projetar resultados e estudar contextos, incentivando e se direcionando para o bem comum. Por isso, a Tese afirma que os conhecimentos universitários precisam de uma Comunicação Pedagógica, dentro e fora da instituição de ensino, que os tornem visíveis, mais disponíveis, mais operacionalizáveis e sempre mais compatíveis, inter-relacionados e identificados com os interesses e as necessidades da população. A escolha pela grafia ‘Universidade’ (primeira letra maiúscula) reivindica e reitera a esperança de que ela não seja instituição comum, mínima ou indiferente e, sim, aferida, nesses tempos líquidos, pelo sentimento, pela aspiração e pela vontade das pessoas. Similar é o raciocínio para escrever ‘comunicação’ ou ‘Comunicação’. A poesia – resta provado - oferece, no formato de poemas e artes variadas livremente, alternativas e instrumentos qualificados para a criatividade e o desenvolvimento melodioso da Comunicação em Outras Linguagens. A advertência é inegável: a ‘universidade’, por vezes, dependente, submissa, descompromissada, controlada, controladora, sofre tentativas e pressões para ficar retida em seus frascos, caixas, arquivos e gavetas. E com ‘gente’ dentro! Até “gente que ‘cuida’ de gente”! / This study associate the University’s institutional commitment with the public function and against the social education and the welfare, seeing unequal situations from humans’ vulnerabilities and – therefore – choose to frame steps for a Communicational University Pedagogy. The justification is based on the compromise of transparency with the public function in integration and interaction with society. Even consecrated by academic excellence, the educational institute learns by the time, its way, when looking internally and, beyond the connections with society. The historic signal from the One hundred years of Cordoba’s student movement (act from Jun 21, 1918) is used to remember that, many of those demands, was not resolved by the universities. Methodologically, is a qualitative research in education, of exploratory and documentary descriptive character, with resources from phenomenology and from dialectic, focused on the public federals universities localized in Rio Grande do Sul. Starting from experienced teachers practice, with the educational politic and the appropriated legislation, is essay’s thesis, based on documental research and exploratory-descriptive, in the life’s history, in the historiography and militant observation. The author has 22 years teaching at UFRGS, 41 years in academic life, many awards, stones, many dust, rains, suns, sunflowers and moons, moods, dismays, resuscitations and pronunciations of “words of hope” on another possible world, here and now. Looking for “university”, I have found “Universality”, this way are the contexts of this universe. The university needs contribute and influence, indicate the ways, suggest alternatives, build thoughts, search situations, plan results and analyze contexts, encouraging and focusing to the social welfare. Therefore, the thesis that the university’s knowledges crave for a Pedagogic Education, in and out of the teaching institute, that come they to the light that make they more available, more operable and more compatible, related inside they and identified with the interests and necessities from society. I Choose the term “University” (First capital letter), by the hope that this don’t turn to be a simple institute, minimal and indifferent and, although, tested, at this “liquid times”, by the people’s feelings. It is Like: I wrote ‘communication’ or ‘Communication’. The ‘university’, sometimes, dependent, submissive, uncompromising, controlled, controller, undergoes attempts and pressures to stay retained in her box, files and drawers. In addition, with “People” inside! Up until “people that ‘care’ people”!

This dissertation argues for a relational ethic of listening that emphasizes the pedagogical role of the listener as a student in dialogically hearing, producing, and responding to the other. This ethic of listening works to hear possibilities amongst differences, and to ethically account for and learn from the cultural, historical, and embodied differences of the other as they are produced relationally amongst macro-structures and micro-practices. In order to develop this ethic of listening, I pay specific attention to my solo autobiographical performance, Miles away from "The Cool," in which I present my autobiographical and musical reading of the autobiography of trumpet player Miles Davis, Miles. This performance and my research regarding the music, life story, and cultural significance of Davis functions as an example for my development of a listening centered approach to pedagogy. Listening to jazz and the music of Davis provides an approach to hearing possibilities as they are enabled and constrained by larger macro-structures and specific micro-practices. I argue this approach to listening can be extended to research regarding autobiography and geographic location. Listening to autobiography and location can enable a critical and ethical understanding of the ways history, context, and power play on bodies in jazz, autobiography, location and autobiographical performance. After explaining this relational ethic of listening in terms of autobiography and jazz, I make the case for listening as a performative act in which as listeners we are always students to the other. Performative listening is a critical communicative act that works to ethically and pedagogically hear and learn from the other. Performative listening emerges from a relational ethic of listening, and it is a productive pleasure that works to hear possibilities in and amongst differences.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF DAVID W. WHITFIELD, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in COMMUNICATION STUDIES, presented on APRIL 2, 2018, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: CONDITIONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: THEORIZING CRITICAL COMMUNICATION PEDAGOGY WITH/IN THE CLASSROOM USING A LENS OF RELATIONAL SAFETY MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sandra Pensoneau-Conway Using the ten commitments of Critical Communication Pedagogy (CCP) as a grounding perspective, this research project investigates the teacher-student relational dynamic with an inquiry into the degree of safety students and teachers perceive in their shared relationship. Relational safety is a new term being introduced into the literature on reflexive and critical teaching practices. It is foregrounded in the belief that the classroom is a microcosm of the larger world and therefore can be a site of inquiry and interruption of mundane communication practices that may be oppressive and which might otherwise go unquestioned (Fassett & Warren, 2007). A combination of three methods were utilized. Classroom observations were conducted in all four face-to-face summer sections of the introductory public speaking course from the university's core curriculum. These observations were used to inform the questions used to interview participants. The data collected were from three (student) focus groups, four graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) interviews, and 23 individual student interviews. Findings revealed five major themes that are salient for the emergence and development of a teaching practice which nurtures feelings of safety in the teacher-student relationship: 1) affirmation; 2) dialogic worldview; 3) attention to bodies in space; 4) a balanced approach to humor, self-disclosure, and feedback; 5) the class evolves into a community of care. The dissertation concludes with a reminder that while social change is the ultimate goal of a critical, reflexive teaching practice that is future-oriented, teachers must always remain grounded in hope. Relational safety can emerge when critical educators embrace a belief that when teachers model reflexive communicative practices to/for their students, in turn they create a space for incremental shifts in language choices, critical discourse, and reflexive thinking that will evoke a desire in others to advocate for social change, communicate across cultural differences, and celebrate diversity

Este estudo analisa, discute e avalia o compromisso institucional da Universidade com o quefazer público e ao encontro da educação social e do bem viver, considerando situações desiguais das vulnerabilidades humanas e – também, por isso – escolhe construir pistas por uma Pedagogia Universitária Comunicacional. Identifica e caracteriza o compromisso em ser transparente com os quefazeres públicos na integração e intercâmbio das instituições com a sociedade. Revela, destaca, afirma e indica a Comunicação em Outras Linguagens como possibilidade importante para melhorar os processos interativos e de diálogo entre as pessoas. Mesmo consagrada pela excelência acadêmica, a instituição de ensino aprende com o tempo, sua trajetória, ao olhar para dentro de si e, para além dos elos visíveis com a sociedade. A marca histórica dos cem anos do Movimento Estudantil de Córdoba (Manifesto de 21 jun 1918) serve para lembrar que muitas daquelas demandas, por liberdade e ressonâncias do coração humanizado, não foram resolvidas pelas universidades e seguem como necessidades sociais e aspirações acadêmicas. Metodologicamente, trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa em educação, de caráter descritivo exploratório e documental, com recursos da fenomenologia e da dialética, focando as universidades públicas federais localizadas no Rio Grande do Sul. A partir da prática docente experimentada, com a política educacional e a legislação pertinente, é Tese ensaística e exploratório-descritiva, baseada na pesquisa de documentos, na autobiografia e na observação militante. O autor tem 22 anos de docência na UFRGS, 41 anos de vida acadêmica, premiações, reconhecimentos, pedras, muita poeira, chuvas, sóis, girassóis e luas, ânimos, desânimos, reanimações e pronunciares de palavras da esperança num outro mundo possível, aqui e agora. À procura da ‘universidade’, encontrou a ‘universalidade’, tais os contextos desse universo. Os resultados deste estudo autenticam que a Universidade precisa contribuir e influir, apontar rumos, sugerir alternativas, elaborar pensamentos, pesquisar situações, projetar resultados e estudar contextos, incentivando e se direcionando para o bem comum. Por isso, a Tese afirma que os conhecimentos universitários precisam de uma Comunicação Pedagógica, dentro e fora da instituição de ensino, que os tornem visíveis, mais disponíveis, mais operacionalizáveis e sempre mais compatíveis, inter-relacionados e identificados com os interesses e as necessidades da população. A escolha pela grafia ‘Universidade’ (primeira letra maiúscula) reivindica e reitera a esperança de que ela não seja instituição comum, mínima ou indiferente e, sim, aferida, nesses tempos líquidos, pelo sentimento, pela aspiração e pela vontade das pessoas. Similar é o raciocínio para escrever ‘comunicação’ ou ‘Comunicação’. A poesia – resta provado - oferece, no formato de poemas e artes variadas livremente, alternativas e instrumentos qualificados para a criatividade e o desenvolvimento melodioso da Comunicação em Outras Linguagens. A advertência é inegável: a ‘universidade’, por vezes, dependente, submissa, descompromissada, controlada, controladora, sofre tentativas e pressões para ficar retida em seus frascos, caixas, arquivos e gavetas. E com ‘gente’ dentro! Até “gente que ‘cuida’ de gente”! / This study associate the University’s institutional commitment with the public function and against the social education and the welfare, seeing unequal situations from humans’ vulnerabilities and – therefore – choose to frame steps for a Communicational University Pedagogy. The justification is based on the compromise of transparency with the public function in integration and interaction with society. Even consecrated by academic excellence, the educational institute learns by the time, its way, when looking internally and, beyond the connections with society. The historic signal from the One hundred years of Cordoba’s student movement (act from Jun 21, 1918) is used to remember that, many of those demands, was not resolved by the universities. Methodologically, is a qualitative research in education, of exploratory and documentary descriptive character, with resources from phenomenology and from dialectic, focused on the public federals universities localized in Rio Grande do Sul. Starting from experienced teachers practice, with the educational politic and the appropriated legislation, is essay’s thesis, based on documental research and exploratory-descriptive, in the life’s history, in the historiography and militant observation. The author has 22 years teaching at UFRGS, 41 years in academic life, many awards, stones, many dust, rains, suns, sunflowers and moons, moods, dismays, resuscitations and pronunciations of “words of hope” on another possible world, here and now. Looking for “university”, I have found “Universality”, this way are the contexts of this universe. The university needs contribute and influence, indicate the ways, suggest alternatives, build thoughts, search situations, plan results and analyze contexts, encouraging and focusing to the social welfare. Therefore, the thesis that the university’s knowledges crave for a Pedagogic Education, in and out of the teaching institute, that come they to the light that make they more available, more operable and more compatible, related inside they and identified with the interests and necessities from society. I Choose the term “University” (First capital letter), by the hope that this don’t turn to be a simple institute, minimal and indifferent and, although, tested, at this “liquid times”, by the people’s feelings. It is Like: I wrote ‘communication’ or ‘Communication’. The ‘university’, sometimes, dependent, submissive, uncompromising, controlled, controller, undergoes attempts and pressures to stay retained in her box, files and drawers. In addition, with “People” inside! Up until “people that ‘care’ people”!