With the aim of allowing high school students to have more time to make their decision about the course they intend to take, the organization of UPA - Unicamp de Portas Abertas - decided to change the date of the event and transfer it to the first semester, instead of carrying it out in the second semester of each year. Therefore, the UPA will take place in 2018, on a date to be defined and widely publicized. The idea is that holding the event in the first semester will be more aligned with the registration date for the Unicamp Entrance Exam, which takes place in the second academic semester.
UPA is one of Unicamp's most traditional and awaited events. In 2016, in the 13th edition of the event, 40 thousand students visited the University. The event is held annually by Unicamp and brings together students from various parts of Brazil.
For the dean of undergraduate studies at Unicamp, Eliana Amaral, taking the UPA in the first academic semester will be more advantageous for students. "They will visit Unicamp well in advance, being able to talk to teachers, colleagues and family before making a decision, as registration for the Unicamp Entrance Exam takes place in the second semester. The way it was being done, there were only a few days between the visit and the end of registration to make this important decision. This way, they will have much more time to resolve their doubts and make a better informed and considered choice", stated Eliana.
Other actions
The general coordinator of the university, Teresa Atvars, informed that to cover the transfer of the UPA for next year, other actions are planned. "This year, as we will not have the event, we will promote other actions, such as the creation of a portal with information about the courses and an event with high school teachers at the beginning of August, organized by Comvest, which is an opportunity for coordinators and teachers to provide their students with various information about the entrance exams", said Teresa.
The event scheduled for August will be the Meeting with High School Teachers, which will bring together 480 teachers to participate in workshops on the different Unicamp Entrance Exam tests. Registration is open and closes on June 27th, on the Comvest website. The Meeting will be held on August 5th, on the Campinas campus.
Regarding the portal project, which should be completed in August, the idea, as explained by the dean of undergraduate studies, Eliana Amaral, is to be an "electronic UPA" (eUPA), aimed at potential candidates for the entrance exam. "The portal will have information about Unicamp's profile and the students it hopes to have on its courses: competent and innovative, leaders in their generation, capable of working in diverse environments, committed to the society in which they are inserted. We will also highlight the facilities and advantages of studying at Unicamp and offering interviews with coordinators and former students about the courses and the job market for its professionals. There will also be a Contact Us section", explained Eliana Amaral.
Aligning the date of the UPA with the Unicamp Entrance Exam calendar is, in the opinion of José Alves de Freitas Neto, executive coordinator of the Commission for Entrance Exams (Comvest), a benefit. "If one of the objectives of the event is to present Unicamp to potential students, holding it in the first semester is essential. Visitors will be able to reflect and register for the UPA entrance exam in the same year, as in the current calendar, I consider it would be a waste of energy and resources, since students could be enchanted by Unicamp, but there would not be enough time to compete in the entrance exam of the same year", highlighted José Alves.
Updates
In addition to the in-person UPA, which will be called "UPA on campus", the "UPA at school" will be created, which will offer more opportunities to visit high schools to speak directly with students and teachers.
Despite moving to another time of year, the UPA should maintain its general characteristics, according to dean Eliana Amaral. However, the event organization teams work with the idea of bringing something new. "Some new features are being thought out very carefully by UPA's creative and support team. We want students who identify with Unicamp's profile to know that they are welcome and that Unicamp will intensify its efforts to reach them, where are, and offer them the opportunity to be here with us for their training", concluded Eliana.
