Public management in higher education institutions: contemporary possibilities and challenges of course coordinators of university graduate

It is central to the endless discussion about the past, the present and the future of the university as it was and should be addressed, what conditions are required of its leaders, what challenges they face in their work to preserve the best of the institution and exercise its role innovative by reconstructing its conceptions, institutions, procedures and values. In this context, we sought to evaluate previous knowledge and experiences of health professionals who are working in the field of management, as Coordinators of undergraduate courses in Higher Education institutions, committed to their role as mediators of knowledge in the teaching - learning process, checking the challenges faced and possibilities for improving the quality of teaching in these undergraduate courses. A qualitative approach was used, with data collection through a questionnaire applied in the form of interviews with six professionals, who act as coordinators of the undergraduate course, using a content analysis. The results were the performance of professionals in undergraduate courses as managers in a practical way, without the aid of theory, which in many cases is essential for decision-making, excessive system bureaucracy, reduced autonomy, slow processes, the difficulty of finding qualified professionals to work in some subjects of the curriculum, failures in communication with higher management. Concluding that the lack of technical qualification to work in management positions, can hinder the course activities, impairing the quality of training courses.