THE SOLIDARITY HAZING OF PET CIVIL UFSCAR – RESIGNIFYING A UNIVERSITY TRADITION AND DEVELOPING SKILLS.

Abstract

The PET Civil UFSCar was established in 2013 and, over the past ten years, has carried out various activities aimed at strengthening the triad of teaching, research, and extension. PET groups play a fundamental role in student retention, as their activities require greater engagement with undergraduate studies, the university, and society. Thus, to redefine the tradition of university hazing and promote the welcoming of freshmen, PET Civil created the Solidarity Hazing, an annual initiative involving social actions in charitable institutions. This allows participants to apply Civil Engineering concepts in practice, such as minor renovations, painting, concreting, and more. This activity has been conducted for nine years, since 2015, making it one of the group's most significant initiatives, reaching hundreds of people and six different charitable institutions. Taking advantage of the university’s freshman welcome week, Solidarity Hazing fosters a sense of belonging among new students, encouraging interaction with senior students, exposure to engineering practice, and social responsibility from the very beginning of their studies. This also contributes to reducing dropout rates. Therefore, this initiative ensures the inseparability of research, teaching, and extension, while also developing essential skills for both senior students, who organize the activity, and freshmen, who actively participate as key protagonists.