EDUCATIONAL MARKETING AND EVASION DURING THE PANDEMIC: A STUDY AT THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER (UFFS), CHAPECÓ CAMPUS/SC

This study investigates the implications of academic evasion at the Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS) – Chapecó campus/SC during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of educational marketing. The aim is to understand how remote learning impacted student retention and analyze the institutional strategies adopted to minimize evasion. It is a descriptive research, using a mixed-methods approach. Primary data were collected through an open interview with an institutional staff member, using a semi-structured interview guide. Secondary data were obtained from official reports from UFFS’s Academic Control Department and other institutional sources, analyzed using quantitative categorization and qualitative content analysis. The results show that evasion was influenced by factors such as difficulties in adapting to remote learning, academic demotivation, socioeconomic challenges, and enrollment in other institutions. The strategies adopted by the university included emergency remote learning, scholarship aid, faculty training, communication actions, and a specific project for evasion management. The conclusion is that educational marketing played a strategic role in reducing the impacts of evasion during the pandemic period, emphasizing the importance of integrated institutional policies for communication, support, and academic assistance during times of crisis.