This article deals with public management model of higher education to find out if there are
advances in the process and structure of Portuguese universities transformed into a foundation
when compared with the management of traditional higher education. In the Lusitanian
territory, adherence to foundational regime is regulated by Law No. 62/2007 of 10 September
2007. Three universities have been transformed into foundations. This research is multicase
(TRIVIÑOS, 2006) or case study (YIN, 2005) using historical documentary data collection
(MINAYO, 2001; SELLTIZ; WRIGHTSMAN; COOK, 2001), according to the basic
research approach (LAKATOS; MARCONI, 1991). The analysis was qualitative and
descriptive (KERLINGER, 1980) and held in the second half of 2012 and first half of 2013.
The study concludes that University-Foundation’s model of public management is an attempt
of corporatization higher education with the aim of introducing a more professional and
efficient management through the use of contracts. This new model introduced major changes
in the governance of portuguese universities studied with reflection in the process of decision
making.
