Phases and faces of university extension: routes and conceptions

This study, exploratory qualitative design, aims to analyze the course of University Extension in Brazil, with attention to phases (in the historical and contextual sense) and faces (in the epistemological and ideological directions) in this context. Specifically aimed at knowing the conception of university extension; identify and analyze the concepts and meanings attributed to the extension and promote visibility to the assumptions of university extension in the academic scope. From theoretical frameworks, highlights to the contributions of Paulo Freire, and reviewed documents, contains the final reports from the meetings of FORPROEX and FOREXT. Results. We note the existence of three historical and ideological phases/faces, about the academic extension, to quote: the provision of services, the welfare and the dialogic extension. Conclusions. The documents analyzed conceive the extension as a dialogic process, and link its meaning to the institutional and educational mission of the universities.