The Creation of the Departments in the Polytechnic School

The creation of the Departments at the Polytechnic School occurred with the University Reformation in 1968, at the Federal University of Bahia, which was the first Brazilian university to implement the changes. Before that there was the Lifetime Chairs, responsible for various areas of knowledge, having a Professor responsible for the activities of each of them. These professors made the congregation the highest deliberative mean of the University Academic Units (Faculties, Schools and Institutes).

The minutes of six-hundred fifty-first session of the Congregation of the Polytechnic School, held on January 3, 1969 is the first to refer to the departmentalization of the school, as follows: "Before proceeding to the agenda, the Chairman presented the Congregation new departmentalization of the school, made to meet the University Reform. "The Departmental Council was introduced with the Reformation, which had seat the Department Heads, certainly in conflict with the Congregation, which would still be the Holders Teachers place, new name of the former Professors that even after the Reformation, still retained much of their power at the University.

So from 1969, the following departments have been working at the Polytechnic School with autonomy granted by law, to manage all matters of academic nature, including Education, Research and Extension, in their area: These are the Departments of Construction and Structures, Science and Technology of Materials, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Transport and Hydraulics and Sanitation.

The DME - Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Federal University of Bahia, works on the 5th floor of the Polytechnic School since its creation in 1969.