Target of Federal Police investigation, suspended rector of UFSC found dead in shopping mall.

247 - The suspended rector of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Luiz Carlos Cancellier, was found dead on Monday morning (2) at Beiramar Shopping, in Florianópolis.

Cancellier was the target of Operation Deaf Ears, which investigates the misappropriation of funds and irregularities in distance learning courses in the Open University of Brazil (UAB) program at UFSC. He was arrested by the Federal Police on September 14, along with six other suspects involved in the scheme, and released the following day.

Through a statement, the shopping center's press office reported that a man had committed suicide on Monday morning (2), jumping from the central atrium of the building. UFSC published the following text on its website:

The rector of UFSC, Luiz Carlos Cancellier de Olivo, has passed away.
02/10/2017 12:03

The Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) regretfully announces the passing of its rector, Luiz Carlos Cancellier de Olivo, on the morning of Monday, October 2nd.

Vice-rectorates and secretariats of the Central Administration suspended activities starting at 11:00 AM, due to the tragic event.

Luis Carlos Cancellier de Olivo, 60 years old, is a native of Tubarão. In 1977, he enrolled in the Law course at UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina) and, as a university student, became involved in the student movement, which was a focus of resistance to the military dictatorship. He interrupted his studies to work as a journalist for "O Estado" (Florianópolis) and in Brasília, advising parliamentarians from Santa Catarina. He also actively participated in campaigns for amnesty, direct elections, the election of Tancredo Neves, and the Constituent Assembly, as well as the "Out with Collor" movement. In 1996, he resumed his studies, completing his undergraduate degree in Law and subsequently earning a master's and doctorate in the same field. He was a professor and director of the Center for Legal Sciences (CCJ) at the University.

Cancellier has published books and articles on legal topics and engages in a range of activities related to Administrative Law and Public Administration. In his victorious campaign for the rectorship in 2015, representing the "UFSC Can Do More" movement, he advocated for an administrative model that would restore excellence and efficiency to the institution, focusing on decentralizing management and valuing and involving all university centers and units in decision-making.

Almost all of his academic training was completed at UFSC: undergraduate degree in Law (1998), master's degree in Law (2001), and doctorate in Law (2003). He is a specialist in University Management (2000) and Tax Law (Cesusc, 2002). He teaches Administrative Law II in the undergraduate course and Seminar on Law and Literature in the postgraduate program (PPGD). He has been a professor of Administrative Law and Public Law Institutions at the Open University of Brazil (UAB) since 2006. He is a professor of Public and Administrative Law in the Postgraduate Program in University Administration at UFSC (PPGAU). Member of the Editorial Board of EdUFSC (2009 to 2013). He headed the Department of Law at UFSC (2009-2011) and presided over the José Arthur Boiteux Foundation (Funjab) from 2009-2010. He was the director of the Center for Legal Sciences (CCJ) at UFSC.

After learning of his victory in the 2015 election for Rector, Cancellier prioritized "finding funds to supplement the University's expenses, especially after the cuts announced by the federal government. We have to look for other alternatives and sources of financial resources. Teaching, research, and outreach cannot be compromised." He also emphasized "the need to seek dialogue with all sectors of the university community," one of the hallmarks of his administration.