Quality Assurance System Actors

The main actors of the University’s Quality Assurance System are:

Quality Assurance Unit

Members:

  • Prof. Gherardo Mazziotti (Head of PQA)
  • Dr. Paolo Almagioni
  • Dr. Maria De Santis
  • Dr. Diletta Di Mitri
  • Prof. Simona Lodato
  • Dr. Agnese Mapelli
  • Prof. Giuseppe Mercante
  • Dr. Pamela Panico
  • Dr. Federico Zangrandi

The Quality Assurance Unit oversees the implementation of Quality Assurance procedures throughout the University, based on the guidelines of the governing bodies, and develops and spreads the culture of quality at Governance and individual courses level.

In particular, the Unit is in charge of:

  • Implementing Quality Assurance policies on the basis of inputs received from the Board of Directors and external regulatory bodies i.e. the University and Research Ministry (MUR) and the National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems (ANVUR)
  • Guaranteeing the achievement of expected quality standards and their constant improvement through continuous monitoring of research activities self-evaluations, primary structures, as well as teaching activities for each degree programme
  • Organizing and monitoring student opinion surveys
  • Preparing an annual report on the activities and actions carried out in order to monitor and ensure the internal Quality Assurance
  • Disseminating what has been defined to the University Evaluation Committee, the Joint Teacher-Student Committee and the Department

University Evaluation Committee

Members:

  • Prof. Massimo Castagnaro
  • Prof. Emanuela Confalonieri
  • Prof. Giancarlo Ruocco
  • Dr. Mara Soncin
  • Dr. Laura Sandrone
  • Student Giovanni De Vivo

The University Evaluation Commitee is made up of 5 members from outside the University, who have expertise within evaluation processes, and a representative student from Humanitas University.

The Committee has the responsibility of continuously and systemically verifying the Athenaeum’s performance in terms of organisation, research and teaching activities and to assess the overall quality of the processes, contributing to the improvement of the internal self-assessment system.

With regard to the accreditation procedures of the bodies and the Degree Programme Board, the EC performs the following functions:

  • It expresses a binding opinion on the fulfillment of the requirements to establish the initial accreditation process for new degree programmes;
  • It verifies the proper functioning of the Quality Assurance system and provides support to ANVUR and MUR in monitoring the compliance with the initial and periodic accreditation requirements for structures and degree programmes;
  • It provides support to the University’s governing bodies in the development of additional indicators to achieve the objectives of its Strategic Plan, also on the basis of indicators identified by the Joint Teacher Student Committee;
  • It evaluates the implementation of the Quality Assurance system in the Degree Programme Boards and Departments also by means of periodic meetings.

It is also responsible for preparing an Annual Report according to the specifications made by ANVUR, which includes information on the activities relating to the Self-assessment, Periodic Evaluation, Accreditation, submitted to the Board of Directors and sent to ANVUR.

Joint Teacher – Student Committee

Members:

  • Prof. Roberto Rusconi (Presidente CPDS)
  • Dr. Alessia Artesani
  • Dr. Linda Bussini
  • Dr. Marta Calatroni
  • Dr. Daniela Caldirola
  • Prof. Ferdinando Cananzi
  • Prof. Laura Evangelista
  • Dr. Carolina Greco
  • Dr. Massimiliano Greco
  • Dr. Mattia Loppini
  • Dr. Davide Pozzi
  • Dr. Flavio Ronzoni
  • Student Antonio Papatolo (MEDTEC School)
  • Student Francesco Farina (MEDTEC School)
  • Student Marta Pagano (Medicine and Surgery Course)
  • Student Sofia Poggi Longostrevi (Medicine and Surgery Course)
  • Student Bianca Fidato (Nursing Course – Pieve Emanuele)
  • Student Denise Debora Rodriguez Medrano (Nursing Course – Castellanza)
  • Student Michele Scaccabarozzi (Nursing Course – Bergamo)
  • Student Stefano Marinoni (Physiotherapy Course)
  • Student Kadija Fiorenzo (Nursing Course – Catania)
  • Student Eleonora Kappler (Biomedical Laboratory Techniques Course)
  • Student Giulia Alessandra Cicatello (Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy Techniques Course)
  • Student Alessandro Volpe (Masters of Science in Nursing and Midwifery)

The Joint Teacher Student Committee is established at Department level, with an equal number of teachers and students from the relevant degree programmes. It is responsible for evaluating:

  • The expected learning outcomes and skills to ensure fulfillment of employment prospects;
  • The effectiveness of teaching and learning activities, teaching and examination methods, equipment and the logistics system;
  • The effectiveness of corrective measures relating to the teaching and learning activities and services, as well as transparency of the information published on the Degree Programmes

The Joint Teacher Student Committee prepares an annual report for each degree programme, containing the proposals and any improvement actions that could resolve specific problems of each of the programme, with particular reference to the results of the student opinion survey. The annual report is subsequently sent to the Quality Assurance Unit, the University Evaluation Committee, and the Quality Assurance/Review Groups.

The Degree Programme Boards

The Degree Programme Boards plan and implement the University’s educational pathway and are directed by the Head of the Programme, that presides over the Teaching Committee and supervises the degree programme activities. In the healthcare degree programmes, the Head of the Programme is assisted by a degree programme Coordinator.

The main Quality Assurance processes and procedures in which the Degree Programmes are involved are:

  • Design of a new programme and review and monitoring of ongoing programmes
  • Self-assessment and evaluation of the Degree Programme
  • Syllabus drafting and its publication

It is also the responsibility of the Degree Programme, under the responsibility of the Head of the Degree Programme, to prepare the Annual Schedule for the Degree Programme (SUA-CDS), consisting of a section related to Quality and another one related to Administration. Access to the public sections of the SUA-CDS is provided through the Universitaly portal in the section dedicated to the educational offer.

As part of the Quality Assurance process, each Degree Programme appoints a Quality Assurance/Review Group within the members of the Teaching Committee, which, chaired by the Head or the Coordinator of the Programme, is responsible for its continuous improvement.

The Quality Assurance/Review Group is responsible for drafting:

  • The Annual Monitoring Form
    This document provides a brief critical comment on the quantitative indicators calculated by ANVUR
  • The Periodical Report
    This document (carried out at intervals of no more than five years) contains an in-depth self-assessment of the overall performance of the degree programme, on the basis of all the useful elements of analysis.

The Department

The Department promotes, coordinates and manages teaching and scientific research activities, as well as related external activities. It also defines the research activities on the basis of what is defined in the Strategic Plan and prepares an annual report on the quality of research activities.

The Student Council

The Student Council is the structure responsible for the autonomous organization of students, and is an advisory body which exercises the functions provided for by the University Statute.

Staff

The Staff works at different levels of responsibility on all Quality Assurance processes of the University and ensures, together with the Faculty representatives and the entire Faculty itself, collaboration and discussion with the management of the affiliated healthcare facilities.

Acronyms

AQ: Quality Assurance
AVA: Self-assessment, periodic evaluation, accreditation
CDA: Board of Directors
SA: Academic Senate
SUA-CDS: Annual Degree Programme Document (Programme contents)
CDS: Degree Programmes Board
Annual Monitoring Forms of the Degree Programmes and University: a form that sets out the results of specifications made by ANVUR [National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems]
CPDS: Joint Teacher-Student Committee
Quality Assurance/Review Group: evaluation group of the degree programmes takes care of the periodic monitoring forms at the end of the degree programme cycles. This group comprises teaching staff and a student from the degree programmes
NDV: University Evaluation Committee (External Audit)
PQA: Quality Assurance Unit, an internal body that monitors and guarantees the functioning of the Quality Processes
Faculty representatives: researchers, tenured and non-tenured associate and full professors required to activate a degree programme
MUR: Ministry of University and Research
ANVUR: National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems
CUN: National University Council
RaD: Teaching of Regulation fields
APS: Academic Performance System (monitoring system developed by the University)
HUMANITAS GROUP

Humanitas is a highly specialized Hospital, Research and Teaching Center. Built around centers for the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and orthopedic disease – together with an Ophthalmic Center and a Fertility Center – Humanitas also operates a highly specialised Emergency Department.