Organisation and responsibility for Course QA
The Course Council, through its President, is also responsible for the information reported in the ANVUR documents (SUA-CdS, Annual Monitoring Form, Cyclic Review Report).
To this end, each school establishes a Review Group (RG) composed of figures from within the school itself who are able to contribute to the evaluation of the course from various points of view (teaching staff, technical-administrative staff, students). The Course Council is normally composed of the Course President, the Quality Assurance Manager (RAQ), a student representative and an Education Manager from the School's Department. The RG has the task of guiding the degree course towards the goal of continuous improvement of its results. The RG manages the process of self-evaluation, i.e. the process by which the degree course monitors its own performance and assesses its own results, also in accordance with the guidelines established by ANVUR.
During the self-evaluation process, the RG takes into consideration any information that may contribute to the analysis of the degree course results, more specifically:
the annual report from the Joint Committee of Teachers and Students of reference;
the Evaluation Committee report;
students' careers development;
the availability of specific services (tutoring, internationalization, guidance, internships, etc.); consultation with the socio-economic system of reference (including the Steering Committee, sector studies, specific meetings with social partners); the availability of resources (human and infrastructural); the students' opinion on teaching, on the organisation of the degree course and on the training pathway; any other report provided by the RAQ, the Education Manager and the Coordinator/Director of the educational quality service.
The work of the RG takes the form of the compilation of an Annual Monitoring Form and the drafting of the Cyclic Review Report, which is discussed within the Council of the relevant degree course and forwarded to the PQA and the University Evaluation Committee.
Quality Assurance Manager (https://cdl-info.unipr.it/il-corso/organi-del-corso-e-qualita-della-didattica) The Quality Assurance Manager (RAQ) has the function of monitoring and verifying the correct implementation of the improvement actions approved by the Course Council. The RAQ is identified from among the teaching staff of the degree course.
More specifically, the RAQ must:
check the effectiveness of Quality Assurance activities for the degree course;
collaborate, within the RG, to the preparation of the Annual Monitoring Form (SMA) and of the Cyclic Review Report (RRC);
check the correct publishing of examination calendar, graduation sessions calendar, lectures timetable, and foreseen seminars;
check that course units programmes, teaching staff curricula, etc. have all been duly published; make the student component aware of the role and functions of the RAQ; to receive and arrange for the handling of any reports from students on critical issues concerning the proper conduct of teaching activities.
The RAQ reports annually (normally by 31 October) on the activities carried out during the academic year in a written report to the Course Council.
Joint Committee of Teachers and Students (https://smfi.unipr.it/it/didattica/commissione-paritetica-docenti-studenti) Pursuant to the Articles of Association and the University Regulations and the Framework Regulations for the functioning of Departments, the Joint Committee of Teachers and Students (CPDS) of Departments are set up, consisting of a member of the teaching staff and a student for each degre course belonging to the Department. The CPDS, if deemed necessary, may be subdivided into subcommittees. And chaired by one of the tenured Professors.
The CPDS is a permanent observatory on teaching activities.
The CPDS: monitors the range of courses offered and the quality of teaching, as well as the service provided to students by professors and researchers within the Department; expresses an opinion on the consistency between the credits assigned to educational activities and the specific educational objectives set; identifies and monitors indicators for the evaluation of results; it formulates opinions on the activation and suppression of the degree courses; it analyses data and information on the course catalogue and the quality of teaching; it submits proposals to the Evaluation Committee for the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of the teaching structures; it monitors the indicators that measure the degree of achievement of the teaching objectives at the level of individual structures.
By 31 December of each year, the CPDS draws up a report in accordance with the quality assurance regulations and sends it to the Presidents of the degree courses pertaining to the Department, the Director of the Department, the Coordinator of the University Quality Assurance Committee and the Coordinator of the University Evaluation Committee.
Steering Committee (https://cdl-info.unipr.it/il-corso/organi-del-corso-e-qualita-della-didattica#CI) The Steering Committee, consisting of a representation of the Department's teaching staff and representatives from the world of work, ensures constant liaison with the world of business and the world of work, in order to assess the progress of the Degree Courses, to draw up proposals for the definition and design of the training offer and learning objectives, and to promote contacts for possible internships of students in companies and institutions.
Department Quality Assurance office (https://smfi.unipr.it/it/dipartimento/qualita-di-dipartimento) In this context, the role of Departments is of paramount importance, as they are fundamental organisational structures for carrying out scientific research, teaching and training activities, as well as for the transfer of knowledge and innovation and for related or ancillary external activities. The Director and the Department Council are the Department Governing Bodies responsible for defining the Quality Assurance Policies for Department Research and Teaching.
A Department Quality Assurance Committee (DQP) is established within each department. The PQD plays a supporting role to the PQA to make quality assurance policies more effective in the areas of research, teaching and third mission.
The following tasks are assigned to the Committee:
- monitor the processes, inter-processes and procedures of Quality Assurance, self-evaluation, review and improvement of courses of study, research and third mission at Department level; - ensure the correct flow of information to and from the University Quality Assurance Committee, the Evaluation Committee and the Department's Joint Committee of Teachers and Students - to propose to the Quality Assurance Manager the adoption of common tools for quality assurance and the provision of training activities for their application; - to provide support to the Courses of Study, to the Quality Assurance Managers (RAQ), to the Self-Assessment Groups (GAV) of the Courses of Study and to the Department Directors for quality assurance activities.
