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The University of Trento Quality Assurance Board (PQA), in accordance with the indications given by the University governing bodies, ensures the efficacy and uniformity of the quality assurance (QA) processes.

The University of Trento’s Independent Evaluation Board (NdV) constantly and systematically assesses the performance of the University’s study programmes, research and general organisation, verifies the QA processes are functioning effectively and contributing to the improvement of internal QA processes and highlights excellence.

The University’s governing bodies evaluate the documents produced by the QA Board (PQA), the Joint Student-Teacher Committees (CPDS) and the Independent Evaluation Board (NdV) in order to verify whether the University’s strategic mission is being followed and to take any necessary actions when outcomes differ from those expected.

The Departments and Centres provide, coordinate and manage all the University’s teaching and learning and research activities, respecting in full the autonomy of its teaching and research staff. Within their relevant discipline areas, they also provide the necessary support to other Departments/Centres to guarantee the delivery of all the University’s programmes. They also promote outreach initiatives with external institutions, businesses and civil society, and foster knowledge transfer.

Departments and Centres are the primary actors in guaranteeing the QA of their study programmes (CdS), drafting and approving their programme specifications and regulations, ensuring the teaching staff is sufficient to cover all courses on offer in any academic year, and drafting/updating the information in the annual programme report (SUA-CdS) for all its programmes.

The Departments and Centres also draft the annual research report (SUA-RD), which provides the information and data necessary for an assessment of its research activities and monitors third mission actions, all according to the AVA framework.

Each Department/Centre has its own CPDS, which ensures the widest possible representation of students from the study programmes offered by the Department/Centre.

It is responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning of all programmes, identifying indicators for the evaluation of programme performance, and also expresses its opinion on the activation of new and/or discontinuation of existing study programmes.

CPDS drafts an annual report which provides a general overview of the Department or Centre’s teaching activities and examines each Study Programme, making specific reference to the results of the student feedback forms and identifying any eventual problems with individual programmes.

The CPDS has a dual nature in so far as students are both active members of the academic community and end users of the educational experience.

While independent, the CPDS has a fundamental role in the two pillars of QA processes, namely continuous quality enhancement and quality accountability.

The CPDS may also express opinions on:

  • whether closing down a programme is grounded in valid reasons, and the effects this might have on students still enrolled on the programme
  • whether those proposing the institution of a new programme have evaluated whether the resources available - in terms of classrooms, teaching staff, student support services - are adequate, and existing programmes are in no way affected
  • the programme teaching and learning regulations, in particular the coherence between credits awarded for each course component and the programme learning objectives and outcomes.

The QA Delegate is the principal actor who interacts with the Department/Centre Director in order to conduct the two fundamental QA processes: continuous enhancement on the one hand and evaluation and accreditation on the other.

In particular, the QA Delegate is responsible for:

  1. promoting and fostering a quality culture across the Department/Centre, both regarding the individual members of the academic community (teacher, student, technical and administrative staff), and the efficient functioning of the Department/Centre and its governing bodies;
  2. verifying that all actions required in both internal QA processes and external review procedures are correctly executed by the appropriate bodies and this is recorded in the documentation required by the AVA Framework;
  3. drafting an Annual Report on the functioning of the Department or Centre’s QA framework and its processes.

Within the QA Framework, the study programme is responsible for drafting the annual programme review (SMA) and the periodic programme review.

The SMA critically comments on the Anvur quantitative indicators regarding student progression, programme attractiveness, internationalisation, graduate employability, qualifications of the teaching staff, and graduate satisfaction.

The periodic programme review, (carried out at least every 5 years) uses all the data, feedback and tools available to provide a detailed analysis of the overall performance of the programme. This report identifies any issues and challenges arising and puts forward solutions.

The Programme Coordinator is responsible for the planning, managing and continuous enhancement of the study programme. He/She is also responsible for all programme review processes.

The Programme Review Panel (which includes student representatives) is the principal actor in the internal programme review process, in so far as the members are all directly engaged in putting the review process into practice.

Students contribute to academic life and in improving the educational experience at the University through their representatives. Student representatives are always on hand to answer questions, give advice, report on any issues which need addressing and put forward suggestions and ideas aimed at improving both teaching and learning and university services.

Representatives of the student community are members of the main governing bodies.

Students are also members of the Programme Review Panel. Their main role is to put forward any issues, suggestions and feedback to enhance the study programmes and to guarantee that there is full transparency and accessibility to all relevant information.

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