Functions of the Quality Assurance Board

The Self-Assessment, Evaluation and Accreditation Model (AVA 3) assigns the following functions to the PQA:

1. activate any useful initiative to promote the culture of quality[1] within a single quality assurance process, concerning aspects related to teaching, research and third mission/social impact;
2. support the University structures in the construction of Quality Assurance processes and related procedures by preparing guidelines and documentation to support the processes of self-assessment, evaluation, review of Degree Programmes, Research Doctorates, Departments (Faculties for UCSC) and CPDS;
3. supervise and monitor the implementation of QA procedures, propose common tools for QA, provide training activities on QA and support to Degree Programmes, Doctoral Programmes and Departments (Faculties for UCSC) for QA activities;
4. support the University for the monitoring of QA processes and for the review of the Governance System and the QA System.

As part of the QA system adopted by UCSC and described in the relevant document, in accordance with ANVUR indications, the QA has the task of supervising the performance of QA procedures and plays an important role of liaison with the structures responsible for QA, through an effective system of communication with and between the various actors.

As is well known, QA brings together the set of activities through which the University promotes a process of continuous improvement, aimed at involving all interested parties, both internal and external, with the aim of meeting the expected quality requirements, through the management of coordinated actions to guide and keep under control the processes that characterise it. With reference to the university system, through the QA system, the Governing Bodies implement their own quality policy. The QA system includes design, implementation, observation/monitoring and control actions. These actions are carried out under the supervision of a manager, who is responsible for analysing both the actions and the tools used.

The UCSC Governing Bodies – Rector, Board of Directors and Academic Senate – are responsible for defining the lines of the quality policy and the QA structure that must implement these policies. The responsibility for this structure has been identified in the University Quality Assurance Board, while responsibility for the quality of teaching, research and the third mission lies with those who work in such fields. 

UCSC implements its quality policy through the FPA through design, implementation, monitoring and control actions with the aim of ensuring that each actor involved in the process is aware of its tasks and carries them out in compliance with the defined programming. The UCSC PQA ensures the correct implementation of the QA process of training activities, research and third mission activities and doctoral programmes. QA in teaching is implemented by monitoring and evaluating the management of the educational offer - from design to review - taking all Degree Programmes as reference subjects, while QA in Research and Third Mission is carried out by taking Faculties as reference subjects. Doctoral programmes are involved in these same processes. 

The PQA guarantees that the service provided is effective – carrying out the quality assurance process according to the requirements of traceability, transparency and efficiency – defining actions and interventions whose results can be assessed. The QA process must in fact allow the University to carry out a path of continuous improvement both in reference to the objectives defined and in relation to the tools used to support it.