Story

As part of the Bologna Process (www.bolognaprocess.it), in 2005 the Congregation for Catholic Education (CCE) requested all the ecclesiastical universities to create within each of them a Commission for the Promotion of Quality (CPQ).

According to the instructions of the CCE, the CPQ’s main tasks are: a) preparing an institutional strategic plan, b) identify quality tools, c) create a database to guide and effectively carry out a self-assessment process of the university.

This process of self-evaluation should be done in collaboration with the Agency for the Promotion and Assessment of Quality (AVEPRO) established by the Holy See for the purpose of stimulating the quality of research and teaching in academic ecclesiastical institutions and of assessing their compliance to international standards.

In response to this, at the beginning of 2006, the magnificent Rector instituted the first Commission, consisting of five professors and a staff member of the Registrar of the School Management Committees, with the task of developing the Guide to Institutional Assessment, taking into account the indications given by the Congregation for Catholic Education. This Guide has been revised and approved by the Academic Senate in May 2007.

Subsequently, the Rector, along with his Council, created the CPQ, currently composed of five members: a President, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the University, a Director for Promotion of Quality (DPQ), Ordinary Professor, who has no government rank at the University, two Lecturers, also without government position in the University, and a non-teaching clerk/manager.

The members of the CPQ are currently the following:

The CPQ also performs tasks of the Office for the Promotion of Quality.

The CPQ email address is: promoqualita [at] pusc [dot] it (subject: Da%20pagina%20web)

Internal self-evaluation

Since its creation, the CPQ has prepared, always in close contact with the Schools and ISSRA, the following questionnaires:

• Assessment survey of the University by School teachers.
• Survey for the evaluation of the University by ISSRA teachers.
• Assessment survey of University’s general services by students of the Schools.
• Survey for the assessment of University’s general services by ISSRA students.
• Evaluation survey of Schools’ courses.
• Survey for the evaluation of ISSRA courses.
• Self-assessment survey for of clerk-work by employees.

Starting from May 2011, distribution and analysis of data from the different surveys commenced. First, the surveys for evaluating the University’s general services and that for teachers have been proposed. In September 2011 the survey for self-assessment of the work of non-teaching staff was proposed. In the following month the corresponding surveys for ISSRA’s students and teachers were proposed. Finally, in January 2012, a questionnaire for the evaluation of each course was distributed to the students of different Schools. From that date, the online evaluation of every course has become a usual practice.

The results of the general questionnaires - cumulative surveys - are delivered to the representatives of the students. The assessment of individual courses is notified to the School, which forwards it, along with the cumulative survey of all courses, to the teachers involved.

For preparation of the University’s Self Assessment Report (Rapporto di Auto Valutazione - RAV), the Commission turned to each of the Faculties, to ISSRA and to the different units which are part of the University, asking them to prepare their own reports using the data obtained from questionnaires, the 2007’s Guide for institutional assessment and the document Quality Culture prepared by the Congregation for Catholic Education.

As recommended by CPQ, each School entrusted the report to a commission of two or three professors to process not belonging to the School Management. This report was later submitted to the School Management of each School to express its own opinion.

The CPQ has benefited from the work of the Schools and other Centers and Offices complying the overall report of the University. Finally, the Commission submitted its accomplished work to the judgment of relevant School Management Committees and the Rectorate in order to avoid distorting the work previously done by the Schools and other Units.

The first RAV has been edited on 2nd October 2012 and then handed to AVEPRO, which in turn, will transmit it to the members of the Commission for External Evaluation of the University.

External Evaluation

From 10th to 11th December 2013 the visit of the Commission for external evaluation will take place. Its members are: Rev. Prof. Ángel García Galindo (coordinator), Rector of the Pontifical University of Salamanca (Spain), Rev. Prof. James Canobbio, a professor in the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy; Rev. Prof. Ulrich Rhode, SJ, a professor of Canon Law in the Faculty of Philosophy-Theology Sankt Georgen (Frankfurt am Main, Germany), Prof. Vera Negri Zamagni, a professor at the University of Bologna (Italy) and Mr. Andrea Franzoni, a doctoral student in the Faculty of Theology of Emilia-Romagna (Italy).