Recognition granted to an academic institution (and its degree programmes) of its possession and continued compliance with the requirements that make it suitable for the delivery of degree programmes and authorize it to award the corresponding qualifications. Accreditation is granted by the MIUR on the proposal of ANVUR, which is delegated to define the criteria, requirements and quality indicators of degree programmes and their respective locations, including those relating to the efficiency and sustainability of universities. Accreditation is governed by Legislative Decree 19/2012, implementing Law 240/2010.

Authorization by the MIUR to activate university locations and degree programmes, following verification of compliance with the teaching, research qualification, structural, organizational and economic-financial sustainability requirements defined by the regulations (Legislative Decree 19/2012, Ministerial Decree 987/2016).

Verification by ANVUR, through on-site visits or remote assessments, of the continued existence of the requirements that led to initial accreditation and of compliance with additional quality, efficiency and effectiveness requirements of the activities carried out. Periodic accreditation applies to any decentralized locations of the accredited university.

Set of scientifically and professionally related scientific-disciplinary sectors, defined by ministerial decrees.

ANVUR oversees the national public system for the evaluation of universities and public and private research institutions receiving public funding. Based on the results of its evaluation activities, state funding is allocated to universities and research institutions.

It carries out external evaluation activities of the quality of universities and research institutions, coordination and supervision of the activities of internal evaluation units, and evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of research and innovation funding and incentive programmes.

Groupings of educational activities, each with a specific function within the educational pathway. They may correspond to the disciplinary areas provided for in the degree class descriptions.

Set of internal processes relating to the design, management and self-assessment of educational and scientific activities, including forms of internal and external verification, aimed at improving the quality of higher education in compliance with universities' responsibility towards society.

Set of the administrative, teaching and research structures of a university.

Set of activities that contribute to defining the educational pathway. These include courses, laboratories, internships, the preparation of the degree thesis and any other activities.

This is the integrated system for strengthening self-assessment, the accreditation of degree programmes and locations, and the periodic evaluation of university activities and results. It constitutes the set of ANVUR activities provided for by the regulations for the introduction of the initial and periodic accreditation system for degree programmes and university locations, the periodic evaluation of quality, efficiency and results achieved by universities, and the strengthening of the self-assessment system.

Pursuant to Article 4 of the Interministerial Decree of 17 April 2003, this is a document through which, for Degree Programmes delivered entirely or predominantly at a distance, the methods, study plans, rules governing the provision of services, and the teaching methodologies adopted and service levels offered are set out.

A body made up of representatives from the world of work, culture, and research, which may be established as a permanent representation of the stakeholders of one or more Degree Programmes.

Committee appointed by ANVUR to carry out the periodic accreditation visit. It includes system experts, disciplinary experts, student experts, and telematic experts where предусмотрed. It conducts the preliminary review of the documentation, the visit, and drafts the preliminary and final report.

Committee established at Department level, for groups of homogeneous Degree Programmes or, where applicable, at the level of the coordinating structure, composed in equal parts of faculty members and students. It is responsible for monitoring the educational offer and the quality of teaching, identifying indicators for evaluating outcomes, and issuing opinions on the activation and discontinuation of Degree Programmes.

Ability to use the knowledge and skills acquired in study and/or work contexts; the set of learning outcomes with disciplinary, methodological, and transversal aspects.

Clause concerning the resolution of problems, serious or numerous, identified by the CEV, which it considers must be overcome within a defined time frame.

Expression that collectively identifies Degree Programmes of universities, including non-telematic ones, whose educational activities are delivered in telematic mode for at least two thirds of the total number of university credits awarded.

Expression that collectively identifies Degree Programmes of non-telematic universities, whose educational activities are delivered in person and/or in telematic mode for less than two thirds of the total number of university credits awarded.

A study programme, normally lasting three years, which constitutes the first level of university studies. Its aim is to ensure that students acquire an adequate command of general scientific methods and content, also oriented towards the acquisition of specific professional knowledge.

Master’s Degree Programme, normally lasting five years or more, which does not require the prior attainment of a first-cycle degree.

A study programme, normally lasting two years, which constitutes the second level of university studies. Its aim is to provide students with advanced and critical-level training, enabling them to carry out highly qualified activities in specific fields.

A cycle of study upon completion of which an academic qualification is obtained. The term applies to Bachelor’s Degree Programmes, Master’s Degree Programmes and Single-Cycle Master’s Degree Programmes and, for the third cycle, to Specialisation and Research Doctorate Programmes. Ministerial Decree 635/2016 distinguishes between conventional Degree Programmes, blended programmes, predominantly distance-learning programmes and fully distance-learning programmes.

Conventional mode in which the lecturer responsible for the course carries out teaching activities in the presence of the students attending the course.

Teaching activity delivered using telematic teaching environments and systems. It may include delivery teaching in the form of video lectures and interactive teaching as a complement, with collaborative activities, formative assessments, assignments, group work, and interactive videoconferences.

Includes the full set of courses, their corresponding ECTS credits, and the scientific-disciplinary sectors предусмотрed for the entire study programme of the reference cohort.

Academic body with responsibilities for promoting and organising research and teaching activities, including the planning and coverage of courses, the proposal to activate or discontinue degree programmes, and the management of shared services.

Updated version of the Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area, adopted in 2005 by the European Ministers responsible for higher education and updated in 2015.

Expert evaluators responsible for assessing institutional aspects and coordinating the work of the sub-CEV to which each of them is assigned.

Expert evaluators responsible for assessing the disciplinary aspects of the degree programme(s) and/or department(s) assigned to them and for participating in the evaluation activities of the CEV.

Expert evaluators responsible for assessing, at institutional, degree programme and department level, the aspects directly concerning students and, in particular, the communication strategies of the degree programme from the standpoint of clarity and effectiveness.

Expert evaluators responsible for assessing, at institutional, degree programme and department level, the aspects concerning the specific features of distance learning and the technical aspects of the technological platforms used.

Outcome of the analysis of the requirements carried out by the CEV, also expressed through the scores assigned to the individual points of attention, from which the assessment of the individual indicators derives. The judgement for the degree programmes examined is expressed in the form of a proposal for accreditation or non-accreditation. The institutional judgement derives from the combination of the scores relating to the institutional requirements, the degree programmes and the departments evaluated.

See Quality Requirements.

Indicators provided by ANVUR for each degree programme and each university for monitoring purposes, relating to student careers, their employability, and other key aspects. They are used to analyse the functioning of degree programmes and identify areas for improvement.

Application platform that enables the delivery of courses in e-learning mode, managing the distribution of online courses, student enrolment, tracking of learning activities, and assessment of knowledge.

General planning document that defines the mission and overall strategic directions of the University, as well as the objectives and actions related to Quality Assurance.

Body responsible for verifying and assessing, in line with international guidelines, legal provisions and criteria defined by ANVUR, the quality and effectiveness of the University's educational offer, research activity, proper management of facilities and staff, and the impartiality of administrative action.

Summary of learning outcomes, articulated according to the Dublin Descriptors, contributing to the achievement of the cultural and professional profile and detailed in the expected learning outcomes.

Document defining the titles and educational objectives of the degree programmes, the general framework of the training activities to be included in the curricula, the credits assigned to each training activity, and the characteristics of the final examination for the award of the degree.

Organised system of training activities contributing to the achievement of educational objectives.

Three-year planning document consistent with the general policy guidelines defined by ministerial decree.

The set of the University’s governance and regulatory activities.

Expressions identifying all types of interlocutors, internal and external, interested in the services and activities of the University or interacting with it in various capacities, such as students, faculty, technical-administrative staff, families, schools, institutions, businesses, scientific and professional organizations.

Practice proposed by the CEV as a meritorious example.

Structure that oversees the implementation of QA procedures at University level, in Degree Programmes and Departments, on the basis of the guidelines formulated by the Governing Bodies, ensuring the management of internal and external information flows and supporting the action of the structures.

Figure intended to be achieved at the end of the educational cycle, defined in its main scientific and professional aspects through the overall cultural character of the education provided and the cultural competences associated with the profile.

Document prepared for the periodic accreditation visit, in which the University provides a concise comment on the fulfilment of each point of attention of the institutional requirements, indicating the reference documents.

The term “quality” indicates the degree to which Universities achieve their teaching, research and third mission objectives, creating a foundation of advanced knowledge, participating in research and innovation, preparing students for active citizenship and supporting their cultural development in harmony with their motivations, expectations and personal prospects.

Notice concerning the need to resolve minor or limited issues identified by the CEV. The presence of recommendations does not prevent accreditation, and compliance with them is verified during the subsequent periodic accreditation.

Report on the visit drawn up by ANVUR on the basis of the CEV final report and any counter-arguments submitted by the University. It contains the judgment on the periodic accreditation of the Institution and the judgment for the Degree Programmes subject to the visit, subsequently transmitted to the Ministry for the final decision.

Summary document describing the outcome of the annual review. It is prepared annually with the aim of promoting the improvement of the effectiveness of education for students, focusing on data relating to entry, progression regularity, exit from the Degree Programme, student experience, and entry into the labour market.

Report drawn up according to the model prepared by ANVUR, containing an in-depth self-assessment of the performance of the Degree Programme, with a detailed indication of the problems and proposed solutions to be implemented in the subsequent cycle. It is produced at intervals of no more than five years, or when specific conditions предусмотрed.

Document, updated annually, which includes all the rules relating to the conduct of the educational activities of the degree programme and includes, among other things, the planned teaching activities.

Report produced collectively by the CEV. After the visit, a preliminary report is drawn up and sent to the University for any counter-arguments, and subsequently a final report is transmitted to ANVUR as the basis for formulating the accreditation judgment.

Requirements grid against which the CEV assesses, at central level, the university’s vision, strategies and policies and the QA system, and at local level the ways in which QA is implemented by degree programmes and departments. Each requirement consists of indicators and points of attention that contribute to the final accreditation judgment.

Periodic and scheduled review process. It is an essential act of the QA system, carried out at predetermined intervals to assess the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the institution’s action or of one of its internal units, in order to implement corrective and improvement measures.

Predefined ANVUR template within which indicators on student careers and other quantitative monitoring indicators are presented, which degree programmes must comment on briefly on an annual basis.

Document functional to the design, implementation, management, self-assessment and redesign of the degree programme. It collects the information needed to make known the graduate profiles, training objectives, educational pathway, learning outcomes and responsibilities relating to the degree programme’s QA system.

Document that collects, at Department and University level, information and data on scientific objectives, the organisation of research activities and related results, the quality policies pursued in relation to research, and critical review reflections.

Access control system that allows a user to perform a single authentication valid for multiple software systems or IT resources to which they are authorised.

Structure, however named, with functions of coordination and rationalisation of teaching activities, including the proposal to establish or discontinue Degree Programmes, and the management of shared services.

Detailed programme of each course taught in the degree programme, in which the lecturer sets out the course objectives and content, specifying in detail the topics, teaching materials and assessment methods. It may also contain other information useful for facilitating attendance and independent study.

Disciplinary areas of educational activities essential for achieving the qualifying educational objectives of each Degree Class. They are grouped into six types: basic, characterising, related or supplementary, student’s choice, linked to the final examination and foreign language, and further knowledge useful for entry into the labour market.

Figure who, in the case of a predominantly face-to-face degree programme, is employed in support activities for in-person educational activities or guidance. In predominantly distance-learning degree programmes, the types may be system, guidance and disciplinary.

Process for assessing the quality of scientific research carried out, during the period under assessment, by state and non-state universities, public Research Bodies supervised by the Ministry, and other public and private entities engaged in research activities.