The University of Trento promotes the constant enhancement of the quality of its Departments and Centres, study programmes, research, and third mission, using the tools indicated by the AVA framework (internal QA, external QA and accreditation of the Italian university system) and as part of the Quality assurance policy of the University.

Quality Assurance of Teaching and Learning

As far as research is concerned, the department promotes and incentivises the activities of research groups and individual researchers in its various components (scientific productivity, participation in competitive research projects, interaction and collaboration with the social and industrial world, and international partnerships) by allocating a share of the research funds, and uses these components for the evaluation of research activities and the allocation of financial resources.

The department's activities fit into seven general thematic areas recognised in the University's Strategic Plan:

  • Environmental Resources, Safety and Climate Change
  • Mechanics of Solids and Structural/Infrastructural Systems
  • Earth Observation, Planning and Design for Environmental and Urban Sustainability
  • Architectural Sciences. Representation, Design, Construction and Conservation for the Built Environment and Sustainability
  • Modelling and Simulation in Engineering and Science
  • Energy and Green Technologies
  • Wireless Technologies and Systems

The objective is excellence in research, accompanied by a consistent increase in the transfer of knowledge to the territory and the productive reality.

The expected results are:

  • research products, such as publications in international indexed journals, patents;
  • international recognition, such as invited lectures in international universities and research centres or at international scientific conferences;
  • participation in European projects funded or promoted by the EU, as P.I. or partner;
  • cooperation agreements with other universities or research organisations;
  • research contracts financed by public and private bodies;
  • significant impact on teaching;
  • Master's and PhD theses.

The Department has a strongly interdisciplinary character and comprises 9 of the 14 ANVUR disciplinary areas. This ensures a plurality of expertise and an integrated view of problems. The Department pursues interdisciplinary integration and collaboration between groups to foster internal cohesion and to exploit the opportunities of a global approach to problems

Student Feedback on Teaching and Learning

The students of the Department/Centre/School can help identify and address any quality issues concerning academic or support services provided by the Department/Centre/School, and report any inappropriate behaviour, through:

  • the student representatives in the Department Council and in other bodies
  • the coordinators of their degree programme
  • or by email to dicam [at] unitn.it. All reports will be forwarded to the relevant person and treated confidentially.

Other university bodies that students can contact are:

  • The Student Ombudsperson, who is available to all students and can help with relations with teaching and technical-administrative staff
  • The Committee for Equal Opportunities, Well-Being at Work and Against Discrimination, which works to promote and protect equal opportunities and well-being in the working environment among the University’s staff
  • The Confidential Counsellor, is in charge of preventing, managing and helping to resolve any cases of bullying and sexual harassment occurring in the workplace or study environment brought to his/her attention.

For information and suggestions concerning student and support services you can contact:

Assicurazione qualità della Ricerca e della Terza missione

Per quanto riguarda la ricerca il Dipartimento incentiva l'attività scientifica dei gruppi di ricerca e dei singoli ricercatori nelle sue varie componenti (produttività scientifica, partecipazione a progetti di ricerca competitivi, interazione e collaborazione con la realtà' sociale e industriale, partnership internazionali) e utilizza tali componenti per la valutazione delle attività di ricerca e per la suddivisione delle risorse finanziarie.

Le attività del dipartimento si inseriscono in due aree tematiche generali riconosciute dall'Ateneo:
A) lo sviluppo sostenibile: ambiente, territorio e risorse naturali;
B) innovazione tecnologica e supporto allo sviluppo produttivo.

Nell'area (A) si collocano le ricerche relative alla qualità dell'ambiente naturale e urbano, al miglioramento della qualità della vita, alla sicurezza e allo sfruttamento delle risorse naturali compatibilmente con la sostenibilità ambientale delle iniziative.

Nell'area (B) si collocano le ricerche di carattere tecnologico con ricadute nella realtà produttiva internazionale, nazionale e locale.

L'obiettivo è l'eccellenza nella ricerca, accompagnata da un incremento consistente del trasferimento delle conoscenze al territorio e alla realtà produttiva.

I risultati attesi sono:

  • prodotti della ricerca, quali pubblicazioni su riviste internazionale indicizzate, brevetti;
  • riconoscimenti internazionali, quali relazioni invitate in università e centri di ricerca internazionali o in conferenze scientifiche internazionali;
  • partecipazione a progetti europei finanziati o promossi dall'UE, come P.I. o partner;
  • accordi di cooperazione con altre università o enti di ricerca;
  • contratti di ricerca finanziati da enti pubblici e privati;
  • ricadute significative sulla didattica;
  • tesi di laurea magistrale e di dottorato di ricerca.

Il Dipartimento ha un carattere fortemente interdisciplinare, e comprende 7 delle 14 aree disciplinari di ANVUR. Questo garantisce pluralità di competenze e visione integrata dei problemi. Il Dipartimento persegue la integrazione interdisciplinare e la collaborazione tra i gruppi per favorire la coesione interna e per sfruttare le opportunità di un approccio globale ai problemi.

Il Dipartimento risulta da sempre impegnato in attività di terza missione rivolte a dare il proprio contributo alla società esterna (locale, nazionale e internazionale) basato sullo studio, sulla ricerca e sul know how tecnico maturati dai professori, dai ricercatori e dai collaboratori del Dipartimento.

La ricerca è di natura sia pura che applicata su tutte le aree di competenza, ragione per cui i contatti e le interazioni con enti esterni, sia di natura pubblica che privata, sono intensi e numerosi.

La tipologia di attività che vengono perseguite e ricomprese nel quadro della terza missione sono svariate e possono essere ricondotte principalmente alle tipologie riportate di seguito:

  • formazione continua
  • public engagement
  • spin off
  • brevetti
  • attività conto terzi

The organisation of Quality Assurance - Actors in the Quality Assurance Framework

Director

The Director coordinates the Department's/Centre's teaching and scientific policies and ensures their implementation, represents the Department/Centre, presides over the Council and the Executive Committee and enacts their decisions.

Delegate for Quality

The Delegate for Quality promotes the constant monitoring and enhancement of the Quality of Teaching and Learning, Research and Third Mission at the Department, while ensuring constant coordination between the University and Department on QA processes and initiatives.

The Delegate for Quality at the Department is Professor Giovanni Battista Benciolini

Department Council

The Council is the collective body of the Department and is the body with overall responsibility for quality assurance.

 Actors in the Quality of Teaching and Learning

Joint Student-Teacher Committee

Each Department has its own Joint Student-Teacher Committee (CPDS, Commissione Paritetica docenti-studenti) and ensures the widest possible representation of students from the Degree Programmes it offers. The Committee:

  • monitors the quality of study programmes and of teaching and learning
  • identifies indicators for the evaluation of programme performance
  • expresses its opinion on the activation of new and/or discontinuation of existing study programmes
  • reports the opinions and views of students to their representatives for each study programme.

Programme Coordinators

Programme Coordinators:

  • are responsible for planning and revising the programmes of study
  • are responsible for drafting the Annual Programme Report (SUA-CdS), the Annual Programme Reviews and the Periodic Programme Review
  • carry out effective monitoring regarding programme performance, ensuring that
    • actions proposed during previous reviews are implemented
    • learning objectives are periodically reviewed
    • programme learning objectives are monitored.
  • act in a timely manner to address any issues.

The Programme Coordinators can be found on the contact page of each study programme

Subject-Area Self-Assessment Panels

These panels hold the primary role in the monitoring and conducting the internal review, as they implement the review process. They:

  • draft the Annual Monitoring Report
  • draft the Periodic Programme Review
  • in case of critical issues, propose actions to address them.

Student representatives

The main role of student representatives is to report on any problematic issues and suggestions from students relating to improving the teaching and learning experience.

They also ensure full transparency and disclosure of information.

They participate in all review panels and in the Joint Student-Teacher Committee.