Quality Assurance (QA) and the Organization at DMC

The Quality Assurance system adopted, which is consistent with the AVA system, is based on the definition of the responsibilities and roles of the parties involved, the processes through which they interact, and the associated information flows. Quality in the educational context requires that the degree programme (CdS):

specifies learning outcomes that are meaningful
enables students to achieve them within the set timeframe
certifies that the learning outcomes have been achieved
has a credible organisational structure.

Players and tools of QA in Teaching

The specific QA stakeholders within the Teaching sector are listed below. The central role of the Departmental Board is described in the section “Departmental organisation: Institutional bodies, committees and individual roles”.

The systematic documentation of the main processes of design, management, review and improvement of degree programmes is an integral part of the QA system. The key documents for the assessment of the Degree Programme Quality Requirement (R3 – Quality of Degree Programmes) are:

Annual Single Degree Programme Form (SUA-CdS);
Annual Monitoring Report (SMA);
Cyclical Review Report (RRC);
Report of the Joint Teaching Staff–Student Committee

The Joint Teachers-Students Committee (CPDS)

The Committee is established at School of Medicine level; we therefore suggest consulting:

The Joint Teaching-Student Committee (CPDS) of the School of Medicine

The students and their representatives

Students participate in the life and governance of the University, and in particular of their own teaching structure, through their representatives on the Degree Programme Council, the Department Council and the Department’s QA Committees.

The duties of the representatives are as follows:

listen to and consult the relevant student community
bring the issues collected to the competent collegial body
periodically report back to the student community on the decisions taken by the bodies
periodically bring together the relevant student community
maintain contact with representatives both within the Department’s bodies and committees and within the University’s governing bodies

propose improvement actions to the competent bodies.

In particular, student representatives on the CPDS and AiQua Committees are responsible for reporting observations, critical issues and proposals for improvement regarding the study programme and teaching support services, and for verifying that transparency, easy access to information and information sharing are guaranteed, within the different roles of the QA Committees.

The Student Representatives on the Council of the Department of Medicine and Surgery (DMC) are:

For representatives on the various Degree Programme Councils, please refer to the dedicated pages of the programmes, under “Course bodies and representatives”:

Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Professional Education
Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Nursing
Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Environmental and Workplace Prevention Techniques
Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Cardiocirculatory Physiopathology and Cardiovascular Perfusion Techniques
Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques
Single-cycle Master’s Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery

For representatives on the Joint Teaching-Student Committee (CPDS) of the School of Medicine and on the AiQua Committees of the Degree Programmes belonging to the DMC, please refer to the dedicated sections.

For representatives on the General Student Council (CGS), please refer to the dedicated page.

General Student Council

The Degree Programme

In accordance with the University’s organisational model, which assigns the School of Medicine the role of coordinating the Degree Programmes in the medical area, reference is made to the School itself for the Quality Assurance activities of the Degree Programmes.

For each Degree Programme, responsibility for the educational offering — including its design, consultations with the world of work, management and continuous improvement — lies with the Degree Programme Coordinator, who chairs the AiQua Committee. In carrying out the self-assessment and review activities for the Degree Programme for which they are responsible, the Coordinator is supported by the other members of the AiQua Committee.

The Degree Programme Council — composed of the teaching staff responsible for the courses listed in the Degree Programme Teaching Regulations and an elected representation of students from the Degree Programme managed by the Council, amounting to at least fifteen per cent of the professors and researchers — is the collegial body that ensures the teaching and organisational coordination of the Degree Programme’s activities. The Degree Programme Coordinator and the AiQua Committee report to this body.

For the names of the DMC Degree Programme Coordinators, please see the section on the AiQua Committees.

The AiQua Committee

In accordance with the University’s organisational model, which assigns the School of Medicine the role of coordinating the Degree Programmes in the medical area, reference is made to the School itself for the Quality Assurance activities of the Degree Programmes.

The AiQua Committee of the Degree Programme, referred to in the SUA-CdS as the “QA Management Group”, is the main body involved in the self-assessment and review process of the Degree Programme. It plays a fundamental role in managing the internal quality assurance processes of each Degree Programme (CdS), through planning, implementation, monitoring and control activities.

Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Professional Education

Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Nursing

Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Environmental and Workplace Prevention Techniques

Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Cardiocirculatory Physiopathology and Cardiovascular Perfusion Techniques

Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques

Single-cycle Master’s Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery

The Teaching Quality Manager (MDQ)

The Teaching Quality Manager (MDQ) is a professional role identified at University level and present in every teaching structure. The MDQ supports activities related to the management of teaching and acts as a process facilitator within the QA system. For this reason, an MDQ is also included among the members of the QA management group, the AiQua Committee, of each Degree Programme.

For contact details, please see:

Teaching Quality Managers Listening Service – School of Medicine

Steering Committee for the Degree Programme

Representatives from the world of work collaborate in the design of the Degree Programmes as part of their interactions with the Degree Programme Chairs and the School of Medicine.

The Department maintains constant relations and collaboration with the clinical institutions closely connected to the University, through the University Committee “Relations with NHS Bodies and the Lombardy Region”, in order to ensure ongoing dialogue between training demand and provision, as well as interaction with the clinical activities carried out by DMC academic staff.

Students reports

Students enrolled on degree programmes have access to various channels for requesting information and submitting reports and proposals for improvement.

In addition to degree programme students, PhD candidates, students enrolled on master’s programmes or specialisation schools may also contact the Department Director, who is responsible for managing student reports, in the case of unresolved issues or complaints.

For a detailed description of the procedures available to students, please see the dedicated pages:

Student contacts and reports – Degree programmes of the School of Medicine

Student reports - Graduate schools of the Scuola di Medicina (School of Medicine)

QA in Research and Third mission

The Quality Assurance system adopted, in line with the AVA system, is based on the definition of the responsibilities and functions of the actors involved, the processes in which they interact, and the related information flows.

Quality in the areas of research and third mission requires the Department to:

specify objectives that have value;
make it possible to achieve them within the established timeframe;
certify the results achieved;
have an appropriate organisational structure.

Players and tools of QA in Research and Third mission

At Department level, the main QA actor specifically responsible for Research and Third Mission is the AiQuaR Committee, described below. The central role of the Department Council is set out in the section “Department organisation: institutional bodies, committees and individual appointments”.

Systematic documentation of the main processes for the planning, management, review and improvement of the Department’s research and third mission activities is an integral part of the QA system. The key documents for assessing the Department’s Quality Requirement for research and third mission (R4.B – Quality of research and third mission) are:

Department planning document
SUA-RD.

Internal Quality Assurance Committee for Research (AiQUAR)

The AiQuaR Committee plays a fundamental role in managing quality processes for research, as it is the main body involved in the Department’s self-assessment and review activities, in synergy with the Knowledge Valorisation Committee, with a view to continuous improvement. It reports to the Department Council, the collegial body responsible for managing the Department as a whole, which adopts the resolutions deemed appropriate.

The composition of the DMC AiQuaR Committee is set out below:

The AiQUAR of the Dipartmento di Medicina e chirurgia - DMC

Departmental Organization: Institutional Bodies, Committees, and Individual Assignments

Alongside the institutional bodies provided for by the Statute at teaching and research structure level, the Department has established its own specific organisation in order to oversee the areas of activity considered strategic, with a system of delegated responsibilities and the creation of dedicated Department Committees.

The Director and the Departmental Council

The Director represents the Department, as the person responsible for managing the structure, defining strategic guidelines and assessing results. She promotes and coordinates all the Department’s activities.
The Director of the DMC is Professor Luigina Guasti.

The Department Council is the collegial body responsible for planning the Department’s activities and for the use of the resources allocated to it. With regard to teaching activities, the Council coordinates with the School of Medicine.

Within the Department’s QA system, the Council adopts the resolutions related to QA activities, also taking into account internal and external analyses concerning the Department, as well as proposals for corrective or improvement actions submitted by the QA Committees.

Department Strategic Plan Committee

The Committee operates during the following phases:

review at Department level in the areas of teaching, research and knowledge valorisation/social impact, including critical analysis, data interpretation and identification of critical issues;
planning of improvement actions consistent with the Department’s mission and the University guidelines, including proposals for strategic and operational actions;
summary and integration for the Department Annual Report (SUADip). It integrates the analyses provided by the bodies and committees responsible for the individual areas.

The current composition of the Committee is:

Knowledge Valorisation Committee

It carries out the review of Third Mission activities, namely Knowledge Valorisation/social impact, at Department level, conducting the analyses that lead to the identification of strengths and critical issues, as well as any proposed actions for improvement. It ensures alignment with the indicators required by the PQA in this area.

The members are:

Department Resources Committee

The Committee carries out preparatory activities and defines the criteria for allocating funds from the Department budget intended for:

Scientific publications;
Costs relating to the organisation of conferences and congresses;
Costs relating to the purchase of small equipment.

The members are:

Department Website Committee

The members are:

Rector’s Delegate for Disability and Psychological Wellbeing

The Rector’s Delegate for Disability and Psychological Wellbeing is Professor Camilla Callegari.

At University level

In addition to its representation on University bodies, the Department is represented at University level on the following Committees:

Giovanni Porta on the University Committee for International Relations
Paolo Antonio Grossi on the University Research Committee;
Giovanni Porta on the University Committee for Guidance and Placement;
Marco Paolo Donadini on the Committee for Knowledge Valorisation;
Maria Laura Tanda on the Gender Budgeting and Equal Opportunities Committee;
Manuela Viola on the University Library System Committee;
Andrea Selenito Imperatori on the Committee for the Acceptance of Donations of Books and Artistic and Cultural Assets;
Luigina Guasti on the Rector’s Advisory Committee for Relations with National Health Service Bodies and the Lombardy Region in the healthcare sector;
Franca Marino member of the University Quality Assurance Board (PQA);
Marco Cosentino member of the University Research Ethics Committee;
Giovanni Veronesi contact person for Large Equipment and Artificial Intelligence (AI);
Marco Cosentino and Giovanni Veronesi contact persons for meetings to define the unified “Campus Bizzozero” Plan