4. Universities in Italy

4.1 University institutions

There are currently 77 universities in Italy.

• 55 state universities
  Ancona, Bari, Benevento - Università del Sannio, Bergamo, Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Camerino, Campobasso - Università del Molise, Cassino, Catania, Catanzaro Magna Graecia, Chieti e Pescara G.D’Annunzio, Cosenza - Università della Calabria, Ferrara, Firenze, Foggia, Genova, L'Aquila, Lecce, Macerata, Messina, Milano, Milano Bicocca, Modena e Reggio Emilia, Napoli Federico II, Napoli Seconda, Napoli Parthenope, Napoli L’Orientale, Padova, Palermo, Parma, Pavia, Perugia, Pisa, Potenza - Università della Basilicata, Reggio Calabria Mediterranea, Roma La Sapienza, Roma Tor Vergata, Roma Tre, Roma Iusm, Salerno, Sassari, Siena, Teramo, Torino, Trento, Trieste, Udine, Varese - Università dell’Insubria, Venezia Ca’ Foscari, Venezia Iuav, Vercelli - Università del Piemonte Orientale, Verona, Viterbo - Università della Tuscia
   
• 3 technical universities
  Politecnico di Bari, Milano, Torino
   
• 14 non state universities (legally recognised)
  Aosta - Università della Valle d’Aosta, Bolzano, Casamassima (Bari) - Lum-Libera Università mediterranea, Castellanza (Varese) - Università Carlo Cattaneo-Liuc, Milano - Università cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano - Università commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milano - Libera Università di lingue e comunicazione-Iulm, Milano - Università Vita-Salute S. Raffaele, Napoli Suor Orsola Benincasa, Roma - Libera Università internazionale degli studi sociali Guido Carli – Luiss, Roma - Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta - Lumsa, Roma - Libera università Campus Bio-Medico, Roma - Libera Università degli studi S. Pio V, Urbino
   
• 2 universities for foreigners
  Università per stranieri di Perugia, Università per stranieri di Siena
   
• 3 university institutions specialised in postgraduate studies
  Pisa - Scuola Normale Superiore (Higher School, Pisa), Pisa - Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant’Anna (Higher School for University Advanced Studies, Pisa), Trieste - Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (Higher International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste).

All the institutions listed above are entitled to award qualifications with legal validity (“valore legale”) all over Italy. Non-state institutions are often called "libera/libero" and are legally recognised by the competent national authority. Their degrees, established in compliance with the general criteria laid down by national legislation, have the same validity as the corresponding degrees awarded by state institutions.

4.2 University Governance

According to the principle of university autonomy, each university may draw up its own statute and regulations by rectoral decree. Each statute states the regulations governing management, teaching and research within the institution.

• Rettore
  In state institutions, the Rector is elected among full professors and is the legal representative. The Rector chairs the Academic Senate and the Board of Directors, executes their decisions, supervises the general running of all university structures and services, is in charge of disciplinary matters, draws up agreements for external collaboration, and plans all university teaching and research activities. In non state institutions different rules may apply.
   
• Senato Accademico
  The Academic Senate is made up the Rector, the Faculty Deans and other representatives of the academic community elected according to the statute. It establishes the general guidelines for activities and plans university development. It approves the university regulations, coordinates teaching activities and has the authority to plan, coordinate and control university autonomy.
   
• Consiglio di Amministrazione
  The Board of Directors supervises all administrative, personnel and financial matters, and approves the budget. It is made up of the Rector, the Head of Administration and other representatives of the academic and external business community as laid down in the statute.
   
• Other bodies
  Each university autonomously decides the other bodies that are present in the university e.g.
  University council - Consulta di ateneo
  Research council - Consiglio della ricerca
  Standing Conference of Department Directors - Conferenza permanente dei direttori di dipartimento
  Student council or senate - Consiglio / Senato degli studenti
  Council for technical and administrative staff - Consiglio del personale tecnico amministrativo
  Board of Auditors - Collegio dei revisori dei conti
  Observatory for university activities -Osservatorio sulle attività dell’ateneo
  Commissions for teaching and student welfare - Commissioni per la didattica e il diritto allo studio
  Guarantor and ombudsman - Garante di ateneo e difensore civico
  Committee for equal opportunities - Comitato per le pari opportunità
  University Evaluation Unit - Nucleo di valutazione di Ateneo
  Sponsors’ committee - Comitato dei sostenitori
  

4.3 Teaching and Research Structures

Universities reach their institutional goals in teaching and research through the faculties, departments, institutes and service centres.

• Faculties
  The Faculties coordinate teaching for the different degree courses. They appoint academic staff and decide roles and workload. The Faculty is run by the Faculty Board and the Dean (Preside).
   
• Departments
  The departments organise research according to the relevant teachings. They promote and manage research, organise doctoral courses and carry out research and consultancy work outside the university. The department is run by the department board and its Director.
   
• Institutes
  They deal with a specific scientific sector where they carry out teaching and develop research. They are run by a Board and Director.
   
• Service centres
  Service centres may be set up by the Faculties or the University for the provision of services of general interest. Interuniversity centres and consortia for teaching or research purposes may be set up with other universities and with public and private organisations. In some cases interdepartmental research centres may also be set up, for example for the use of particularly complex services and equipment.
   
• Academic staff
  There are four different categories of academic staff.
   
  • Ordinary professors – first level (professori ordinari)
  • Associate professors – second level (professori associati)
  • Contract professors (professori a contratto)
  • University researchers (ricercatori) who can be given teaching responsibilities
    

4.4 Teaching Regulations

Each university decides the teaching organisation and structure of its degree courses in the teaching regulations which are issued by rectoral decree and approved by the Ministry. The teaching regulations of each university define the following:

• names and learning outcomes of individual degree courses, along with the corresponding degree classes
   
• general framework of educational activities to be included in the different curricula
   
• credits allocated to each course or activity
   
• type of final examination to be passed in order to obtain each degree. In particular, in the case of the second degree Laurea specialistica, the final degree examination must include the discussion of a dissertation (tesi) written by the student under the supervision of a academic member of staff (relatore).

University teaching regulations may envisage the setting up of more than one degree course belonging to the same degree class. They must include provisions for the following issues:

• planning, coordination and outcomes of teaching/learning activities
   
• procedures for the distribution of annual teaching tasks to teachers and researchers, including supplementary courses, counselling and tutoring
   
• assessment of the initial educational level of students applying for first and second degrees
   
• examination procedures, including the final degree examinations
   
• assessment methods for student performance
   
• setting up of a university service to coordinate guidance and counselling activities and carried out in cooperation with upper secondary institutes
   
• introduction of a tutorial service for each degree course
   
• organisation of specific teaching/learning activities for part-time students.