Department of Human Sciences for Education “Riccardo Massa”

Quality Assurance for the Third and Fourth Missions

The functioning of the University Quality Assurance (QA) system regarding the Third and Fourth Missions is described on the dedicated Quality Assurance page of the University of Milano-Bicocca website.

Each Department appoints a Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Third and Fourth Missions, who coordinates the Third and Fourth Missions Committee.
The Committee includes at least one representative for the Fourth Mission, responsible for coordinating public engagement initiatives and liaising with university structures. It may also include a representative for third-party contract work/commissioned research and a representative for departmental promotion.

Tasks and Functions

The Third and Fourth Missions Committee is tasked with supervising, promoting, and supporting quality policies at the departmental level. Activities are geared towards identifying areas for improvement, as well as implementing and verifying the necessary corrective actions.
The Quality Assurance system for the Third and Fourth Missions also promotes the valorization and transfer of knowledge within the local community, interacting with public and private entities to create value for society.

The QA Coordinator for the Third and Fourth Missions supports the Department in the following activities:

  • Annually monitoring the "Fatti e Persone" (Facts and People) portal with reference to Third and Fourth Mission data;
  • Supporting, in line with AVA3 guidelines, the planning, monitoring, and review of departmental Third and Fourth Mission activities;
  • Assisting the Director in preparing the Departmental Three-Year Plan regarding the Third and Fourth Mission areas;
  • Verifying the effectiveness and success of training and professional development initiatives aimed at high school students, teachers, and professionals, by assessing the number of initiatives, training credits awarded, and people involved;
  • Verifying the impact of fee-based services and high-profile consultancy, evaluating changes in the number of services provided and their financial volume;
  • Verifying the impact and success of Fourth Mission activities by evaluating changes in the number of students enrolled in Degree Programmes, third-party contract work and consultancy, and pre-industrial research activities.

The Third and Fourth Missions Committee is composed of: