Governance

The Head of Department represents the department for all legal purposes, ensures its autonomy and cultural unity, and promotes and coordinates its institutional activities.

The Head of Department is responsible for all matters not expressly reserved for the Departmental Council, as well as for those delegated by the Council in the cases and in the manner set out in the University Regulations for Departments.

The term of office lasts for four academic years and the holder may be re-elected only once in succession.

• Prof. Susanna Caccia Gherardini (2024–2028)
• Prof. Giuseppe De Luca (2020–2024)
• Prof. Saverio Mecca (2013–2020)

The Committee assists the Head of the Department in preparing the annual report and, to this end, draws up a document setting out the procedures for the allocation of research funds and resources approved by the Department and the effectiveness of the recruitment policies implemented by the Department over the last three years, in accordance with Article 9 of Legislative Decree No. 49 of 29 March 2012.

1. The Policy and Self-Assessment Committee: The Department’s Policy and Self-Assessment Committee is responsible for assisting the Department’s governing bodies with policies on the allocation of resources and the direction of scientific research, knowledge transfer and innovation activities.
2. The Commission draws up, in accordance with the principles and guidelines laid down by the Evaluation Unit, the three-year policy and resource planning document, as well as the document on the evaluation of results, and submits it for approval to the Departmental Council, which forwards it to the university’s governing bodies. IThe document bases the criteria for research evaluation on methodologies recognised at national and international level, whilst also taking into account the evaluation guidelines adopted by the University’s governing bodies for the allocation of resources to the departments.
3. The three-year policy and resource planning document, drawn up in Italian and English, may include the definition and description of specific indicators for evaluating the Department’s research, knowledge transfer and innovation activities, and may also propose an appropriate weighting between these indicators, as well as between them as a whole and those relating to teaching.
4. The Commission, in collaboration with the Head of Department, draws up the report on the Department’s activities during the previous year, which the Head of Department submits to the Council at the beginning of each year for approval and subsequent forwarding to the Vice-Chancellor. To this end, the Commission shall draw up a specific report on the procedures for allocating research funds and resources approved by the Department, and on the effectiveness of the recruitment policies implemented by the Department over the last three years, in accordance with Article 9 of Legislative Decree No. 49 of 29 March 2012.
5. The Commission shall, at least every three years or at the Council’s request, submit a report on the Department’s Sections and Research Units.

The Council is the Department’s policy-making and governing body. The Director represents the Department and chairs the Council and the Executive Committee in matters falling within their respective remits. The Executive Committee assists the Director and is responsible for all matters not expressly reserved for the Departmental Council, as well as for those delegated to it in the cases and in the manner set out in the University Regulations for Departments.

The Executive Committee comprises:  the Head of Department, who chairs it;  representatives of professors and researchers;  a representative of the technical and administrative staff, lecturers and expert language assistants, chosen from among the members of the Council;  representatives of students and PhD candidates, as well as, where provided for in the University Regulations governing the Departments, research fellows, chosen from among the members of the Council1. The Executive Committee exercises the following powers:

it assists the Head of Department in carrying out his duties.

The proposal by the Departmental Council to delegate powers to the Executive Committee, in addition to those provided for under current legislation, concerns certain tasks that may be delegated, as defined in Article 13(4)(h), (n), (o), (p) and (q) of the Departmental Regulations, which are set out below for ease of reference:

• approval of contracts, agreements and arrangements falling within the Department’s remit (within the specified limits);
• as agreed with the schools concerned, the Department’s contribution to teaching activities other than those carried out as part of the degree programmes organised by the Department;
• presentation to the Board of Directors of the technical and administrative staffing requirements;
• defining the general criteria for the coordinated use of the Department’s staff, resources and equipment;
• to decide, within the scope of its remit, on the use of the assets allocated to the Department;
• carrying out preparatory and advisory tasks in relation to the Council’s activities;
• decisions on matters delegated to it by the Council, in accordance with the provisions of Article 19(2) of the Departmental Regulations and Article 10(2) of these Regulations.

The Executive Committee is also responsible for:

• all matters not expressly reserved for the Departmental Council by the Statute, the Departmental Regulations and these Regulations;
• matters delegated by the Departmental Council.