Higher Education Organization in Italy

The organs of state universities are established and governed by law , while those of non-states adopt their own organization in compliance with the requirements imposed by current legislation and the requirements.

Structures can be set up (such as the Technology Transfer Office ) to exploit the discoveries made in the research sector in economic terms. There may also be any student and / or socio-cultural associations formed by university students.

The governing body
At the top of the organization there is the rector , a monocratic body presiding over the governing bodies, namely the academic senate and the board of directors . The rector officially represents the University, convenes and presides over the academic senate, the board of directors, exercises disciplinary action on professors and students and has the task of supervising the teaching, scientific and service structures, giving appropriate directives. It is also the guarantor of teaching autonomy and research of teachers.

Departments and schools
The universities are then divided into one or more university departments , each with their own Degree Courses and individual teachings. Under the Gelmini reform the university faculties have been suppressed, but at the same time the same reform has provided for the possibility of setting up any connection structures (which cannot however exceed 12) with the task of coordinating the activities of the university departments. In these latter offices the joint teacher-student committees work, as well as the degree course councils and the teaching staff ( professors and researchers) and the technical-administrative staff employed in the administration.

The staff and students
The staff is composed of the body made up of university professors , university researchers and administrative staff; in favor of the latter, the Presidential Decree of 20 December 1979, n. 761 provides an indemnity for those who are employed in specific health facilities, in particular:

"The university staff who work in the polyclinics, the clinics and university hospitals that are affiliated with the regions and local health units, even if managed directly by Italian universities, are paid an indemnity , not useful for social security purposes and assistance, to the extent necessary to equate the overall economic treatment with that of the staff of the local health units of equal function. "

Finally there is the student body, which enjoys priority representation within the various university bodies. All gonodo categories of elected representatives within the univeraitarian organs, except the contract professors who normally enjoy only the active electorate.