Assessment, Quality Culture, and Student Partnerships in Universities

Abstract

European policies in higher education have intensified the focus on a quality culture, defined as an organizational culture oriented towards continuous improvement. However, measuring quality remains a complex challenge. Student surveys, often used to assess quality, have methodological limitations that compromise their validity and comparability. In Italy, the recent ANVUR Guidelines (2023) promote an evaluation approach that goes beyond mere oversight, focusing on enhancement and harmonization of accreditation processes, quality certification, and practices that value the educational context and its stakeholders, with particular emphasis on student involvement. Integrating student voices into evaluative processes requires a revision of current indicators, shifting towards multi-level models and multi-parametric measures that combine evaluation surveys with other qualitative and quantitative tools.