Student voice and quality governance: potentials and limits of the Italian university model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61007/QdC.2026.3.461Keywords:
student participation, quality assurance, higher education, joint student-teacher committees, peer reviewAbstract
This contribution examines student participation in higher education quality assurance, with a specific focus on the Italian case. It analyses the role of Joint Student-Teacher Committees within the Italian system of self-evaluation, evaluation and accreditation of university quality (AVA 3) and discusses it in relation to EQAVET peer review in vocational education and training. International literature shows that participation becomes meaningful when it is not reduced to symbolic presence or data collection but is embedded in visible cycles of evidence, feedback and improvement. The comparison suggests that the key issue is not the multiplication of formal representative bodies, but the strengthening of their operational quality through clear mandates, access to data, targeted training, continuity of roles and visible follow-up. In this perspective, student participation can move from formal representation towards a more effective model of participatory improvement.
References
Ambriola, V., & Rossi, P. (2017). Ruolo e funzioni delle commissioni paritetiche docenti-studenti. Federalismi.it, 8, 1-12.
ANVUR. (2024a). Linee guida per l’autovalutazione e la valutazione del sistema di assicurazione della qualità negli atenei. https://www.unirc.it/sites/default/files/2025-03/AVA3-LG-Autovalutazione_Valutazione-2024-04-04_rev-visibili.pdf
ANVUR. (2024b). Linee guida per il sistema di assicurazione della qualità negli atenei. https://www.anvur.it/sites/default/files/2025-01/AVA3_LG_Atenei_2024_08_08.pdf
Boerchi, D., Evangelista, L., & Fonzo, C. (2025). The contribution of VET to twin transition: Quality, competence and participatory improvement through peer-review. In Quaderni di Comunità. Persone, Educazione e Welfare nella Società 5.0 (Ed.), Workshop Proceedings n. 6 of the 11th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’25): Empowering Change. Navigating Twin Transitions and Enhancing Civic Engagement in Higher Education. Editorial data 12/2025, pages 89-99
Boerchi, D., Evangelista, L., & Fonzo, C. (2026). Beyond compliance: Societal external review as a driver of curriculum renewal for the twin transition. European Journal of Education, 61, e70517. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70517
Cardoso, S., Rosa, M. J., & Videira, P. (2017). Student participation in quality assurance: A partnership? In S. Dent, M. Tavares, A. Amaral, & R. Cardoso (Eds.), Collaboration, communities and competition (pp. 125–142). Sense Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6351-122-3_8.
European Commission. (2023). The EQAVET Network’s approach to VET system level peer reviews: A manual. Publications Office of the European Union. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/83c60de7-b261-11ed-8912-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
EQAVET. (2026). EQAVET Dutch peer review on promoting student involvement at VET system level: Flash report. https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=28114&langId=en
Fonzo C., Evangelista L., Forleo M. (2026), Manuale per la valutazione tra pari nell'istruzione e formazione professionale, Roma, Inapp, Focus Inapp n.20. https://oa.inapp.gov.it/handle/20.500.12916/5476
Leišytė, L., & Westerheijden, D. F. (2014). Students as stakeholders in quality assurance in eight European countries. Research on Quality of Higher Education, 10, 12–27. https://doi.org/10.7720/1822-1645.10.1
Palma, A., Mourato, J., Vinagre, J., Almeida, F., & Pessoa, A. M. (2023). Student participation: Issues for the governance of higher education. Societies, 13(5), 115. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13050115
Shah, M., Hartman, K., & Hastings, G. (2014). Partners or opponents: The engagement of students in a compliance driven quality assessment. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 18(1), 20–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2013.835288
Stensaker, B., & Matear, S. (2025). Student involvement in quality assurance: Perspectives and practices towards persistent partnerships. Quality in Higher Education, 31(1), 8–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2024.2346358
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Community Notebook. People, Education and Welfare in the Society 5.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
