
The introduction of quality principles into the University’s teaching and research processes has been well-established for years: the first Joint Committee on Teaching (CPD) and the first questionnaire for surveying students’ opinions on didactics date back to 1991 and 1993 respectively. Since 1998, the three editions of the training course “Tools and Methodologies for the Trainer”, designed and coordinated by the Joint Committee on Teaching (CPD), have been held at the University.
This was followed, in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, by four editions of a new version of ‘Tools and methodologies for the trainer - Awareness-raising course on the use of the ECA-UNESCO Method’ dedicated to lecturers at the Politecnico di Torino”.

The university has promoted quality policies since 2002, i.e., well in advance of the current legislation on Self-Assessment, Periodic Evaluation and Accreditation (in Italian Autovalutazione, Valutazione e Accreditamento, AVA) for the entire national university system.
In this regard, we recall the Professionalising Degrees Strengthening Project (in Italian Progetto Rafforzamento Lauree Professionalizzanti, PRLP/PRLT) and the North-South Interregional Project, both active between the academic year 2001/2002 and academic year 2006/2007 with the aim of training people capable of responding to labour market demands and contributing to local development processes.

Starting in 2008, the University launched the Internal Quality Assurance (in Italian Assicurazione Interna della qualità, AiQ), process, preparing its own AiQ Information Model, structured in such a way as to simultaneously meet ministerial requirements and prepare for the international scenario, adapting to the standards and guidelines promoted by ENQA and adopted with the 2005 European Standards and Guidelines.

During the academic year 2010/2011, the University chose to pursue international accreditations, such as EUA (2012 and 2015) and EURACE (2012). With the entry into force of the AVA document of 28/01/2013, the University adapted the AiQ Information Model – which was used by the Degree Programmes for the academic years 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013. Starting from the academic year 2011/2012, Politecnico di Torino created on its Teaching Portal the SUA-CdS Information Model, a tool currently used to collect the contents of the ministerial SUA-CdS.

Given the desire to strengthen the culture of quality within the University and the regulations in force, in 2014 the Rector established the University Quality Assurance Unit , to advise, supervise and promote continuous improvement in QA. At that time, the PQA included the Pro-rector, the Vice-Rectors for Logic and Organisation, Teaching, Research and Quality, and the Area Managers for Teaching Management and Research and Technology Transfer.

In 2013, the Italian National Agency For The Evaluation Of Universities And Research Institutes (ANVUR) launched the Self-assessment, Periodic Evaluation, Accreditation (AVA), system, which aims to ensure uniformity in the quality of services offered by higher education institutions in Italy, promote a responsible use of public resources by universities and improve the overall quality of training and research activities. The first two editions of this system (AVA1 and AVA2) were respectively the instrument used to conduct the visits in the years 2014-2016 and 2017-2021; in the specific case of the Politecnico di Torino, the visit was held in May 2016 and ended with the publication of the final Accreditation Report by ANVUR and the Ministerial Decree in 2017.

The term of office of the previous composition of the PQA (2014) ran until 15 March 2018. After that, two further terms of office followed: the first in 2019-2021 and the second in 2022-2025. As of 2019, there are two novelties in terms of the structure of the PQA: the inclusion of student representation and the involvement of a faculty with QA expertise reflecting the University’s main scientific areas (Architecture, Materials Science and Technology, Construction, Management, Industrial, Information). The organisational chart is completed by the Rector’s Representatives for some areas of particular interest, such as Equal Opportunities, Sport, International Accreditation, and the Administrative Managers and Quality experts of the two Services supporting the PQA (STUDI Department e PEPS Department).

In 2022 ANVUR developed a new version of AVA (AVA3), whose Requirements were approved by the Agency’s Board of Directors on 8 September of the same year and then tested in three pilot visits conducted in the period November 2022-January 2023. The new AVA3 requirements focus on a comprehensive and unified vision of the quality of teaching, research and third mission/social impact, with particular attention to the strategic planning and architecture of the University Government System. The goal is always to improve the quality of the University, emphasizing the importance of implementing good practices in the QA system. The Polytechnic of Turin will be evaluated according to this model and will receive the accreditation visit in March 2024.