An International Universityin the Heart of Italy
An International UniversityInstitutional bodies, academic senate, rectorate and board of directors of Unicollege — an accredited degree-granting Italian university operating within the Italian Higher Education System.
The Rector is the highest academic authority of Unicollege and the institution's legal representative. Elected for a six-year, non-renewable term in accordance with the Italian Higher Education legal framework, the Rector chairs the Academic Senate, oversees institutional planning, and represents Unicollege in dealings with the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), partner universities, and accreditation bodies.
Professor of International Affairs and former Vice-Rector for Internationalization, Prof. Rossi assumed the office of Rector following election by the academic community. Her mandate centres on strengthening Unicollege's research output, expanding the network of international partnerships, and consolidating the institution's accreditation pathway within the European Higher Education Area.
The Rector is supported by the Vice-Rectorate, comprising delegated officers for Academic Affairs, Research, Internationalization, Quality Assurance, and Student Experience. Each Vice-Rector is appointed by the Rector with the advice of the Academic Senate and serves a coterminous term.
Two collegial bodies govern Unicollege in their respective spheres: the Academic Senate, responsible for academic policy and educational quality, and the Board of Directors, responsible for institutional strategy and fiduciary oversight.
The Academic Senate is the principal body responsible for the academic life of the university. It is chaired by the Rector and composed of:
The Senate's responsibilities include the approval of new degree programmes and curricular changes, the definition of academic standards, the validation of faculty appointments and promotions, the approval of the academic calendar, and the oversight of research and study-abroad policy.
The Board of Directors holds the institution's fiduciary, strategic and financial responsibilities. It approves the multi-year strategic plan, the annual budget, capital investments, and the appointment of senior administrative officers. The Board comprises:
The Board operates under a charter that explicitly separates governance from executive academic decision-making, which remains the prerogative of the Senate and the Rectorate.
A clear separation between academic governance and fiduciary oversight is the foundation of institutional integrity.
Unicollege organises its degree programmes within two schools, each led by a Dean appointed by the Rector with the consent of the Academic Senate. Deans are responsible for the academic coherence of programmes within their school, the appointment of programme directors, and liaison with the partner institutions involved in joint and dual-degree pathways.
Dean: Prof. Carlo Bianchi, PhD — Professor of Applied Linguistics
The Undergraduate School oversees the three-year Bachelor's Degree in Applied Languages and Global Careers, with its six professional concentrations. The Dean coordinates curriculum design across the four campuses, ensures alignment with MUR accreditation standards, and supervises the entry test and admissions framework.
Dean: Prof. Giulia Moretti, PhD — Professor of International Business
The Graduate School manages master's and doctoral programmes, including those offered jointly with Westcliff University (USA) and other international partners. The Dean oversees research training, dissertation supervision standards, and the postgraduate mentoring framework, and chairs the Graduate Studies Committee.
Faculty are organised within four academic departments, each led by a Head of Department elected by the department's permanent faculty for a three-year renewable term. Departments are responsible for faculty recruitment, research coordination, and the disciplinary integrity of teaching.
Hosts faculty in management, economics, marketing, political science, sociology, and law. Coordinates the curricular contribution to the Marketing & Communications, Fashion & Luxury, and International Affairs concentrations, and supports the MBA, MSEM and DBA programmes.
Brings together faculty in history, philosophy, art history, literature, cultural studies, and heritage management. Underpins the Cultural Heritage and Tourism concentration and contributes to interdisciplinary teaching across the Undergraduate School.
Comprises faculty in linguistics, translation studies, interpreting, language pedagogy, and applied language technology. Coordinates the ten-language portfolio, the Interpreting & Translation concentration, and the MATESOL programme.
Combines faculty in international relations, diplomacy, criminology, intelligence studies, and global ethics. Supports the International Affairs & Diplomacy and Forensic & Investigative Criminology concentrations and the institution's network of international partners.
Two structures complete the governance framework: an institutional office responsible for the continuous monitoring of educational quality, and a network of student bodies ensuring direct participation of the student community in institutional decision-making.
The Quality Assurance Office (QAO) coordinates Unicollege's internal quality system in line with the standards of the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR) and the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance.
The Office manages the annual review cycle for each degree programme, administers student satisfaction surveys, monitors course-level learning outcomes, audits assessment practices, and prepares the institution's accreditation documentation. The QAO reports directly to the Rector and the Academic Senate.
Student representation is structured through a Student Council elected at each of the four campuses (Florence, Mantua, Milan, Turin). Each campus elects representatives from the undergraduate and graduate populations.
The four campus councils together form the Unicollege Student Council, which appoints two senior representatives to the Academic Senate and one to the Board of Directors. The Student Council also coordinates campus initiatives, advises the Rectorate on student experience matters, and liaises with partner-university student bodies through the Erasmus and Columbus networks.