"We are not asking you to vote for us, but to read what we propose and freely choose whether or not to support us.."
Team Uninformazione
INTRO
On 20 May 2021 Uninformazione Tor Vergata officially turned 6 years old. A relatively short period of time in a person’s life, but extremely long and intense if you think of the growth and training path of a University student. Six years, for a University association, is a very long time, during which many people follow one another, bringing experience, skills and opinions as well as doubts, mistakes and fears.
UIF was born with a very precise aim: to help students to have a clearer and more conscious vision of what will wait for them in the future and of their aptitudes and abilities. Improving the path of our peers means contributing to the improvement and growth of the entire University ecosystem and society as a whole. Yes, because for us the University is much more than an institution, it is a unique and irreplaceable space for growth and comparison for every individual.
We believe that every student should live these years as intensely as possible, taking risks, putting themselves to the test and trying to improve what surrounds them; our philosophy is to put themselves at the service of society to contribute to progress by improving themselves.
In 6 years of associationism and over 40 initiatives organised, we have had the opportunity to grow individually and as a group and to get to know the University of Tor Vergata closely, analysing its problems, potential and limits. On the basis of this, we have drawn up an extensive and detailed electoral programme for our University. It is an ambitious, detailed and rational programme which we are committed to pursuing, as a group and individually, with all our might, albeit without absolute guarantees that it will be implemented in the coming years.
EDUCATION | + inclusion, + practice, + safeguards
More attention needs to be given to the needs of the students during their academic/training pathway; attention that must be expressed both in the didactic planning of lessons and exams and in the teaching content. Here are our proposals.
- Rationalisation of exam dates by increasing the minimum number of days between exams and lengthening exam sessions, particularly summer and special sessions and in certain faculties. Students should be given more time to organise their exams and their personal and professional lives.
- Improving communication between students and student and teaching secretariats by administering information questionnaires that highlight key issues and allow staff to intervene and bridge coordination gaps that lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
We aim for a more practice-oriented education, aimed at building professional freedom for the student and preparing him/her as well as possible for the introduction into the work environment. Here are our proposals.
- Intensify the number of internships, workshops, simulations of aptitude problems and practical case studies offered directly by companies as part of the academic programme and in specific courses. This proposal can be achieved by extending the University’s external partnerships with organisations and associations.
COMMON SERVICES AND RIGHT TO STUDY | + efficiency, + collaboration, + innovation
The University’s services need to be strengthened and improved in a number of areas in order to ensure a more efficient and engaging experience for the student community. To this end, we have set ourselves the following macro-objectives:
- map the allocation of funds in order to increase the allocation efficiency of existing resources;
- make concrete proposals for new financial resources.
Our proposals in this broad area of intervention are divided below by area.
Student offices
The problem of the student offices was accentuated during the pandemic period, creating various inconveniences for students, particularly in certain situations such as registration, payment of fees, etc. The problems are mainly related to the lack of staff with adequate digital skills.
Below are our proposals in this area.
- Creation of a dedicated Teams channel for student offices (which already exists in other universities): Microsoft Teams offers all the tools needed to manage secretarial activities, including the possibility of implementing a call booking system. This system makes it possible to divide the day into slots in which students can book themselves with a secretariat manager.
- Implementation, for all the student offices, of an online booking system, linked to the aforementioned Teams channel, to help manage queues.
- Creation of a FAQ section on the website dedicated to those questions that are frequently asked by e-mail. This section should be continually updated by the various heads of student offices in order to build an increasingly comprehensive and detailed information system.
- The periodic organisation, at central University level, of refresher courses for offices staff on the use of digital tools to improve efficiency and enhance services.
Placement office
The initiatives taken by the Placement office are essential for linking the University with the world of work and enabling students to make informed and oriented choices for their future.
Below are our proposals in this area.
- Creation of a new, more dynamic Placement office website with an up-to-date, digital user experience.
- Creation of direct contact channels between the Placement office, student offices and University associations, in order to effectively and efficiently convey existing professional opportunities that students are often unaware of.
Psychological support service
The current period underlined the absolute importance of psychological support services for students. It should be adequately sponsored and action should be taken to facilitate its access on a large scale. To this end, we call for the allocation of more resources dedicated to this service in the next University budget.
LazioDisco
We aim to improve communication between the University and LazioDiSCo (Ente Regionale per il Dritto allo Studio) so that the criteria of the calls for proposals for the right to study reflect the needs and requirements of students, both economically and socially and in terms of personal and professional development.
DIGITAL | + cutting edge, + interactive
The digitisation of services and processes is a fundamental prerogative for any company, public or private, that pursues sustainability and innovation objectives.
In this area, UIF’s proposals are the following.
- Checking the state of the art of the University Wi-Fi connection and, if necessary, planning improvements. In the last few years, Tor Vergata has planned several interventions on the infrastructure network, but they have not led to an effective improvement of the service.
- Strengthening the Computing Centre office to make data analysis activities systematic and to facilitate the work of the various administrative offices, which are currently blocked by various technical and bureaucratic constraints.
- Implement, at central level, an organic and systematic e-mail marketing system that would allow the various offices to benefit from a shared and filtered database of all student data. This would greatly facilitate communication within the University between the institution and its students, particularly as regards the sharing of key information.
- Redesigning and reorganising several faculty websites, which are currently not up to the standard of a University of international importance such as ours. We also propose that student representatives be directly involved in the design of the user experience of the various sites in order to better identify practical navigation needs.
SUSTAINABILITY AND REGENERATION | + innovation, + local involvement
UIF argues that sustainability and urban, civil and social regeneration are fundamental objectives that the University must set itself every day in all its administrative, political and executive actions.
In support of this, as a student association, we will work on sustainable mobility projects, reducing the use of plastic and waste, and regenerating areas around the University.
Below are our election proposals.
- Encourage the University to collaborate with civic organisations in Rome and Lazio that have been working effectively for years on sustainability and redevelopment (Retake Roma, Romaltruista and others), in order to promote projects to rehabilitate the areas of Tor Vergata, Giardinetti, Tor Bella Monaca, Torre Spaccata and Torre Angela.
- Eliminating the use of plastic from coffee machines and vending machines.
- Limiting food waste in the LazioDisu canteen through an agreement with the startup Too Good To Go, which would allow students to buy boxes of kitchen leftovers.
- Creation of a bike-sharing service within the University. Several universities are implementing shared and digitised sustainable mobility systems; Tor Vergata, given its rather complicated logistical position, needs solutions that allow, in particular, students living in the surrounding areas to move independently.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY | + sharing, + welcoming
A University that is increasingly immersed in an international context and with a massive presence of foreign students must constantly think about the integration of the international communities that attend, animate and colour it. There are still too many challenges that international students have to face once they land in the difficult territory of Tor Vergata.
Here are our proposals for the international community to integrate with the existing community in a perspective of multicultural and ethnic contamination and mutual support.
- Organisation of courses in Italian as part of the curriculum for international students.
- Institutional organisation of cultural initiatives to discover Rome, allowing students to get to know the city and to have moments of comparison and knowledge with Italian students.
- Establishment of a representative figure to protect international students from all forms of xenophobia and general discrimination.
- Organisation of thematic student clubs to facilitate dialogue and inclusion (e.g. thematic clubs on specific topics and enthusiasts’ clubs).
PLACEMENT | + development, + connections, + experiences and opportunities
Take the course, study from the book, take the exam. Now repeat it until the day you graduate. If you think that University life can be different from this, then you too support the vision of our association.
Studying is fundamental, but so are all those experiences that allow us to get to know ourselves better, our aptitudes and abilities and what we really want to do. The key word of our century for students, in an increasingly connected and information-rich world, is orientation. The University must do more to ensure that each student is better able to orientate himself or herself on his or her future and make informed choices. To do this it is necessary to significantly increase the number of all those experiences and opportunities of interaction with the professional, institutional, social and civil world. The University we dream of is the one where, during your lunch break, you can meet and talk freely with a researcher, an entrepreneur, a manager, an international volunteer or any other individual who can bring value to your own path by sharing their experience.
Below are our proposals for improving the University’s placement.
- Organise systematic and periodic career orienting initiatives with leading companies in all faculties.
- Systematically organising workshops for all faculties aimed at improving participants’ professional profile (Linkedin and Curriculum Vitae) and offering hints and tips to improve their job search.
- Significantly increase the frequency of Career Days and Career Faires, which are currently organised in only two faculties of the University and only once a year. We must be aware that there are competing universities that organise such activities even on a monthly basis.
- Establish agreements with external partners who organise innovative initiatives such as hackathons, business games and challenges, and encourage the integration of these initiatives into teaching programmes and individual lessons.
- Increase the number of agreements with business and trade associations to facilitate job matching.
- Organise a pre-acceleration programme for entrepreneurial projects for students of all faculties. To date, all major universities in Rome can boast of excellent entrepreneurship programmes organised by major innovation partners at national level. Except for Tor Vergata.
UNIVERSITY LIFE | + shared, + welcoming
Tor Vergata is undoubtedly one of the universities with the greatest difficulties from a logistical point of view. Hence the great difficulty in involving the University community in extra-didactic initiatives.
Imagine an innovative environment in which to return to University life, full of new and varied activities ranging from discovering the magic of Rome to participating in popular activities offered by student associations and the University; this is the University life we want for us and for all students.
Here are some of our proposals to improve the University experience and the student campus.
- Establishment of a special University office dedicated to the University campus and to the promotion of all the University’s valuable activities and experiences. This office should have a close relationship of collaboration and cooperation with all the student associations.
- Systematic organisation of cultural activities to discover Rome organised by the above-mentioned office.
- Institutional recognition and sponsorship of the University’s association activities. Tor Vergata is one of the most backward universities in terms of support for student associations and the activities they organise, which means that students have very little interest in associations in all their facets.
- Use of the many existing green spaces for the organisation of leisure activities such as aperitifs, sporting events and musical and artistic events.
- Bookcrossing open to all faculties of the University.
- Awarding of CFU for sporting merits obtained in all national and international activities in which the University takes part through the CUS.
- Organisation of annual sports competitions within the University on the “Olympics” model. This format could also be replicated in collaboration with other universities in Rome and Lazio.
INFRASTRUCTURES AND TRANSPORT | + services
As mentioned above, Tor Vergata is one of the universities with the greatest difficulties from a logistical point of view, considering its peripheral location compared to the city centre. However, an important news last year could represent a big change; the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has funded with over 213 million euros the project of Rome’s new ‘Termini – Giardinetti – Tor Vergata’ tramway. These are resources for rapid mass transport which will allow the procedure for converting the ‘Roma – Pantano’ railway line into a tramway line and the transfer of ownership from the Lazio Region to the Municipality of Rome.
UIF is committed to:
- monitor the progress of the above-mentioned project and inform the student community about the progress of the work and other matters of public interest.
In addition, as part of the improvement of public mobility and related services we will propose:
- the construction of at least one pedestrian crossing linking the Giardinetti area with the Faculty of Engineering.
- to establish agreements with COTRAL and ATAC for the sale of bus tickets in the bars of the various faculties.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER | + connections, + investments
University scientific research is an innovative driver of development and growth in society. Our University aims to increase cooperation with businesses by promoting the transfer of research results to industry and the region (so-called technology transfer).
In order to enhance the results of the research we propose the following points.
- The organisation of a research Expo as an important opportunity to create synergies and partnerships and to attract potential investments.
- The mapping of all research spin-offs and patents filed by the University via a digital platform to facilitate matching with companies.
FURTHER PROPOSALS
In addition to the proposals listed above, a number of additional points not included in the reference areas are listed below.
- To propose the amendment of the University Statute with the aim of reintegrating the TAB (Technical Administrative and Library) component within the members of the Board of Directors, with the aim of effectively assessing the common services offered to the student community.
- Extensive supervision of the allocation of PNRR resources that will come to our University, so that they go to enhance research and common services.
- Propose the integration of auxiliary indicators to the ANVUR ones for a more in-depth assessment of the quality of services and students’ well-being.
