The adherence of the Holy See to the Bologna Process (which took place on 19 September 2003 during the meeting of the Ministers for Education of the European Union in Berlin) was also influenced by their intention to pursue and achieve certain objectives established by the Bologna Process, among which we find "the attention to quality as an intrinsic and necessary value for research and innovation within the university".

The Congregation for Catholic Education (now Dicastery for Culture and Education) reiterates the importance of creating and promoting a culture of quality by all those concerned and involved in research and teaching, in services and in the management of ecclesiastical academic institutions (CEC, The culture of quality, Vatican City 2011, Preface by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski).

The culture of quality does not refer to a single activity problem, result or scope, but more in general it refers to the processes to be used to manage the responsibility, autonomy and inspection of the whole institution in its fidelity to the vision and mission according to its Statutes. Evaluation is a process that is built together, whose value consists not only in the final judgment, but also and above all in the process carried out to produce it.

The areas recognized as an object of quality are: research, training offer, training resources available to students, effectiveness and efficiency of training activity, the proper functioning of structures.

The Gregorian University carried out a detailed work on quality, the Self-Evaluation Report (RAV), required by Avepro, the Agency for the Promotion and Quality Evaluation. Avepro was established by the Holy See with the aim of stimulating the quality of research and teaching in ecclesiastical academic institutions and value their compliance with international standards.

The Gregorian had 2 evaluation visits, shown below.

First Evaluation Cycle

The RAV prepared for the first evaluation had the collaboration of several members of the university community. This Report examined in depth and objectively all academic and administrative activities, procedures and decision-making processes that make them operational.

The visit of the Expert Commission took place from June 15 to 18, 2014. The Commission consisted of: Prof. Dr. Léonce Bekemans (chair), Jean Monnet Chair ad personam and Academic Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, University of Padua, President of Ryckevelde (European and International Centre of active citizenship, Bruges/B); Prof. Emmanuel Gabellieri, Prof. of Philosophy, Dean of the Faculté de Philosophie et Sciences Humaines, Université Catholique de Lyon/Fr; Prof. Juan Pedro Montañes Gomez, Director of Quality and Planning, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, ICADE; Prof. Don Roberto Repole, Professor of Ecclesiology and Theology, Theological Faculty of Turin, President of the Theological Association; and Dr. Antonella Anastasi, graduate student in International Relations at LUMSA University, Rome.

Second Evaluation Cycle

In the academic year 2019-2020, the University's self-evaluation process was initiated, which aimed to do a SWOT analysis of the individual academic and administrative units of Gregorian. The analysis was completed by groups consisting of professors, lecturers and students; there was a very open and frank discussion about the current conditions of the respective academic unit. Each administrative unit also did the SWOT analysis.

In the academic year 2020-2021, the University prepared the Self-Assessment Report (RAV). In November 2021, the RAV was delivered to AVEPRO. From March 21-24, 2022, the visit of the Gregorian Evaluation Expert Commission took place.

The Commission consisted of: Prof. Antonio Castellano, SDB (chairman), Professor of Theology at the Salesian University of Rome; Prof. Lorella Congiunti, Professor of Philosophy at the Pontifical Urbanian University; Prof. Maria Cinque, Professor in the Department of Human Sciences at LUMSA; Prof. Christoph Niemand, Professor of New Testament and Rector of the Catholic Private University of Linz-Austria; and Casimir Zielinski, OSPPE, student at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Final Evaluation Report regarding our University is available on the Avepro website: http://www.avepro.glauco.it/avepro/allegati/864/AVEPRO_RVE_PUG_2022.pdf

This evaluation has contributed greatly to our University's journey of improvement and has enabled us to carry out a deeper institutional reflection on our priorities and the paths to achieve them, so that we can better respond to our mission, vision and goals, in the service of the Church and society at large.