What is it and what is its main purpose?

The Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Foundation for the Open University of Catalonia, FUOC) is a private, not-for-profit foundation created on 6 October 1994 with the support of the Government of Catalonia to develop a distance university education offering.

The main purpose of the FUOC is the creation and recognition of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). It also carries out the following tasks:

• Ensure adequate, effective management and administration of the University.
• Ensure that the UOC offers its services and recognizes its students' rights to be admitted and receive tuition without any manner of discrimination on the grounds of birth, race, gender, religion, opinion or any other personal or social condition or circumstance.
• Ensure the highest quality of the educational process and of all the elements used.

What are its governing bodies?

The FUOC is governed by the Board of Trustees, whose members are highly respected entities that have a broad presence in Catalan society. The trustees include the Government of Catalonia, the Barcelona Tech City association, the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping of Barcelona, the Institute of Catalan Studies and independent trustees.

What are the University's governing bodies?

The University's governing bodies fall into two categories: collegiate and single-person bodies. For the moment, the UOC has the following bodies.

Collegiate governing bodies:

• Board of Trustees: It is the FUOC's highest representative, governing and administrative body. Its main duties are to approve the UOC's Organizational and Operational Regulations, appoint and dismiss the president and the general manager, approve the budgets and balance sheets, and approve the action plan.
• Standing Committee: It is the FUOC's permanent administration and management body. Its mission is to manage the FUOC's ordinary affairs.
• Governing Council: It is the University's governing body and its main duties are the following: propose the University's strategic and programmatic lines to the Board of Trustees; guide, plan and evaluate the academic activity; establish the University's general lines of operation and ensure compliance with current legal and statutory regulations. 
• Executive Board: This is the University's permanent administration and management body and its mission is to manage the institution's ordinary affairs. 

Single-person governing bodies:

• President and Vice Presidents: The President is the University's highest academic authority and as such, he or she is vested with the necessary powers of representation and governance. He or she is assisted in his or her work by the Vice Presidents.
• General Secretary: The General Secretary is appointed by the president. His or her duties include acting as secretary of the University's bodies and committees, managing the records and archives, and presiding electoral processes.
• General Manager: The General Manager is responsible for day-to-day management of the University as well as for legal, financial and budget control of the UOC's activity.