The Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Foundation for the Open University of Catalonia, FUOC) was created to encourage the creation of its own offer of distance-learning university education.
The UOC’s Organizational and Operational Regulations establish two types of authority: individual posts and governing bodies.
Josep A. Planell Estany (born Barcelona, 1951) graduated in Physics from the University of Barcelona in 1975 and earned his doctorate in Materials Science from Queen Mary, University of London in 1983. Since 1992 he has been full professor in the Materials Science and Metallurgy department of the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (UPC). He was Director of the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) from its establishment in December 2005 until April 2013, when he took office as President of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC).
The FUOC’s Statutes cover the institution’s name, nature and registered address; the foundational aims and beneficiaries, and the assets and financial management, among other aspects.
Alongside the UOC’s organizational structure, there are also other coordination and representation bodies that aid communication and debate on cross-cutting processes.
The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya’s organizational structure is divided into four large areas: faculty, researchers, administration and the Office of the President. They respond to the objectives and lines set by the Executive Board.
The mission of the Sindicatura de Greuges (ombuds office) is to safeguard the rights and responsibilities of all the University’s members. They act autonomously and independently from all of the University’s other bodies and authorities. Teresa Sancho has been in the post since September 2022.