A great effort byUM staffUM ISO 9001 certification
In January, the University of Montpellier once again earned ISO 9001 certification, with two programs receiving certification for the first time this year: the bachelor’s degree in economics and the enrollment office of the Faculty of Sciences. Although the audit took place in early November, in the midst of another lockdown, theUM administration,UM with the Quality Management and Internal Audit Department, would like to thank the staff and departments for their exemplary commitment.
“We really want to thank all the staff, directors, management, and every employee who helped ensure the audit went smoothly, ” emphasizes Sylvie Narejos, head of the Quality Assurance and Internal Audit Department. “Everyone pitched in to prepare for the audit and give the auditor the best possible welcome. When the organization is well-managed, the rest is easier. ” And yet, conditions were far from ideal. Scheduled for November 2—just a few days after the announcement of the new lockdown—the audit put theUM departmentsUM the test.
“We had to revamp our organization in record time,” explains the department head, “and the staff being audited demonstrated exceptional adaptability and commitment.” Seventeen video conferences were scheduled on short notice;“the DSIN provided us with technical support for the microphones and Zoom registrations, and everything went off without a hitch.” It’s worth noting that the effort was well worth it, since ISO 9001 certification is one of the most internationally recognized quality standards. This standard attests to the University’s commitment to continuous improvement, particularly in terms of support services and services provided to the community.
A process of continuous improvement
Launched in 2010, this initiative has already led to the certification of public procurement, the continuing education service for the administrative management of trainees, enrollment and degree conferral for doctoral students, and enrollment for degree programs. Notably, as part of this last activity, the certification of the Faculty of Sciences’ enrollment office marked the completion of the certification process for all of the University’s enrollment offices.
These programs are also eligible for this certification, as is already the case for the bachelor’s degree in political science, the master’s degree in health engineering, the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in safety, environment,and quality, and the newest addition: the bachelor’s degree in economics.“The certification process is also underway in the field of research. Today, the Laboratory of Bioengineering and Nanosciences in Dentistry has obtained ISO 9001 certification for its public research activities, as well as the E-Cell France platform, which had all of its activities certified this year. We will continue to make progress,” explains Sylvie Narejos.
To qualify for this standard, numerous criteria are assessed during these audits, including the robustness of the quality system, staff involvement, and a commitment to continuous improvement—achieved in particular by listening to users.“For the certification of the enrollment centers, for example, we conducted a student satisfaction survey in which more than 4,500 questionnaires were collected. The student satisfaction rate regarding enrollment reached 86%.” Ultimately, the audit revealed only one area for improvement and 28 strengths. This is cause for celebration and sets a solid foundation for the new year.“We will continue in the same direction, always in support of the institution’s strategy and our users,” concludes Sylvie Narejos. The next audit is scheduled for June 2021.