A strong showing by UM staff in support of ISO 9001 certification
In January, the University of Montpellier once again achieved ISO 9001 certification, with two new programs added this year: the Bachelor’s degree in Economics and the registration office of the Faculty of Sciences. Although the audit took place in early November during the second lockdown, the University of Montpellier administration and the Quality Assurance 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, managers, 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 make the auditor feel as welcome as possible. 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 the UM’s departments to the test.
“We had to overhaul our organization in record time,” explains the department head, “and the staff being audited demonstrated exceptional adaptability and dedication.” Seventeen video conferences were scheduled on short notice;“the DSIN provided technical support for the microphones and Zoom registrations, and everything went off without a hitch.” It must be said that it was well worth the effort, since ISO 9001 certification is one of the most internationally recognized quality standards. A standard that attests to the dynamic of continuous improvement in which the University is engaged, 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, the registration and degree conferral of doctoral students, and degree program registration. Notably, as part of this last activity, the registration office of the Faculty of Sciences has been certified, thereby completing the certification of all the University’s registration 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 latest 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—particularly through listening to users.“For the certification of the enrollment centers, for example, we conducted a student satisfaction survey for which over 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 serving the institution’s strategy and our users,” concludes Sylvie Narejos. The next audit is scheduled for June 2021.