Saint Louis University conducted an ISO 21001:2018 Educational Organization Management System (EOMS) Project kick-off meeting from 14 to 15 January 2025 at the Fr. Francis Gevers Hall, Diego Silang Building, SLU Main Campus. The said meeting, organized by the University’s Office of Institutional Development and Quality Assurance (OIDQA), was a significant step in the University’s transition from ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems – QMS) to ISO 21001:2018.
Attended by personnel from the Management Team, Heads of Offices, and Internal Quality Auditors (IQAs), the capacity-building program marked a significant milestone in SLU’s quality management journey. Among the said participants were 37 IQAs as well as 37 upcoming IQAs.
This event highlighted the University’s dedication to enhancing its quality management practices in education and aligning with international standards to better serve students and stakeholders.
SLU President Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD, emphasized the Institution’s “continuous journey of growth and improvement.” He encouraged the administrators, faculty, and staff to continue creating an environment that is “sufficient, responsive and committed to excellence” in response to the evolving world. “Let us embrace this opportunity with the spirit of collaboration and commitment to excellence… to make SLU an even stronger, more efficient, and more impactful institution for the benefit of our students and the community at large,” Fr. Sales remarked.
OIDQA Director Hector L. Martin stated that the transition acknowledges the University’s commitment, through the leadership of the SLU President and unwavering support of the Louisian community, “to foster a culture of continuous improvement and to address the diverse needs of students, faculty, and external stakeholders.” It also supports a more structured and customized approach to managing education processes, ensuring that the institution meets global standards for educational quality and relevance.
The two-day kick-off included a series of trainings and workshop-presentations facilitated by ISO consultants and trainers from the AGF Consulting Group.
On the first day, 14 January, Mr. Jong Fernandez, LIb, CQA, CQI IRCA QMSLA, gave an ISO 21001 Awareness Training centered on understanding the EOMS requirements. On the second and last day, 15 January, Mr. Teodoro V. Ramirez, Jr., delved into the topic on ISO 21001:2018 EOMS Documented Information.
In application of the knowledge-sharing sessions, contextualized workshops were conducted. Afterwhich, reports were presented by each cluster: Administration, Academic, Finance, Audit, and Mission and Identity.
The transition from ISO 9001 to ISO 21001 is part of Goal 2 of SLU’s Strategic Direction aimed at enhancing the quality management system of the University to align more closely with the unique requirements of educational organizations. ISO 21001:2018 is specifically designed for educational institutions, emphasizing the development of learners, organizational effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction.
This initiative reinforces SLU’s commitment to excellence, creates a more learner-centric environment, and positions the Institution as a leader in quality education management.
