Análisis de los procesos de acreditación institucional de alta calidad en el aprendizaje organizacional y en la gestión del conocimiento en la sede de Villavicencio de la Universidad Santo Tomás y sus correspondientes efectos para un escenario posible de implementación de la norma ISO 21001:2018

Abstract

This passage discusses the concept of accreditation in the Colombian higher education system. Accreditation is the act of the government recognizing the quality of an academic program, while voluntary accreditation is an institution's attempt to exceed the minimum standards. The National Accreditation Council proposes eight objectives for the accreditation process, which align with the basic principles of the ISO 9001:2015 standard. The ISO 21001:2018 standard is a management quality standard for the education sector that focuses on satisfying students and other beneficiaries. The University of Santo Tomas was the first private educational institution to receive a Multicampus Institutional Accreditation in Colombia. The accreditation process was a learning experience that began in 2013 and aimed to unify the quality assurance process.

Quality perception is one of the fundamental attributes valued by one of the main stakeholders of a university. The implementation of the ISO 21001:2018 standard provides a common management tool for educational organizations to meet the requirements of students and other beneficiaries. This standard is equivalent to the ISO 9001:2015 standard for the educational context and is useful for higher education institutions to understand and respond efficiently to the needs of stakeholders. The certification processes that universities undertake also facilitate the incorporation of new organizational learning styles and knowledge management. The objective of this study is to describe the institutional accreditation processes of high quality in organizational learning and knowledge management at the Villavicencio campus of the Santo Tomás University, and their effects on a possible implementation scenario of the ISO 21001:2018 standard. Specific objectives include describing the accreditation process, identifying its effects and proposing actions for the quality management system.

This research project uses mixed quantitative and qualitative techniques, aiming to combine the strengths of both types of inquiry while minimizing potential weaknesses. The study focuses on the process of institutional accreditation at the Santo Tomás University in Villavicencio, using a case study approach that involves analyzing a broad aspect of reality within a relatively delimited context. The sources of information are both primary and secondary, with primary sources including semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in the accreditation process. After gathering all the information, the analysis will be conducted based on the specific objectives of the study. However, research in management faces the challenge of understanding, constructing, and disseminating knowledge about a subjective, difficult, and complex object of study: organizations or a set of them.

The University of Santo Tomás, Villavicencio campus has recognized the importance of Organizational Learning and Continuous Improvement processes. This has allowed the campus to strengthen its academic, administrative, and financial processes while responding to the needs of the region and projecting itself as a reference for educational quality. Accreditation of high quality education is an opportunity for the university to adapt to changes and improve its capacity to respond to the demands of its environment. ISO 21001 provides an opportunity for the university to improve the management of its educational and administrative processes. The implementation of the standard can contribute to strengthening the quality culture of the university and ensuring quality education for students.

It is recommended that the University of Santo Tomás, Villavicencio campus, designs and implements a sustainable strategy for Organizational Learning involving all members of the university community. This should promote collaboration and teamwork among different areas and actors of the university through the facilitation of spaces for knowledge exchange and transfer. It is essential to have a solid Quality Management System aligned with the requirements of the ISO 21001 standard