Quality at the FWEG (ISO)
Warocqué ISO: Quality, always a priority
ISO certification, a first in the French Community
Created in 1899 by entrepreneurs in the province of Hainaut, the Warocqué School of Business and Economics (FWEG) has, throughout its history, trained managers to play a key role in the industrial and economic arena in Belgium and abroad. It has always offered high quality teaching, open to the world and to modern life. This tireless pursuit of quality, a long-standing tradition at Warocqué, was first certified according to the international ISO 9001:2000 standard in January 2003, and this has since been updated for the ISO 9001:2015 quality certification.
ISO 9001:2015 is a reference used by thousands of companies in all sectors around the world as a framework for quality management and assurance. In higher education, referring to ISO standards is common abroad, especially in Switzerland. But the FWEG was the first university faculty in the French Community of Belgium to obtain ISO 9001 certification.
The FWEG has set up a system intended to guarantee that the quality of its teaching is maintained at an optimum level. It is structured around 32 documented and certified procedures. These procedures are inspected by both a team of internal specially-trained auditors, as well as an independent external certifying organisation, Vinçotte, which carries out regular checks to ensure that these procedures are strictly followed.
The student is our core concern.
ISO certification at the FWEG represents, first and foremost, the mobilisation of everyone in pursuit of continuous progress with the ultimate goal of offering students increasingly effective teaching. Students are at the centre of our thoughts and concerns. The service they receive must be continuously improved, in all aspects: quality of programmes, syllabi, organisation of courses, timetables, premises, lecture halls, trips abroad, etc.
The student, our partner in continuous improvement
FWEG students are also partners in our pursuit for quality. A forum for dialogue has been created for this purpose: the “Comité de Concertation et d’Information” [Cooperation and Information Committee] (CCI). It is made up of members of the Quality Assurance Team and students representing all the Faculty’s curricula. Its operation is assured by documented procedures. The CCI addresses all aspects of faculty life and students can obtain any information they feel might be useful to them. They are particularly consulted on, or informed about, changes to study programmes, the structure of studies in the Faculty, satisfaction surveys, and the quality objectives that concern them.
The FWEG listens to its students
As well as the CCI, students can flag any kind of problem at any time thanks to a complaint form. Any complaints are closely followed up by the Quality Assurance Team and complainants are informed of the outcome. The handling of these complaints is also subject to a documented procedure.
Every year, students also take part in a satisfaction survey, enabling them to give their opinion on all aspects of life at the FWEG. The survey is analysed using scientific methods and in accordance with the documented procedure. The results are communicated to the CCI, transmitted to the Faculty Board and analysed by the highest UMONS authorities who decide on corrective measures.
Quality education in economics and management in tune with the realities of modern society
The FWEG’s educational programmes are examined annually to ensure they remain up to date and suited to the realities of today’s society. This suitability is measured through an external survey targeted at all the graduates from the preceding three years. The diversity of their jobs provides a largely representative sample of the business world and our society. By monitoring the market in this way, the FWEG seeks to give its students the skills that will allow them to join the job market quickly, harmoniously and at a high level.
Contacts with other people, languages, cultures and traditions regarding management
A documented procedure guarantees that the FWEG can offer its students a wide range of three-month to one-year stays in European (Erasmus programme) or anywhere else in the world (USA, Mexico, Australia, China, Japan, etc.). Students therefore have the option of studying other languages, other learning methods and other cultures in the management and economics field.
The value of these stays for learning languages is unquestionable. They also provide participants with better knowledge of foreign markets in which future managers can look to work.
Promoting Success
The quality of the teaching does not, however, mean it should not be permanently accessible to all. Warocqué has made a firm commitment to fighting failure and dropping out, and as a consequence, to promoting success. It has made significant efforts to this end.
The fact that the FWEG is a small faculty has always encouraged fruitful contact between students and staff. This now includes three documented procedures governing participation in remediation, peer tutoring and monitoring sessions.
Each student in their first cycle receives individual advice from a tutor, appointed from this level of teaching staff. Students can ask their tutor for any information they consider useful for their integration and success. Finally, students in their first cycle also benefit from peer monitoring – advice and support from graduating students – and this experience represents another strong factor in their integration and success.
Implementing all these objectives within a quality management system allows the FWEG to continue on its quest for continuous improvement, in order to offer students a style of education which is best suited to their needs.
Contact :
Quality Assurance Team
Romina Giuliano – Steering and Quality Manager
romina.giuliano@umons.ac.be
Yacin Amara – Assistant to the Steering and Quality Manager
yacin.amara@umons.ac.be