By devising a procedure to conform to standardised systems in teaching-learning process, the Shivani Group of Institutions on Monday secured ISO 9001:2008 certification for its six institutions.
N.Pradeep Kumar, Chennai Region General Manager of TUV Nord, a global leader in independent testing, inspection and certification services, handed over the certificates to the heads of Shivani Institute of Technology, Shivani Engineering College, Shivani School of Business Management, SSK Polytechnic College, Mariamman College of Education, and Mariamman Teacher Training Institution.
To sustain ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certification is a tough proposition since periodic audits of the process was bound to get tougher with every cycle, Mr.Pradeep Kumar said, clarifying that the focus of ISO certification, a measurement mechanism, was for the process and not product. The outcome cannot be decided with just the pass percentage. The set of objectives enabling fulfilment of requirements varies from one type of educational institution to another, Mr.Pradeep explained.
He was appreciative of the group of institutions catering to diverse higher educational requirements.
The guest of honour for the occasion, Rajappa Rajkumar, president of BHEL Small Industries’ Association, saw substantial progress in industry-institution interaction. He advocated visits to industries by faculties and students, explaining that such exposures would pave way for generation of readily employable candidates.
The ISO certification, hoped P.Selvaraj, Chairman of the Shivani Group of Institutions, will be a motivating factor for teachers to deliver their professional responsibilities systematically. ISO certification was inevitable for quality infusion.
The management has been encouraging teachers with suitable incentives to present papers at academic conferences, he said. Explaining the significance of the ISO accreditation, E.Ramasamy, Director, Shivani Institute of Technology, said that teaching-learning and teacher quality constitute a chunk of the NAAC accreditation parameters.
