The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) welcomed a comparative study visit from Universitas Bina Mandiri (UBM) Gorontalo on Friday, February 7, 2025. The event, held in the Professor’s Room, Building G of FPH UI, aimed to benchmark the quality of education. The comparative study was conducted by the Undergraduate Hospital Administration Study Program (ARS) of the Faculty of Science, Technology, and Health Sciences (FSTIK) UBM Gorontalo to gain insights and deepen their understanding of academic quality assurance systems, curricula, teaching methods, and study program management implemented at FPH UI.
The UBM Gorontalo delegation was warmly welcomed by the Dean of FPH UI, Prof. Dr. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., along with faculty leadership. Prof. Mondastri expressed appreciation for the visit and hoped that the comparative study would benefit both parties. “This comparative study is a great opportunity to strengthen inter-institutional relationships and share experiences in improving education quality and academic management,” said Prof. Mondastri.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ikram Muhammad, M.S., Head of the Academic Quality Assurance Agency of UBM Gorontalo, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome from FPH UI. UBM Gorontalo is a private university located in Sulawesi. “Since 2019, UBM Gorontalo has undergone a merger to improve governance efficiency and effectiveness, a step taken alongside the challenges of the pandemic,” explained Dr. Ikram. “Despite these challenges, UBM Gorontalo has managed to survive and grow into a globally oriented leading private university, successfully hosting an international conference focusing on SDGs every year,” he added.
Dr. Ikram also highlighted the importance of quality assurance as a key factor in university management. “We learn a lot from other universities, including FPH UI, regarding quality assurance. We are consistent in implementing quality-based planning, conducting quality audits, and performing final assessments. We have also developed a university-wide quality assurance system and hope this process can be integrated to achieve the status of a leading private university. We hope that the gap between public and private universities can be minimized through government-supported policies,” said Dr. Ikram.
Discussions in this comparative study aimed to enrich institutional knowledge on strategies for improving academic and managerial quality in study program management. The Vice Dean for Education, Research, and Student Affairs of FPH UI, Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., explained that the establishment of academic standards at FPH UI serves as a guideline in the educational process. At the faculty level, these standards are implemented through internal evaluations such as Student Evaluation of Lecturers (EDOM), internal audits, as well as quality control and annual quality audits. The implementation and evaluation of standards are conducted periodically, including national accreditation every five years for the ten study programs at FPH UI, comprising four undergraduate programs, four master’s programs, and two doctoral programs. Additionally, three FPH UI study programs have undergone international accreditation by AHPGS (Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences).
FPH UI also conducts Internal Academic Audits as preparation before national accreditation. Additionally, Learning Monitoring and Evaluation (MEP) is conducted to assess the alignment of lesson plans with available facilities and infrastructure. Every year, the faculty also carries out an Internal Annual Evaluation (EVITAH) as a follow-up to the Semester Internal Evaluation (EVISEM), which includes assessments of lecturers, students, and tri dharma activities. These evaluations are conducted both quantitatively and qualitatively to ensure that each study program meets national accreditation standards.
Quality assurance systems in higher education generally focus more on academic aspects, such as national and international accreditation. However, non-academic quality control also plays a crucial role in maintaining institutional reputation. This was conveyed by Dr. Milla Herdayati, S.K.M., M.Si., Vice Dean for Resources, Ventures, and General Administration of FPH UI, during a discussion on the implementation of the Non-Academic Quality Control System (SPMNA) at FPH UI.
SPMNA is a series of procedures and policies designed to ensure that all non-academic services and processes at FPH UI run according to established standards. This system is designed to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction among all stakeholders, including students, staff, and alumni. The scope of SPMNA includes administrative services, campus facilities, human resources, finance and operations, as well as student information systems and services.
FPH UI has undertaken various steps in implementing SPMNA, from planning and execution to continuous evaluation. These efforts began with obtaining ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification in 2017, followed by achieving the Integrity Zone-Free from Corruption (ZI-WBK) status in 2021, and undergoing the Integrity Zone-Clean and Serving Bureaucracy (ZI-WBBM) assessment in 2023. Additionally, FPH UI successfully obtained ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification in 2022. SPMNA is implemented through four main steps to ensure optimal execution: planning and setting quality standards, implementing and socializing policies, monitoring and evaluation through satisfaction surveys and periodic assessments, and continuous improvement and development through internal quality audits and certification. The internalization of SPMNA for students is optimized during the new student orientation period through the FPH UI pocketbook.
UBM Gorontalo’s Vice Rector 3, Ns. Adriyanto Jai, M.Kep., highlighted that the FPH UI pocketbook, which contains UI values and guidelines on do’s and don’ts for the academic community, could serve as a reference for the quality control system at UBM Gorontalo. Furthermore, he noted that FPH UI demonstrated readiness in accommodating new instruments from the Ministry of Health. “If there are new policies that are not well received by students or if students submit complaints, FPH UI has a responsive monitoring mechanism that ensures the anonymity of the complainants so that students feel safe in providing feedback. These are aspects that we could adopt,” said Ns. Adriyanto.
Student services continue to be optimized through digital platforms accessible on the FPH UI website. Strategic approaches are also implemented by involving lecturers who share the same enthusiasm for improving service quality so that they can act as change agents in building an Integrity Zone (ZI) within the faculty. As an effort to enhance service quality comprehensively, both in academic and non-academic aspects, FPH UI continues to develop its non-academic quality control system. FPH UI is committed to addressing various challenges to achieve higher service standards and global competitiveness.
The meeting was also attended by Yolanda Ngabito, S.E., M.Si., Head of the ARS Study Program at UBM Gorontalo, Dian Wulandari, M.M., Coordinator of the Quality Assurance Unit of FPH UI, and Marwan M. Noor, S.Kom., Coordinator of the Non-Academic Quality Assurance Unit of FPH UI. (DFD)