Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) successfully completed the inspection on ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System, which was carried out online by the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) between 31 May and 3 June 2021. The closing meeting of the said inspection was held online on Thursday, 3 June 2021, at 2:00 p.m.. EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, Vice Rector for Administrative and Technical Affairs Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serhan Şensoy, TSE Chief Auditor Levent Çalışır, TSE Auditor Necati Karahan, EMU Quality and OHS Management Representative Hasan Kavaz and Consultant Latif Sakar, as well as EMU Quality Unit Representatives attended the meeting.
The first speech of the closing meeting was given by Hasan Kavaz, Coordinator for Administrative and Technical Affairs, and Quality and OHS Management Representative. Kavaz stated that the university had a good inspection on the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
“We Found the Established System Successful”
Speaking at the meeting, TSE Inspector Necati Karahan provided a general assessment about the inspections. Stating that he found the system established at EMU on occupational health and safety to be successful, Karahan thanked everyone who contributed. Expressing that they found the disinfection work, especially in the library, specification of distances, mask use and risk analysis very successful, Karahan gave the floor to Chief Auditor Levent Çalışır.
“We are Pleased with COVID-19 Measures”
Çalışır also expressed his happiness for having carried out a technical audit at a university like EMU and stated that he found the work done in terms of documentation and registration very successful. Stating that he is pleased with EMU for the measures taken against COVID-19, Calisir stated that they will recommend the device, which is used to disinfect all books in the library with ozone gas, to other institutions that they will carry out inspections. Stating that they found the occupational health and safety measures taken at the EMU Continuing Education Center and the Public Relations and Press Directorate to be very successful, Çalışır stated that they presented a positive report to Ankara as a result of the inspections they carried out at EMU.
“Continuous Improvement Processes are Beneficial”
Speaking at the meeting, EMU Vice Rector for Administrative and Technical Affairs Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serhan Şensoy stated that they found the continuous improvement processes useful as a university and underlined that they would go further as a result of the inspections. Thanking the TSE auditors who carried out intensive inspections for three days, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şensoy also thanked the quality unit representatives working in all units and all EMU personnel who contributed to the implementation of occupational health and safety measures. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şensoy stated that EMU has spendt a lot of time on COVID-19 measures.
“EMU’s Quality Vision is not Just Words, but is in Effect”
Speaking at the meeting, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın shared brief information about the history of EMU and stated that the steps taken in line with the university's vision were taken under the responsibility of setting an example for the society. Prof. Dr. Hocanın underlined that EMU's vision of quality in both academic and administrative areas is not just words, but is in effect. Stating that EMU went through its first external audit process in 1999, during the ABET accreditation period, Prof. Dr. Hocanın emphasized that they have successfully completed these evaluations and that the quality process at EMU will never come to an end.
Emphasizing that EMU, which is the only university in the TRNC to be established by statute, has nearly 80 programs and that most of these programs have local and international accreditations and have passed quality inspections, Prof. Dr. Hocanın pointed out that some programs have successfully completed the quality processes more than once. Stating that EMU approaches quality holistically, Prof. Dr. Hocanın stated that he saw that the instructors, students and administrative staff also internalised and adopted this, and that he hoped that the coming term would be held face to face within the scope of the measures taken.
