INTEC is the first university in the country to certify a virtual course with Quality Matters.
SANTO DOMINGO. - The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) has marked a milestone in Dominican higher education by becoming the first university in the country to obtain international Quality Matters (QM) certification for one of its virtual courses.
The certified course, Business Administration and Management, part of the Economics and Business Department, is taught by Ingrid González, an academic coordinator and specialist in virtual teaching.
To celebrate this achievement, the Directorate of Faculty Development held an event, headed by the interim rector, alliet ortega, which brought together teachers, academic authorities, and collaborators, with the purpose of highlighting the institutional commitment to excellence in online teaching and meaningful student learning.
During her opening remarks, Rector Ortega congratulated the teachers and technical teams for taking on the challenge of virtual learning with innovation and rigor. "This recognition reflects our commitment to quality education, supported by continuous improvement and leveraging technology as an ally for learning," she said.
El Academic Vice President, Arturo del Villar, highlighted in a virtual message the importance of strengthening pedagogical processes under international standards, while the specialist Fernando Senior, QM's representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, shared his thoughts on the impact of certification and the relevance of Quality Matters standards in the region.
About the certified subject
The course design was developed by Professor Ingrid González, who is responsible for creating content, aligning objectives, activities, and assessments, in line with Quality Matters standards.
This process was guided by the Virtual Resources Unit's methodological approach, assisted by instructional designer Rossy Medina, who assisted in verifying technical criteria and aligning with the QM 7.0 rubric, ensuring the quality of the instructional design and compliance with all essential standards.
La QM Certification is a internationally recognized symbol, comparable to a process of academic accreditation, which validates that the course design meets demanding standards based on research, good practices and a student-centered approach.
This international recognition is the result of a rigorous and structured process within INTEC's Instructional Design Department, led by Loren Rojas, the university's Virtual Processes Coordinator. To obtain this distinction, a course must achieve at least and a % compliance in the QM Rubric and comply with all Essential Standards, after a independent review by certified expertsRojas explained.
The subject obtained an outstanding grade of 99/100, from the first assessment. This means that the course stood out for its clear structure, aligned activities, and diverse resources that foster student engagement and participation.
With this certification, INTEC joins a select group of international universities that have achieved this prestigious recognition, such as the Monterrey Institute of Technology (Mexico), The University of Florida, California State University, North Carolina State University (NC State), Iwo Jima State University (USA), The Autonomous University of Chile (Chile), University of Puerto Rico, among others, consolidating its leadership as a benchmark in educational innovation in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The program included the panel "The QM Certification Experience," moderated by Alicia Tejada, curriculum analyst from the Academic Development Division, with the participation of Loren Rojas, Virtual Processes Coordinator; Rossy Medina, instructional designer; and Ingrid González, certified teacher. The panelists shared their lessons learned, challenges, and achievements from the process, motivating other educators to continue promoting quality in virtual education.
The event concluded with the presentation of a Quality Matters certificate and a financial incentive to Professor González, in recognition of her efforts and performance in designing and implementing a course that meets international standards. The work of the Instructional Design team and the teachers who have participated in improvement and training processes over the past year was also recognized.
"This achievement demonstrates INTEC's commitment to quality and innovation in virtual education. We are proud to be the first to demonstrate and certify that our virtual spaces meet international standards that guarantee meaningful learning experiences for our students," said Professor González.
Luisa Taveras, director of the Academic Development Division, emphasized that this achievement is not an isolated event, but rather part of an institutional strategy that promotes pedagogical innovation and excellence in virtual teaching at INT.
"This achievement is not only a recognition of the collaborative work of its academic and technical teams, but also a tangible demonstration of its vision to lead educational innovation in the Dominican Republic, committed to accessible, effective, and high-quality online education," said Taveras.