Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are key actors in the territories in the functional purpose of the States to ensure the quality of education as a transversal axis of sustainable development, these are called to integrate the organizational elements that shape it from its roots , purposes, scope and social function recognizing good practices but also the lessons learned in their work for continuous improvement and revitalization of knowledge in its generation, dissemination and management. This article reflects on the organizational nature of HEIs exploring fundamentals that must be articulated in them for the management of knowledge in pursuit of permanent quality assurance considering human beings as a central axis from their diverse roles in the academic community; for this, epistemic positions are recognized and their articulation with organizational intelligence entailing the normative foundations of the quality assurance system in Colombian higher education.