Introduction to ABET Accreditation

1. Introduction to ABET Accreditation Michael K. J. Milligan, Ph.D., P.E. Executive Director, ABET October 15th, 2012

2. Topics • Who is ABET? • ABET’s Global Activities • Basics of ABET Accreditation • Criteria: The Guiding Principles of Accreditation Decisions • Continuous Quality Improvement • Future Challenges

3. Who is ABET? ABET Essentials

4. Brief ABET History 1932Engineers Council for Professional Development (ECPD) established 1936ECPD first evaluated engineering degree programs 1980 Name changed to “Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology” (ABET) 1980 Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) signed with Canada (1st international agreement) 1989Washington Accord Agreement signed with Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand 1994Policies and Procedures for Substantial Equivalency evaluations (evaluations outside the US) approved 1995-2000Major criteria reform (Engineering Criteria 2000) 2006Substantial Equivalency discontinued 2007 Accreditation of Programs outside the US began 2011 IFEES, GEDC Membership

5. ABET Vision Provide world leadershipin assuring quality and instimulating innovation in • Applied Science • Computing • Engineering, and • Engineering Technology Education

6. ABET Mission ABET serves the public globally through the promotion and advancement of education in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. • Accredits educational programs. • Promotes quality and innovation in education. • Communicates and collaborates with its constituents and the public. • Consults and assists in the development and advancement of education worldwide. • Anticipates and prepares for the changing educational environment and the future needs of its constituents. • Manages its operations and resources in an effective and fiscally responsible manner.

7. Value of ABET Accreditation • ABET accredited programs recognized globally • Commitment to quality education • Outcomes based approach • “What is learned” vs “What is taught” • Emphasis on Continuous Quality Improvement • Criteria encourages innovation

8. ABET Value Students & Parents • Helps students select quality programs • Shows institution is committed to improving the educational experience • Helps students prepare to enter “the profession” • Enhances employment opportunities • Establishes eligibility for financial aid and scholarships

9. ABET ValueInstitutions • “Third party” confirmation of quality of programs • Prestige, recognition by “the profession” • Attract the strongest students • Acceptability of transfer credits • Some external funding depends on accreditation status

10. ABET ValueFaculty • Encourages “best practices” in education • Structured mechanisms for self-improvement • Institution is serious and committed to improving quality • Facilities, financial resources, training, etc.

11. ABET ValueIndustry • Ensures educational requirements to enter “the profession” are met • Aids industry in recruiting • Ensures “baseline” of educational experience • Enhances mobility • Opportunity to help guide the educational process • Program’s Industrial Advisory Groups • Professional, technical societies

12. ABET Value Society • Helps ensure public safety • Supports professional licensure, certification • Graduates are ready for the profession • Engages multiple constituents • Academe, industry, public • Identifies programs for investment of public and private funds • Some assurance to taxpayers • Funds for higher education are appropriately spent

13. ABET is a Program AccreditorAlso called “Specialized” Accreditor • Evaluates programs • Not Institutions • Not degrees, diplomas, courses • Relevant, technically strong • Professional skills • Graduates ready to enter “the profession” • AS, BS, MS levels • Peer review process • Recognized by CHEA in U.S.

14. ABET’s 31 Member Societies

15. Member Societies • Represent “the Profession” • Over 1.5 million individual members • Develop Program Criteria • Appoint Board Representatives • Nominate Commissioners • Recruit and Assign Program Evaluators

16. ABET: a Leader in Assessment Educational Research, Professional Development • Educational Research • Assessment methods; measuring professional skills • Partners with faculty and industry • Professional Development • Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment (IDEAL) • Program Assessment Workshop • Webinars • ABET Symposium • 4 Tracks; example Self-Studies • Accreditation, Program Assessment, Innovations in Technical Education, and Program Evaluation Updates

17. ABET Organizational StructureVolunteer-Driven: 2,000+ Volunteers • Board of Directors • Nominated by member societies • Provide strategic direction and plans • Decide policy and procedures • Approve criteria • 4 Commissions • ASAC, CAC, EAC, ETAC • Make decisions on accreditation status • Implement accreditation policies • Propose changes to criteria • Program Evaluators • Visit campuses • Evaluate individual programs • Make initial accreditation recommendations • “Face of ABET” 100% of accreditation decisions are made by volunteers ABET Headquarters (Baltimore): ~38 full, part time staff

18. Computing Accreditation Commission Engineering Accreditation Commission Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission Applied Science Accreditation Commission 633 accredited programs at 213 institutions 381 accredited programs at 299 institutions 2,209 accredited programs at 456 institutions 71 accredited programs at 54 institutions ABET Organizational Structure Committees Accreditation Council Board of Directors Industry AdvisoryCouncil Academic AdvisoryCouncil Global Council

19. ABET Board of Directors • 5 Officers • President, Pres-Elect, Past Pres, Secretary, Treasurer • 1-year terms, except for Treasurer who serves for 2 years • 39 Directors • 1 to 3 Directors from each member society • 3-year term, renewable for additional term • 5 Public Directors • Right to vote; no affiliation with member societies • 3-year term, renewable for additional term • 2 Associate Member Representatives • Privilege of the floor, but no vote

20. ABET’s Global Activities Global Engagement

21. ABET is Engaged GloballyConsistent with ABET’s Mission & Vision • Accredit Programs outside the U.S. • Assistance: MOUs with 15 national agencies • Mutual Recognition Agreements • Engineers Canada • International Engineering Alliance (IEA) • Seoul Accord • Membership in Global Organizations • Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) • Intl Federation of Engr Education Societies (IFEES)

22. Global Accreditation ActivitiesAs of 1 Oct 2012 • Accredited 3,205 programs at 659 colleges & universities in 24 countries • Non-U.S. Programs • Accredited 324programs at 64institutions in 23 countries • Uniform accreditation criteria, policies and procedures used for all visits, regardless of location

23. Mutual Recognition Agreements • International agreement • Between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programs • Recognizes “substantial equivalency” • of accrediting systems • Graduates of accredited programs are prepared to practice engineering at the entry level to the profession

24. International Engineering Alliance • Washington Accord* • Engineering • Sydney Accord* • Engineering Technology • Dublin Accord** • Engineering Technician • APEC Engineer Agreement • Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation • Engineers Mobility Forum • Professional Engineers Register • Engineering Technologist Forum * Full signatory; **provisional membership

25. Washington AccordEngineering • ABET: U.S. (1989) • IEAust: Australia (1989) • CEAB: Canada (1989) • IEI: Ireland (1989) • IPENZ: New Zealand (1989) • EngC: UK (1989) • HKIE: Hong Kong (1995) • ECSA: South Africa (1999) • JABEE: Japan (2005) • IES: Singapore (2006) • IEET:Chinese Taipei (2007) • ABEEK: South Korea (2007) • BEM: Malaysia (2009) • MUDEK: Turkey (2011) • AEER: Russia (2012)

26. Mutual Recognition AgreementsWashington Accord • Periodic review of assessment processes • Every 6th year • Self study + observer teams • Campus evaluations, decision meetings • Signatories’ website lists programs • Graduate attributes

27. Washington AccordGlobal Graduate Attributes • Engineering Knowledge • Problem Analysis • Design/Development of Solutions • Investigation & Experimentation • Modern Tool Usage • The Engineer and Society • Environment and Sustainability • Ethics • Individual and Teamwork • Communication • Project Management and Finance • Lifelong Learning

28. Mutual Recognition AgreementsSydney Accord (Engineering Technologist) • Sydney Accord • Australia - IEAust • Canada - CEAB • Hong Kong China - HKIE • Ireland - IEI • New Zealand - IPENZ • South Africa - ECSA • United Kingdom - EngC • United States – ABET

29. Basics of ABET Accreditation

30. Generally Accepted Accreditation Principles • Accreditation is Voluntary • Non-governmental organization • Fair and impartial peer review process • Requires self-assessment by the program/school • Continuous process (reviewed every n years) • Failure of single criterion results in loss of accreditation • Deficiencies in one area CANNOT be compensated by strengths in other areas

31. What Programs does ABET Accredit? • Academic program leading to a specific degree in a specific discipline • Assigned Commission depends on program name • Applied Sciences (ASAC): AS, BS, MS • Examples: Health Physics, Industrial Hygiene, Industrial & Quality Management, Safety Sciences, Surveying and Mapping • Computing (CAC): BS • Comp Science, Info Systems, Info Technology • Engineering (EAC): BS, MS • Engineering Technology (ETAC): AS, BS

32. ABET Accreditation Process What Does It Involve? • Criteria developed by member societies, practitioners, and educators • Self-Study report by the institution and program • On-site evaluation by peers • from education, government, and industry • Publication of lists of accredited programs • Periodic re-evaluation (maximum 6 years)

33. ABET Accreditation Process Objectives • Assure that graduates of an accredited program are adequately prepared to enter and continue the practice of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology • Stimulate the improvement of technical education • Encourage new and innovative approaches to engineering education and its assessment

34. Basic Requirements • Programs must have graduates • Institution must asses entire program • Appropriate institutional accreditation or governmental approval • U.S. Department of Education, or • Regional accreditation agency, or • National accreditation agency, or • State authority • Outside the U.S.A. • Appropriate entity that authorizes/approves the offering of educational programs (e.g., CONEAU)

35. ABET Accreditation Process Peer Review • Programs prepare Self-Study for evaluation team • Documents how the program meets criteria • Program review conducted by team of peer colleagues • Faculty, industry and government professionals, and administrators in the profession. • Review the Self-Study and conduct the site visit • ABET Program Evaluators (PEVs) • Approximately 2,200 faculty, industry, and government representatives (from ABET member societies)

36. Review TeamMembership • One Team Chair • For large teams: Team Chair and Co-Chair • Typically one Program Evaluator for each program being evaluated • Minimum of 3 team members for single program • Possibly one or more observers • International partners, US State licensing boards, new program evaluators, ABET staff • Team members are volunteers and not compensated for their work

37. On-Site Visit • Direct observations • Program facilities • Student work, materials • Interview faculty, students, administrators, and other professional supporting personnel • Complements the Self-Study • Provides direct, observable evidence that cannot be obtained from the Self-Study

38. Accreditation Timeline18 month process March - June Team members assigned, dates set, Self-Study submitted May - June Necessary changes to statement, if any, are made January Institution requests accreditation for programs December - February Draft statements edited and sent to institutions August Institutions notified of final action Year 1 Year 2 September - December Visits take place, draft statements written and finalized following 7-day response period July Commission meets to take final action February - May Institution prepares self-evaluation (Program Self-Study) February - April Institutions respond to draft statement and return to ABET October Accreditation status publically released

39. Governing Documents Accreditation Process • ABET Criteria for Accrediting Programs in [ASAC, CAC, EAC, ETAC] • Program Management • Assessment • Curriculum • Resources and Support • ABET Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual[APPM] • Eligibility for Accreditation • Conduct of Evaluations • Public Release of Information • Appeals

40. The Guiding Principles of Accreditation Decisions • Criteria

41. Overview of CriteriaGoals • Ensure the quality of educational programs • Foster the systematic pursuit of quality improvement in educational programs • Develop educational programs that satisfy the needs of constituents in a dynamic and competitive environment

43. Engineering Criteria 2000 “EC 2000” • Philosophy: “Outcomes-based” • Institutions and programs define mission and objectives to meet needs of their constituents • Provides for program differentiation • Outcomes: preparation for professional practice • Demonstrate how criteria are being met • Wide national & international acceptance • Commitment to Continuous Improvement • Process focus: outcomes & assessment linked to objectives; input from constituencies • Student, faculty, facilities, institutional support, and financial resources linked to Program Objectives

44. Program Names • Determines: • Which ABET Commission is responsible • ASAC, CAC, EAC, ETAC • Which professional society is responsible • Appropriate program evaluators • Which criteria are applicable • “General Criteria” for all programs • “Program Criteria” for certain disciplines

45. Criteria • Students • Program Educational Objectives • Student Outcomes • Continuous Improvement • Curriculum • Faculty • Facilities • Institutional Support

46. Criterion 1: Students • The quality and performance of students and graduates is an important success factor. • To determine success, the institution must evaluate, advise, and monitor students. • Policies/procedures must be in place and enforced for acceptance of transfer students and validation of courses taken elsewhere. • Assure that all students meet all program graduation requirements.

47. Criterion 2: Program Educational Objectives • The program must have published program educational objectives • Consistent with the mission of the institution, the needs of the program’s various constituents, and the criteria • There must be a documented and effective process, involving program constituents, for the periodic review and revision of these program educational objectives.

48. Criterion 3: Student Outcomes • The program must have documented student outcomes that prepare graduates to attain the program educational objectives. • Narrow statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire in their matriculation through the program.

49. Criterion 3: Student Outcomes • The program must demonstrate that their students attain the following outcomes: • An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering • An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data • An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.

50. Criterion 3: Student Outcomes • An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams • An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems • An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility • An ability to communicate effectively • The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context