international accreditation: impact, benefits, challenges and the...

Copyright © 2013 by ABET Copyright © 2013 by ABET

International Accreditation:

Impact, benefits, challenges

and the future Winston Erevelles, Ph.D.

Professor and Dean, School of Science, Engineering and Technology

St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX

Chair, Engineering Accreditation Commission


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Who is ABET?

ABET Essentials


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• ABET serves the public globally through

the promotion and advancement of

education in applied science, computing,

engineering, and engineering technology

ABET Mission


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ABET Vision

Provide world leadership in

assuring quality and

stimulating innovation in

• Applied Science

• Computing

• Engineering, and

• Engineering Technology

Education


ABET’s 33 Member

Societies

http://www.aaees.org/

http://bmes.org/index.asp


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ABET Organizational Structure Volunteer-Driven: 2,200+ 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”

Volunteers make 100% of accreditation decisions

Volunteers are not compensated


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ABET Organizational Structure

Accreditation

Council

Applied

Science

Accreditation

Commission

74 accredited

programs at 56

institutions

Computing

Accreditation

Commission

402 accredited

programs at

308 institutions

Engineering

Accreditation

Commission

2,239

accredited

programs at 458

institutions

637 accredited

programs at

215 institutions

Engineering

Technology

Accreditation

Commission

Industry

Advisory

Council

Academic

Advisory

Council

Global

Council

Committees

HQ Staff

(Baltimore)

Board of Directors


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85,000 students graduate from

ABET-accredited programs

each year!


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Value of

ABET Accreditation


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• 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

Value of ABET Accreditation


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• 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

ABET Value Students and Parents


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• “Third-party” confirmation

of quality of programs

• Prestige, recognition by

“the profession”

• Attracts the strongest students

• Acceptability of transfer credits

• Some external funding depends on

accreditation status

ABET Value Institutions


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• Encourages “best practices”

in education

• Structured mechanisms

for self-improvement

• Institution is serious and

committed to improving

quality

Facilities, financial resources,

training, etc.

ABET Value Faculty


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• Ensures educational

requirements to enter

“the profession” are met

• Aids industry in recruiting

• Enhances mobility

• Provides opportunity to help guide

the educational process

ABET Value Industry


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• Helps ensure public safety

• Engages multiple constituents

• Identifies programs for investment of

public and private funds

• Some assurance to taxpayers

ABET Value Society


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Basics of ABET

Accreditation


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• Graduates are prepared to enter the

profession

• Improve the students’ education

experience

• Encourage new and innovative

approaches to technical education

and assessment of outcomes

ABET Accreditation Process Objectives


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• Academic program leading to a specific

degree in a specific discipline

• Programs must have at least one

graduate

• Institutional accreditation in the USA

• Outside the USA, appropriate entity that

authorizes/approves the offering of

educational programs

Basic Requirements


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• Programs prepare Self-Study Report for

evaluation team

• Program review conducted by team of

peer colleagues

One Team Chair

One Program Evaluator for each program

being evaluated

One or more observers (variable)

ABET Accreditation Process


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Accreditation Timeline 18-Month Process

January

Institution requests

accreditation for

programs

February - May

Institution prepares

self-evaluation

(Program Self-Study

Report)

March - June

Team members

assigned, dates

set, Self-Study

Report submitted

September - December

Visits take place, draft

statements written and

finalized following

7-day response period

December - February

Draft statements edited

and sent to institutions

February - April

Institutions respond

to draft statement

and return to ABET

May - June

Necessary changes

to statement,

if any, are made

July

Commission meets

to take final action

August

Institutions notified

of final action

Year 1 Year 2

October

Accreditation status

publically released


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• ABET Criteria for Accrediting

Programs

ASAC, CAC, EAC, ETAC

• ABET Accreditation Policy and

Procedure Manual [APPM]

Key Guidance Documents Accreditation Process


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1) Students

2) Program Educational Objectives

3) Student Outcomes

4) Continuous Improvement

5) Curriculum

6) Faculty

7) Facilities

8) Institutional Support

Plus Program Specific Criteria (if any)

Criteria


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• ABET criteria have been

developed on the principles of

continuous quality improvement

• On-going process at institution to

improve quality of student’s

educational experience

• Accreditation is a part of CQI

Continuous Quality

Improvement (CQI)


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Global

Engagement

ABET’s Global Activities


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Global Challenges

World Population

Aging Population

Environment

Conflict

Clean Water

Energy


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• Students/Young Professionals: Increasingly

multicultural and mobile

• ABET Societies: Most have international

membership/chapters

• Higher Education: Trend toward establishing

international campuses, distance learning

• Employers: Businesses are global

• Developing Nations: Rapid growth in

technical capacity building

Global Trends


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• Requires unique attributes and skills

Language, history, cultural sensitivity, and curiosity

Understand impact of solutions in global context

Ability to reinvent oneself multiple times over a

lifetime in response to changing environment,

technology and global needs

Global Technical Professionals


ABET is Engaged Globally Consistent with ABET’s Mission & Vision

Assistance: MOUs with 15 national agencies

Mutual Recognition Agreements

Engineers Canada

International Engineering Alliance (IEA)

• Washington, Sydney, Dublin Accords

Seoul Accord: Computing

Accreditation

365 programs at 72 institutions in 23 countries

Membership in Global Organizations

GEDC, IFEES


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• 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

Mutual Recognition Agreements


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• Washington Accord* Engineering

• Sydney Accord* Engineering Technology

• Dublin Accord* Engineering Technician

• APEC Engineer Agreement Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

• International Professional Engineers Agreement Professional Engineers Register

• International Engineering Technologist Agreement

International Engineering

Alliance

* ABET is Signatory


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• 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)

Washington Accord Engineering


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• 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

Washington Accord Global Graduate Attributes


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• Sydney Accord

Australia – IEAust

Canada – CEAB

Hong Kong China – HKIE

Ireland – IEI

New Zealand – IPENZ

South Africa – ECSA

United Kingdom – EngC

United States – ABET

Mutual Recognition Agreements Sydney Accord (Engineering Technologist)

http://www.iei.ie/


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• Dublin Accord

Australia – IEAust

Canada – CEAB

Ireland – IEI

South Korea – ABEEK

New Zealand – IPENZ

South Africa – ECSA

United Kingdom – EngC


Mutual Recognition Agreements Dublin Accord (Engineering Technicians)

http://www.iei.ie/


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• Seoul Accord

Australia – ACS

Canada – CIPS

Chinese Taipei – IEET

Hong Kong China – HKIE

Japan – JABEE

South Korea – ABEEK

United Kingdom – BCS


Mutual Recognition Agreements Seoul Accord (Computing)

Note: Not a member of the IEA


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Philosophical &

Practical

Future Challenges


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Explosion of

distance learning:

online education

Non-traditional

students

Globalization of

the workforce

“Density” of

academic programs

Students are

changing: Gen X,

Gen Y, Gen Z

The Internet:

a tool for learning

Diversity of student

population

Education is CHANGING How do we adjust?


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• Digital Natives (Gen Z)

Born between mid-1990s and end of 2000s

• Lifelong users of

Internet

Text messaging

MP3 players

Cell phones/smart phones

Electronic tablets

YouTube, Facebook, etc.

• Educational experience:

What is their expectation?

Students are Changing


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• Projected need for up to 2,700

volunteers within five years

• Particular demand in selected fields

• Major ABET priorities:

work with societies to recruit new PEVs

refine/improve PEV training

assure consistency in PEV performance

A Growing Need for PEVs


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• Demonstrated interest in improving technical

education

• Current member of an ABET technical or

professional society

• Formal education and appropriate degree

• Experience with accreditation processes and/or

quality improvement

• Willingness to take required program evaluator

training courses

• Meet any additional society-specific

requirements

PEV Qualifications


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• “The Face of ABET”

Technically Current

Effective Communicator

Interpersonally Skilled

Team Oriented

Professional

Organized

Successful PEVs Exhibit Important

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes


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• PEV Trainee

• Observer

• Program Evaluator

• Accreditation Commission Member/Team Chair

• Accreditation Commission Executive

Committee Member

• Accreditation Commission Officer

• Board of Directors Member

• Board of Directors Officer

Potential ABET PEV Lifecycle


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• Help insure the quality of technical education

• Build a network of colleagues that crosses

geography, discipline, and sector

• Keep up-to-date and have input on accreditation

criteria

• Helps you prepare for your own visit!

• Gain knowledge of the distinctive characteristics

and innovations of other schools and programs

• Deliver industry perspective to academic leaders

What’s in it For Me?


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• When you apply, you must select the

appropriate commission

• Your application will be reviewed by your

member society and you will be contacted

if selected for training

• Visit http://www.abet.org/apply-to-become-

pev

Start With Online Application

http://www.abet.org/apply-to-become-pev








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Questions?