A Modest Proposal

1
A Modest Proposal

• With apologies to Jonathan Swift

2
Effectiveness of Committees Supporting ABET

• It has been observed that the committees
  supporting ABET have a larger number of attendees
  at their meetings than in the past.
• Large size of group makes consensus more
  difficult
• Large size of group results in longer decision
  making
• Are all these folks necessary???

3
CEAAs and CTAAs Tasks

• Maintain a PEV pool of sufficient size to satisfy
  ABETs needs.
• Recruitment
• Training
• Mentoring
• Assignment duties
• Performance evaluation of PEVs
• Develop and maintain IEEE program specific
  criteria

4
CEAAs and CTAAs Tasks (cont.)

• Identify potential commissioner candidates,
  nurture them, and make recommendations to APC to
  fill openings on the commissions.
• Review and recommend changes to the Charters.
• Provide guidance to APC on accreditation
  strategy, policy, and issues.

5
The Most Time Consuming Tasks

• Recruit, select, and mentor PEVs
• Assign PEVs to visits each year.
• Provide remedial training for PEVs and mentoring.
• ABET has assumed responsibility for all initial
  PEV training.
• Periodically review program specific and general
  criteria.
• Develop as required.
• Identify and nurture potential commissioner
  nominees.

6
Current Committee Configuration

• CEAA
• Chair
• Vice chair
• PEV coordinators (2)
• Training Coordinator
• Members (9)
• Emeritus Member
• Ex-officio (3)
• Commissioners (10)
• Corresponding members (3)
• Alternate members (3)
• Total of 33 potentially attending meetings

• CTAA
• Chair
• Vice Chair
• PEV Coordinator
• Members (7)
• Commissioners (3)
• Ex-officio (3)
• Corresponding members (1)
• Total of 17 potentially attending meetings

7
Proposal 1Commission Interface

• It is very important to keep close contact with
  the IEEE commissioners
• Can be accomplished by having representative
  commissioner on the committee.
• Recommendation is a maximum 2, one commissioner
  and one from excom, if possible.
• Representative will have responsibility to
  communicate with other commissioners at the IEEE
  commissioners caucus and other times via e-mail
  or telephone.
• APC chair and committee chair attend the
  commissioners caucus to further enhance
  communication.

8
Proposal 2PEV Coordinator

• PEV Coordinator is the single most time consuming
  job on the committees
• CEAA has an evaluator pool about 50 larger than
  CTAA
• Continue with two coordinators on CEAA
• Continue with one coordinator on CTAA
• Identify PEV coordinators in waiting
• Do not attend meetings
• Are trained by PEV coordinators
• Maintains continuity

9
Proposal 3Members at Large

• Committee assignments
• Nominating
• PEV coordinator input invaluable.
• Criteria
• Mentoring (all members at large participate)
• Evaluator evaluations and remedial training in
  addition to classic mentoring.
• Training
• Maintains on-line training system cases and other
  training as requested. Training coordinator a
  member at large.
• Committee for continuous improvement.
• Recommend 8 for CEAA and 6 for CTAA maximum.

10
Proposal 4Ex-officio Members

• Maintain at current level
• APC chair (voting)
• IEEE VP EA
• BMES
• CSAB (CEAA only)
• Corresponding members
• President of ECEDHA (CEAA)
• ECETDHA Chair (CTAA)

11
Proposal 5Meetings

• Meet face-to-face twice per year
• January
• Choose new PEVs, re-appointments, commissioner
  appointments, re-appointments, etc for February
  APC meeting
• June
• Prepare for annual ABET meeting in July
• Review issues for commissioners caucus
• Training, mentoring, etc.

12
Proposal 6Prepare for Continuity

• In a volunteer organization it is imperative that
  volunteers know that their service is bounded in
  time.
• Reason for terms of office
• Requires identification of successors and
  bringing them into the committee as active and
  effective committee members
• The same follows for PEVs and commissioners
• Actively maintain a list of potential committee
  members and commissioners
• Assign them to tasks that prepare them for their
  future roles

13
Proposed Committee Makeup

• CEAA
• Chair
• Vice chair
• PEV coordinators (2)
• Members (8)
• Emeritus Member (optional)
• Ex-officio (3)
• Commissioners (2, max)
• Corresponding members (3)
• Total of 20 potentially attending meetings

• CTAA
• Chair
• Vice Chair
• PEV Coordinator
• Members (6)
• Commissioners (2, max)
• Ex-officio (3)
• Corresponding members (1)
• Total of 15 potentially attending meetings

14
Proposed Meeting Schedule

• Both Committees meet in January with the prime
  objective of having all items requiring EAB
  approval prior to the March ABET BOD meeting
  approved and submitted to APC
• Both Committees meet in June for all other
  business matters and to prepare for the
  commissioners caucus
• Commissioners caucus just prior to the Summer
  Commission meeting in Arlington (APC and
  Committee chair attend)
• Other conference calls and e-mail communications
  as required.

15
Required Action

• Committees update their charters for the summer
  meetings
• APC and EAB approve the updated charters in the
  fall
• New meeting schedule and membership begin in
  January 2010
• With the exception of the commissioners no longer
  serving on the committee, downsizing will by
  attrition only.

16
CGAA

• CGAA efficiencies to follow shortly
• APC chair and CGAA chair to discuss.