ABET Accreditation

1
ABET Accreditation

• Art Brodersen
• Vanderbilt University

2
Background

• Accreditation of two programs in the same
  Department
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• General Visit

3
The Process

• Internal Loop
• Every instructor generates a beginning of course
  memo that relates course objectives to program
  objectives for EE and CmpE.
• Another memo at the end of the semester assesses
  the outcome and notes any improvements to needed.

4
The Process

• A faculty committee reviews these memos and
  suggests course specific and cross cutting
  improvements
• Students complete surveys at the beginning of
  freshman year and the end of senior year
• Industrial Advisory Committee meets twice a year
  to provide feedback

5
The Surprises

• Neither visitor had any comments about the
  process, save that the process was immature
• The only acceptable design experience in the view
  of the visitors was that a capstone senior design
  course that was necessary

6
Observations

• The CompE visitor dominated the evaluation and
  was narrow in his interpretation of the criteria
• We worried too much about the process
• There was a lack of uniformity among the team
  members in the programs in their interpretation
  of the criteria

7
Some Observations

• The backup material was the usual course material
  plus the BOC and EOC memos
• The evaluation material prepared after the
  self-study was submitted was given scant
  attention by the visitors

8
Unintended consequences

• The chemical engineering program and the civil
  engineering program have interpreted the criteria
  by eliminating the requirement of the
  engineering minor sequence
• We must shift a long standing philosophy that
  places the major design experience in required
  topical courses

9
Observations

• There is a problem of a consistent interpretation
  of the criteria among the visitors to the various
  programs
• The faculty quickly drifted back to their
  emphasis on their own courses and research
  programs