The “Fundamentals” of Accreditation

Quality Assurance in Educational Programs

Lyle D. FeiselChair, IEEE Com. on Global Accreditation Activities

Dean Emeritus of Engineering, SUNY Binghamton

ENGINEERING ACCREDITATION AROUND THE WORLDENGINEERING ACCREDITATION AROUND THE WORLD

Lima, Peru

3 – 5 December, 2005

Outline• IEEE, EAB, APC, and CGAA• What is accreditation• The goals of accreditation• Forms of accreditation agencies• Some general characteristics• Factors that may be considered• The big question• International considerations• Summary

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

• Formed in 1963 from two predecessor organizations

• About 350,000 members

• US in origin, now global in scope

• About 1/3 of members are non-US

From the IEEE Constitution

• Sec. 2. Its purposes are:

• (a) scientific and educational, directed toward the advancement of the theory and practice of electrical engineering, electronics, radio and the allied branches of engineering and the related arts and sciences ...

• … (b) professional, directed toward the advancement of the standing of the members of the professions it serves

Structure of IEEE

IEEE Board of Directors

Technical Activities Board

Regional Activities Board

Educational Activities Board

Publications Services & Products Board

IEEE Standards Association

Structure of IEEE

IEEE Board of Directors

Technical Activities Board

Regional Activities Board

Educational Activities Board

Publications Services & Products Board

IEEE Standards Association

Structure of EABIEEE Educational Activities Board

Awards & Recognition

Continuing Professional Education

Pre-college Education

Public Awareness

Accreditation Policy Council

Structure of EABIEEE Educational Activities Board

Awards & Recognition

Continuing Professional Education

Pre-college Education

Public Awareness

Accreditation Policy Council

Structure of APCEAB Accreditation Policy Council

Engineering Accreditation Activities (US)

Technology accreditation Activities (US)

Global Accreditation Activities

Computer Accreditation Liaison (US)

Structure of APCEAB Accreditation Policy Council

Engineering Accreditation Activities (US)

Technology accreditation Activities (US)

Global Accreditation Activities

Computer Accreditation Liaison (US)

Mission of CGAA

The Committee on Global Accreditation Activities coordinates IEEE activities related to education program accreditation in Regions 8, 9, and 10. The Committee is responsible for planning, developing and conducting activities to advance the IEEE-related professions through accreditation of educational programs in those regions.

The “Fundamentals” of Accreditation

First, what IS accreditation?

• External recognition of quality

• Varies from country to country

• Of value to: Prospective students

Graduates

Prospective employers

Graduate schools

Licensing agencies

Governments

The Goal of Program Accreditation

To assure that graduates are qualified to practice engineering

Some Unfortunate Misuses of Accreditation

• To control the universities

• To serve the faculty

• To limit enrollments

• To control competition

“Accreditation” is sometimes called…

• Certification

• Registration

• Approval

• Or …..?

Accreditation can be…

• Voluntary

• Required

• Coerced

Characteristics of Accreditation

• External Agency

• Standards (criteria)

• Evaluation

• Recognition

• Maintenance

• Generally Go or No Go

• Generally within borders

Kinds of Accreditation Agencies

• Government

• Peer (other colleges)

• Professional

• A combination

• Private agency

Factors that may be considered

• Curriculum

• Faculty

• Students

• Facilities

• Administration

• External constituencies

• Success of graduates

• Faculty salaries

• Staff support

• Faculty workload

• Demand for graduates

• Quality improvement

• Meets objectives

An Important Question

• Level of specificity

• What level of detail should be included in the accreditation criteria?

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content

An Example

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal Very general

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content Very specific

An Example

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content

Specified Educational Goal

• The program must provide an educational experience that prepares its graduates to enter the practice of engineering

An Example

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content

Specified Abilities of Graduates

• At the completion of the educational program, the graduate must be able to:– Define and solve engineering problems– Analyze the effects of their solutions on the

environment and society– Use computers and other modern tools– Defend the practices of the government– Etc., etc., etc.

An Example

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content

Specified Overall Curriculum• The program must provide instruction in

the following areas:– One semester - mathematics

– One semester – basic science

– Two semesters – engineering science

– One semester – engineering design

– One semester – humanities and social sciences

– One semester – industrial experience

– One semester – religion

An Example

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content

Specified Courses• The mathematics portion of the curriculum

must include the following:– One course in analytic geometry– Two courses in calculus– One course in vector calculus– One course in ordinary differential equations– One course in partial differential equations– One course in probability and statistics

An Example

Levels of Curricular Specificity

• Educational goal

• Abilities of graduates

• Overall curriculum

• Courses

• Course content

Specified Course Content

• The first course in electric circuits shall cover the following topics:– 2 lectures – Ohm’s Law– 1 lecture – matrix mathematics– 3 lectures – loop equations– 3 lectures – node equations– Etc., etc., etc.

An Example

Factors that may be considered

• Curriculum

• Faculty

• Students

• Facilities

• Administration

• External constituencies

• Success of graduates

• Faculty salaries

• Staff support

• Faculty workload

• Demand for graduates

• Quality improvement

• Meets objectives

The Big Question

If a program is judged to be doing well in all or most of these factors,

therefore

we may conclude that its graduates are qualified to practice engineering.

Is this true?

International Considerations

• Global community has led to increased mobility of engineers and students

• How can credentials and quality of education be assessed and certified?

Different Approaches to International Recognition• Accredit programs in other countries

– IEE (NOT IEEE) yes, ABET no

• Certify “Substantial Equivalency”– ABET yes, others ???

• Agree to mutual recognition– Washington Accord– Western Hemisphere Initiative– EUR-ACE

*Provisional status

Australia re-elected chair

United States re-elected secretariat

AUSTRALIA

CANADA

IRELAND

NEW ZEALAND

UNITED KINGDOM

UNITED STATES

HONG KONG

SOUTH AFRICA

JAPAN

SINGAPORE*

MALAYSIA*

GERMANY*

CHINESE TAIPEI*

KOREA*

Washington Accord Signatory Countries (2003-2005)

Copyright © 2005 by ABET, Inc.

• Verification required at regular intervals (no more than 6 years)

• Bilateral agreements by individual signatories not Recognized by other signatories

• Only addresses program accreditation or recognition, not licensure or registration

• Signatories may exchange observers to annual meetings or accreditation visits

The Washington Accord

Copyright © 2005 by ABET, Inc.

• Ultimate goal is Mutual Recognition Agreements among engineering education quality assurance organizations in the Western Hemisphere.

• Initial members include ABET, CHEA, CCPE, and CACEI.

Western Hemisphere Initiative

Copyright © 2005 by ABET, Inc.

Summary• Voluntary, required or coerced• Government, peer, professional or

combination• Criteria - general to specific• May serve

– Government– University– Faculty– Students– Profession

• International considerations

The “Fundamentals” of Accreditation

Quality Assurance in Educational Programs

Lyle D. FeiselChair, IEEE Com. on Global Accreditation Activities

ENGINEERING ACCREDITATION AROUND THE WORLDENGINEERING ACCREDITATION AROUND THE WORLD

Lima, Peru

3 – 5 December, 2005

L.Feisel@ieee.org