ABET Visit in the United States
田正仁
莫納什大學採礦及資源工程系系主任
二零一四年七月十一日
Jerry C. Tien (田正仁), Ph.D., P.E.
1. B.S. (1971), M.S. (1974) & Ph.D. (1988) –
Mining Engineering; BMA (1984)
2. University of Missouri-Rolla 1985-2013
•
Lecturer (1985-90); Assistant Professor (1990-95),
Associate Professor (1995-2013)
•
President – Academic Council (1999-2000)
•
Have been through four ABET visits and been an
ABET evaluator twice (plus one training trip)
3. 13.5 Years Industrial Experience; including
working in China for 1.5 years (2000-2001)
What Will I Talk Today
1. US and Australian Higher Education
2. Higher Education Curriculum – What’s in a
US/Australian Degree?
3. ABET visit – every five years
•
Criteria
•
Visit Preparation
• ABET Visit Team
4. Discussion
US Higher Education
1. As of 2011, There are 4,599 degree-granting
institutions, 2,870 four-year institutions and
1,729 two-year institutions.
2. The US had 21 million students in the higher
education, or 5.7% of total population
3. The 2006 American Community Survey:
– Approx 19.5% of the population had attended
college but had no degree;
– 7.4% held an associate degree
– 17.1% had bachelor’s degree
– 9.9% held a graduate degree
St. Anselm College
US Higher Education
4. Higher education includes: public universities,
private universities, liberal arts colleges and
community colleges
5. Strong research and funding have helped make
American colleges and universities among the
world’s most prestigious
6. More than 30 of the highest-ranked 45 institutions
are in the US (measured by awards and research
output) – Academic Ranking of World
Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
7. 2010 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities:
103 US universities in the Top 200
US Higher Education
4. In 2009 in the US:
– 21.3% of the adult population above 18 years
had attended colleges but had no degrees;
– 7.5% held an associate’s degree
– 17.6% held a bachelor’s degree
– 10.3% held a graduate or professional degree
5. Cost of attending a US university (2014):
–
Around $37,000/yr for public (state) universities and
$65,000/yr of private universities
6. Cost of attending an Australian university:
–
Around $60,000/year for foreign students (2014)
Australian Higher Education
1. Small compared to China in number of
universities and total number of students
2. There are approximately 37 universities/colleges:
New South Wales: 10
Queensland and Victoria: 16 (8 each)
3. Number of Students: 1,047,000
• On shore international: 233,100
• Domestic: 813,700
• International Proportion: 22.3%
Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET) in the U.S.
Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET)
1. It is a voluntary program, visit by invitation
only, with strong participation of professional
societies
2. It is only for undergraduate studies
3. A six-year cycle, one year status if there are
serious deficiencies
4. Two major components: Specific engineering
programs and Institutional support
General Criteria for Baccalaureate
Level Programs
All programs seeking accreditation from the
Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of
ABET must demonstrate that they satisfy all of the
following General Criteria for Baccalaureate Level
Programs.
General Criteria for Baccalaureate
Level Programs
Criteria 1. Students
Student performance must be evaluated. Student
progress must be monitored to foster success in
attaining student outcomes, thereby enabling
graduates to attain program educational objectives.
Students must be advised regarding curriculum and
career matters.
General Criteria for Baccalaureate
Level Programs
Criteria 1. Students (con’t)
The program must have and enforce policies for
accepting both new and transfer students, awarding
appropriate academic credit for courses taken at
other institutions, and awarding appropriate
academic credit for work in lieu of courses taken at
the institution. The program must have and enforce
procedures to ensure and document that students
who graduate meet all graduation requirements
General Criteria for Baccalaureate
Level Programs
Criteria 2. Program Educational Objectives
The program must have published program
educational objectives that are consistent with the
mission of the institution, the needs of the program’s
various constituencies, and these criteria. There must
be a documented, systematically utilized, and
effective process, involving program constituencies,
for the periodic review of these program educational
objectives that ensures they remain consistent with
the institutional mission, the program’s constituents’
needs, and these criteria.
General Criteria for Baccalaureate
Level Programs
Criteria 3. Student Outcomes
The program must have documented student
outcomes that prepare graduates to attain the
following program educational objectives.
1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics,
science, and engineering
2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as
well as to analyze and interpret data
General Criteria
Criteria 3. Student Outcomes
3. 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
4. an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve
engineering problems
6. an understanding of professional and ethical
responsibility
General Criteria
Criteria 3. Student Outcomes
7. an ability to communicate effectively
8. the broad education necessary to understand the
impact of engineering solutions in a global,
economic, environmental, and societal context
9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to
engage in life-long learning
10. a knowledge of contemporary issues
11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern
engineering tools necessary for engineering
practice.
General Criteria
Criteria 4. Continuous Improvement
The program must regularly use appropriate,
documented processes for assessing and evaluating
the extent to which the student outcomes are being
attained. The results of these evaluations must be
systematically utilized as input for the continuous
improvement of the program. Other available
information may also be used to assist in the
continuous improvement of the program
General Criteria
Criteria 5. Curriculum
The curriculum requirements specify subject
areas appropriate to engineering but do not
prescribe specific courses. The faculty must
ensure that the program curriculum devotes
adequate attention and time to each component,
consistent with the outcomes and objectives of
the program and institution. The professional
component must include: (next page)
General Criteria
Criteria 5. Curriculum
1) one year of a combination of college level
mathematics and basic sciences (some with
experimental experience) appropriate to the
discipline. Basic sciences are defined as
biological, chemical, and physical sciences.
2) one and one-half years of engineering topics,
consisting of engineering sciences and
engineering design appropriate to the student's
field of study.
General Criteria
Criteria 5. Curriculum
2) The engineering sciences have their roots in
mathematics and basic sciences but carry
knowledge further toward creative application.
These studies provide a bridge between
mathematics and basic sciences on the one hand
and engineering practice on the other. Engineering
design is the process of devising a system,
component, or process to meet desired needs. It is
a decision-making process (often iterative), in
which the basic sciences, mathematics, and the
engineering sciences are applied to convert
resources optimally to meet these stated needs.
General Criteria
Criteria 5. Curriculum
3) a general education component that complements
the technical content of the curriculum and is
consistent with the program and institution
objectives.
Students must be prepared for engineering practice
through a curriculum culminating in a major design
experience based on the knowledge and skills
acquired in earlier course work and incorporating
appropriate engineering standards and multiple
realistic constraints.
General Criteria
Criteria 6. Faculty
The faculty must be of sufficient number and must
have the competencies to cover all of the curricular
areas of the program. There must be sufficient
faculty to accommodate adequate levels of studentfaculty interaction, student advising and counseling,
university service activities, professional
development, and interactions with industrial and
professional practitioners, as well as employers of
students.
General Criteria
Criteria 6. Faculty
The program faculty must have appropriate
qualifications and must have and demonstrate
sufficient authority to ensure the proper guidance of
the program and to develop and implement
processes for the evaluation, assessment, and
continuing improvement of the program, its
educational objectives and outcomes.
General Criteria
Criteria 6. Faculty
The overall competence of the faculty may be judged
by such factors as education, diversity of
backgrounds, engineering experience, teaching
effectiveness and experience, ability to communicate,
enthusiasm for developing more effective programs,
level of scholarship, participation in professional
societies, and licensure as Professional Engineers.
General Criteria
Criteria 7. Facilities
Classrooms, offices, laboratories, and associated
equipment must be adequate to support attainment
of the student outcomes and to provide an
atmosphere conducive to learning. Modern tools,
equipment, computing resources, and laboratories
appropriate to the program must be available,
accessible, and systematically maintained and
upgraded to enable students to attain the student
outcomes and to support program needs.
General Criteria
Criteria 7. Facilities
Students must be provided appropriate guidance
regarding the use of the tools, equipment, computing
resources, and laboratories available to the
program.
The library services and the computing and
information infrastructure must be adequate to
support the scholarly and professional activities of
the students and faculty.
General Criteria
Criteria 8. Institutional Support
Institutional support and leadership must be
adequate to ensure the quality and continuity of the
program.
Resources including institutional services, financial
support, and staff (both administrative and
technical) provided to the program must be
adequate to meet program needs. The resources
available to the program must be sufficient to
attract, retain, and provide for the continued
professional development of a qualified faculty.
General Criteria
Criteria 8. Institutional Support
The resources available to the program must be
sufficient to acquire, maintain, and operate
infrastructures, facilities, and equipment
appropriate for the program, and to provide an
environment in which student outcomes can be
attained.
Existing ABET Programs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Aerospace
Agricultural
Architectural
Bioengineering and Biomedical
Biological
Ceramic
Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular
Civil
Construction
Electrical and Computer
Engineering, General Engineering and
Engineering Science
Existing ABET Programs
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
Engineering Management
Engineering Mechanics
Environmental
Fire Protection
Geological Engineering
Industrial
Manufacturing
Materials and Metallurgical
Mechanical
Mining
Naval Architecture and Marine
Ocean
Existing ABET Programs
24.
25.
26.
27.
Petroleum
Software
Surveying
Systems
Institutional Support
1.
2.
3.
4.
Institutional funding
Library facilities
Laboratories
Support Departments
Program Criteria --- mining
“Program Criteria for Mining and Similarly
Named Engineering Programs”
Lead Society: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and
Exploration
1. Curriculum
2. Faculty
Program Criteria --- mining
1. Curriculum
The program must prepare graduates to apply
mathematics through differential equations, calculusbased physics, general chemistry, and probability and
statistics as applied to mining engineering problem
applications;
to have fundamental knowledge in the geological
sciences including characterization of mineral
deposits, physical geology, structural or engineering
geology, and mineral and rock identification and
properties;
Program Criteria --- mining
1. Curriculum (con’t)
to be proficient in statics, dynamics, strength of
materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and
electrical circuits;
to be proficient in engineering topics related to both
surface and underground mining, including: mining
methods, planning and design, ground control and rock
mechanics, health and safety, environmental issues, and
ventilation;
Program Criteria --- mining
1. Curriculum (con’t)
to be proficient in additional engineering topics
such as rock fragmentation, materials handling,
mineral or coal processing, mine surveying, and
valuation and resource/reserve estimation as
appropriate to the program objectives.
The laboratory experience must prepare graduates
to be proficient in geologic concepts, rock
mechanics, mine ventilation, and other topics
appropriate to the program objectives.
Program Criteria --- mining
2. Faculty
Evidence must be provided that the program
faculty understand professional engineering practice
and maintain currency in their respective
professional areas. Program faculty must have
responsibility and authority to define, revise,
implement, and achieve program objectives.
Proposed revision
Criterion 6: Faculty
The program must demonstrate that the faculty
members must be are of sufficient number and they
must have the competencies to cover all of the
curricular areas of the program.
There must be sufficient faculty to accommodate
adequate levels of student-faculty interaction, student
advising and counseling, university service activities,
professional development, and interactions with
industrial and professional practitioners, as well as
employers of students.
Proposed revision
Criterion 6: Faculty (con’t)
The program faculty must have appropriate
qualifications and must have and demonstrate
sufficient authority to ensure the proper guidance of
the program and to develop and implement
processes for the evaluation, assessment, and
continuing improvement of the program, its
educational objectives and outcomes.
Proposed revision
Criterion 6: Faculty (con’t)
The overall competence of the faculty may be
judged by such factors as education, diversity of
backgrounds, engineering experience, teaching
effectiveness and experience, ability to communicate,
enthusiasm for developing more effective programs,
level of scholarship, participation in professional
societies, and licensure as Professional Engineers.
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Sample Materials/Forms
Visit Preparation
1. A very long and involved process, with
preparation started at least 1.5 years ahead of
the visit
2. There are two components of the materials:
departmental/campus and individual faculty
members
3. Visiting team consists of a team leader, program
evaluators and training members. Team leader
will be responsible for the activities for the
entire team and visiting/interviewing with
various administrators
Site Visit
4. Program evaluator will (1) review all materials
provided by the institutions ahead of the trip,
(2) can request additional
information/materials if necessary.
5. The visit will typically started over the
weekend, review teaching materials exhibits,
visit and interview faculty members, staff and
students, visit labs and support facilities, etc.
6. There will be a draft report read at the time of
the exit interview, (typically Tuesday PM).
There will also be a final report about the
program describing the status of the program
and deficiencies, if any.
Site Visit
7. A final report is provided and sent to Team
Leader, typically after several round of
interactive consultation with the Leader.
8. Visit will be typically in fall, a draft report is
expected in February/March, final result be in
May/June
Discussions/Comments