Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering
BS Bioprocess Engineering Assessment 2010-2011
Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
PBE has a formal assessment protocol that has been implemented for the Bioprocess Engineering
Program in anticipation of our accreditation with the American Engineering Councils’
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (AEC/ABET). The expected ABET site
visit and formal accreditation is Fall 2012. AEC/ABET outlines 11 program outcomes (a-k) to be
assessed. These (and one more program specific) outcomes are listed in Table 1. PBE has
developed a procedure of assessing each of these 12 outcomes at least once every year.
Curricular changes are made based on triggers perceived in part from the annual-semester
assessment, and from the perceived future trend in industrial needs.
a) Curricular changes since the inception of the program in 2006
The 2006 ABET site visit for the Paper Engineering program at PBE has set the stage for the
accreditation of the Bioprocess Engineering program. In the Fall 2006, the BS Bioprocess
Engineering program saw its first cohort of students. PBE has since established a protocol for
ABET accreditation visit in 2012, corresponding to the next visit by ABET to PBE. This
includes the instructor level assessment using FCAR (Faculty Course Assessment Report) on all
the courses offered by PBE every semester. The FCAR lists all 12 outcomes (a-l) and encourages
instructors to assess as many as they can for those that are relevant to their course. In addition,
instructors are encouraged to summarize the changes they made to courses they taught at the end
of each academic year on their annual reports.
The curriculum committee at PBE is charged with improving the Bioprocess Engineering
program. During this initial phase of program, the curriculum committee drew data from other
BS programs (Chemical Engineering, Biomolecular Engineering and Biological Engineering) in
the country, and ABET documentation for Chemical Engineering based program. The committee
members have been active in participating professional society discussions and conferences to
draw / extrapolate relevant data for a successive BS program in Bioprocess Engineering.
There have been two changes made to the Bioprocess Engineering program:
2007/2008
PBE is redesigning the BS Bioprocess Engineering program to reflect the desire for the
Bioprocess Engineering program to be closer to a Chemical Engineering program as Process is a
keyword in the program title. As the program is progressively being executed, the flow of
courses is arranged to better student learning. Suggested more concentration-based electives to
the program.
Summary of Changes
1. ERE 223 (Statics and Dynamics) and ERE 362 (Mechanics of Materials) are moved from
the Upper Division Required Courses to Engineering Elective Courses.
2. EFB 325 (Cell Physiology) is added to the list of Biology Elective Courses.
3. Biochemistry Electives have been added to increase the flexibility of the program. Three
courses are listed under this category: FCH 530 (Biochemistry I), FCH 531 (Biochemistry
Lab), and FCH 532 (Biochemistry II).
4. FCH 530 (Biochemistry I) is moved out of the list of Chemistry Elective Courses.
5. FCH 380 (Analytical Chemistry I), FCH 381 (Analytical Chemistry II) and FCH 571
(Wood Chemistry) are added to the list of Chemistry Elective Courses.
6. Moving BPE 310 (Colloids and Interfaces) from Term 7 (Fall – Junior) to Term 8 (Spring –
Junior), in line with BPE 335 (Transport Phenomena).
7. Moving BPE 320 (new BPE 420 Bioseparations) from Term 8 (Spring – Junior) to Term 9
(Senior – Fall).
8. Adjust the service courses such that Term 7 (Fall – Junior) will have enough electives for
BPE students to be able to choose either Biotechnology or Biochemistry electives.
9. The number of credits of free electives is increased from 3 to 6.
10. The number of credits of directed electives is increased from 15 to 18.
11. Modified the summer orientation program. Removing the mid May mention.
12. Replace EFB 285 Principles of Zoology with EFB 103/4 General Biology II: Cell Biology
and Genetics.
13. Remove EFB 226 General Botany from the required course.
14. Add EFB 101/2 General Biology I: Organismal Biology and Ecology to the elective course
list.
15. Reduce the required number of credits from 132 to 127.
16. Replace APM 395 (no longer taught) with APM 391.
17. Remove EFB 120 from the list of Biology Elective courses.
18. Change the description of configuration of Directed Electives.
19. Place courses in alpha and number order.
2010/2011:
PBE is redesigning the BS Bioprocess Engineering program to prepare students for the existing
biopharmaceutical and chemical industry, as well as the emerging renewable industry. The new
curriculum addresses the emerging and changing technology / societal demands with more
directed electives.
Summary of Changes
1. Remove two General Education Course requirements. The removal is possible due to the
double up of Mathematics and Sciences.
2. Add PSE 223 as an alternative to FCH 223/224
3. Add FCH 360 Physical Chemistry I.
4. Addition of required courses:
GNE 330 Professional Skill Seminar (3 credits in total starting from year 2).
BPE 300 Introduction to Industrial Bioprocessing
BPE 435 Unit Operations
PSE 477 Process Control
5. Replace APM 391 with APM 395 (course reappeared). APM 395 suits the program needs
better as it is a statistics course for engineers.
6. Rearranging the electives courses
b). Assessment Protocol
In addition to these activities, it is important for the PBE faculty to reflect back on their ongoing
assessment activities and determine if they are thorough enough to identify areas of weakness,
produce triggers identifying areas of weakness in a timely and accurate manner, and provide
feedback loops to address areas of weakness that produced triggers.
At the course level, the instructor is required to file a FCAR for each course /class. FCAR
(Faculty Course Assessment Report). The FCAR lists all 12 outcomes (a-l) and encourages
instructors to assess as many as they can for those that are relevant to their course. PBE collects
data to examine overall program level triggers. More importantly, the FCAR is to remind
instructors to make improvements in delivering the courses. Table 1 is the targeted outcomes to
collect data from a targeted list of courses.
Table 1. 2010/2011 Assessment Data Inputs for Courses
Criteria
a.
An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science
and engineering
b.
An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to
analyze and interpret data
c.
An ability to design a system, component, or process to
met desired needs within realistic constraints such as
economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health
and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
d.
An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
e.
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering
problems
f.
An understanding
responsibility
g.
h.
i.
of
professional
and
ethical
Class/
Activity
PSE 370
Collection
Agent
Gary M. Scott
BPE 440
BPE 440
Shijie Liu
Shijie Liu
BPE 481
BPE 440
John C. Fieschko
Shijie Liu
BPE 481
BPE 440
BPE 481
BPE 440
John C. Fieschko
Shijie Liu
John C. Fieschko
Shijie Liu
BPE 481
BPE 132
John C. Fieschko
Gary M. Scott
BPE 304/305
BPE 498
An ability to communicate effectively
BPE 440
BPE 481
The broad education necessary to understand the impact of BPE 304/305
engineering solutions in a global, economic,
BPE 498
environmental, and societal context.
A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in BPE 304/305
life-long learning
Staff
Shijie Liu
John C. Fieschko
Staff
Sid Chatterjee
j.
k.
l.
BPE 440
BPE 304/305
BPE 498
An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern
BPE 440
engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
BPE 481
An ability to work in an industrial position or BPE 304/305
academic/industrial research position
BPE 498
A knowledge of contemporary issues
Shijie Liu
Staff
Shijie Liu
John C. Fieschko
Staff
Other assessment instruments include: graduate exit survey (Chair - Gary Scott), alumni survey
(Curriculum committee), survey of industrial (SPPF) foundation, survey of employers of
graduates. The data from these assessments have started to come in since we graduated our first
BPE student in 2009.
c) Actions
When there is a perceived weakness of the course, the instructor will take action to change the
content and/or the delivery of the course. If there is a lack of background, the pre-requisite
course(s) will be identified for improvement by the Curriculum Committee. All the faculty are
making a coordinated effort to improve the program. It can become a trigger for curriculum
change if substantial changes are needed for the assessment criteria (a-l) to be met.
When a weakness is perceived in the program level, the Curriculum Committee at PBE takes an
action to examine the root cause and propose remedy to the weakness. The whole faculty is
involved in discussing ways to improve the program. Each year, PBE organizes at least one
retreat. During the day-long retreat, faculty seat together as a group to reflect the development in
PBE, communicate potential or perceived weakness, proposes actions to counter the perceived
weakness.
d) Conclusions
The assessment results collected from the PBE faculty have remained to be excellent. I
personally feel that we are on the right track with our assessment efforts, and are developing a
structured program of assessment that will satisfy both our needs and ABET’s requirements. We
are clearly on a path of continued success within our Faculty, and the time, effort, and attention
we put on assessment activities aid this success.