Preparing for an Accreditation Visit
David Workman, Susan Bethel (CS)
Ron DeMara, Damla Turgut (Cpe)
Kalpathy Sundarum (EE)
School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
University of Central Florida
April 3, 2009
Outline
• Background
• Formation of the School of EECS
– Program Objectives & Outcomes
– Curriculum Unification
• Unified Assessment Process
– Two Assessment Cycles
– Curriculum Oversight and Review Committees
– Instruments for Data Collection and Analysis
• Preparing for the Visit
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Self Study (Project)
Assessment Website
Mock Review
Course Materials Display
• Post Mortem
Background
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Institutional Effectiveness and Program Improvement (1996)
(Operational Excellence and Assessment Support) OEAS
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Annual Assessment Cycle
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Write/Revise Assessment Plan ( Program Objectives & Measures)
Collect Assessment Data (Senior Exit Survey, Alumni Survey, IAB )
Review Data and Report Results
Program Objectives
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CpE and EE (ABET a-k)
CS & IT (Roll your own)
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CS joins College of Engineering (CECS) 1999
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College Accreditation in 2002
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CpE and EE (ABET)
CS (CSAB)
Formation of the School of EECS
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Established in Fall 2005
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CS, IT, CpE and EE
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Unified Mission and Common Interests
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Planning for 2008 Accreditation (Fall 2006)
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Develop Program Objectives
CS and IT accredited under new ABET/CAC
Define a Unified Assessment Process
Curriculum Unification
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Identify and Eliminate Course Duplication
Re-structure Pre-requisites
Revise Curricula
Implement in Fall 2007
Concerns
Unified Assessment Process
Course Descriptions
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Title and Number
Pre-requisites
Course Custodian
Textbooks & References
Topic Outline
Course Outcomes
– Assessment Instruments (Embedded Exam Question, Project Deliverables )
– Performance Threshold ( Expected level for students passing the course)
– Mapping to Program Outcomes ( for each Program for which course is
required)
Assessment Data Collection Spreadsheet
Outcome
Mapping
#3
Qm
10
Total
Pts
Total
Outcome #1
Total
Outcome #3
23
13
10
8
7
15
8
7
Max Pts
15
10
25
Threshld
Mean
Stdev
12
6
18
#1 Threshld
#3 Threshld
Student 1
…
Student n
#1
Q1
13
…
Table 2: Outcome Mapping
Pgm1
Course Outcome #1
X%
Course Outcome #2
…
Y%
Pgm2
2/2
…
PgmN
X%
Y%
Course Outcome #M
Totals
Pgm3
1/1
Z%
Z%
1/2
0/1
Table 3: Program Performance
Course1
Course2
…
Pgm1
Pgm2
Pgm3
2/2
3/5
1/1
1/2
2/5
3/3
3/6
3/5
CourseM
Totals
5/7
…
PgmN
0/1
3/4
3/5
Writing the Self Study
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Writing of the Self Study is a Project
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Involves People at all Levels in the Academic Organization
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Requires a Manager or Coordinator
Requires Planning (Time & People)
Requires Commitment from Contributors
Requires full cooperation of unit administrator
College
Department /School
Library
Personnel
Enrollment Services
Involve People with Special Knowledge
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Administration (Personnel & Budget)
Accounting
Graduate Coordinator
Undergraduate Coordinator
Lab Supervisor
Systems Admin
Creating an Assessment Website
• Access to Information
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Mission, Objectives, Outcomes (for each Program)
School Assessment Process
Course Descriptions (each Program)
Assessment Reports (each Program)
Program Performance Summaries (Table 3)
• Visit our Website
http://abet.eecs.ucf.edu/
Mock Review
• When to Schedule
– After Self Study has been completed
– Some Course Display Materials should be available
– Leave time for changes before submitting Self Study to ABET
• Benefits to Computer Engineering
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Statements of Program Ojectives
Student/Faculty Ratio
Paper Trail of Assessment Process
Demonstrate “Closing the Loop”
• Benefits to Computer Science
– Weakness with Assessment Data ( only one cycle )
– Concern about assessing program outcomes
– Concern about address CAC a-k
• Benefits to Information Technology
– Deficiencies in curriculum
– Pre-mature (withdraw application for accreditation)
Course Displays & Team Workplace
Course Displays & Team Workplace
Other Preparation Advice
• Prepare Faculty
– Know the Assessment Process
– Know where to Find Information
– Be familiar with Self Study
• Prepare Labs for Visit
– Tidy
– Safety Issues
– Security Procedures and Access
Post Mortem
• Computer Engineering
– Concern: Student/Faculty Ratio (36:1)
Remedy
– Concern: Faculty supporting Software Engineering
Remedy
• Computer Science
– Weakness: Regular Collection of Assessment Data (2 or more cycles)
Remedy
– Concern: Covering and Assessing CAC (e)(g)(h)
Remedy
– Concern: Teaching Faculty keeping current in discipline
Remedy
Questions?
• Thank You!