The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accrediting Board
for Engineering and Technology (ABET) met during the summer and
approved revisions and amendments to the draft version of
the group's "ABET Engineering Criteria 2000"
document, in preparation for review by industry and
the academic community.
Dayne Aldridge, associate dean for cross-disciplinary
programs, attended the meeting held in Baltimore as an
officer and delegate.
"We're looking at the most dramatic change in engineering education since the post-war period characterized by the fifties," Aldridge observes. "ABET's
intention is to totally revamp the criteria under which all engineering
programs in the country will be accredited."
Foremost among the group's goals is to assure that all engineering
programs meet the needs of industry (and government agencies) in terms of the
knowledge and skills required to practice engineering in the next century.
It's a response, Aldridge says, to the many calls from industry for changes
in the content of engineering courses and how they are taught at the college
level. Among the mandates put forth:
Graduates better prepared to begin practice on graduation without
intensive in-house training, including the ability to function on
multi-disciplinary teams;
An understanding of the impact of engineering in terms of global and
societal impacts as well as public protection;
The ability to communicate effectively with an understanding of
professional and ethical responsibilities;
And, of course, a strong technical background.
These new criteria will require all engineering programs to have a
close relationship with industry, Aldridge points out.
"Our Alumni Engineering Council membership will be an important part of this effort," he adds. "This partnership will include the establishment of
specific program objectives, evaluation methodologies and detailed
procedures for developing new curriculums."
The council will be contacted through surveys and some will be asked to
serve in advisory capacities to establish and monitor the process, particularly in terms of program assessment. The new curriculum is expected to be set into
motion in the fall of 1997, with full implementation by 2001.
Editor's note: Aldridge is vice chairman, policy, and chair- elect of ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission. He is joined by James Williams of
aerospace engineering and Paul Turnquist, head of the Department of
Agricultural Engineering, as members of the 55-person group that comprises the
ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission.
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