Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

111 Market Place, Suite 1050Baltimore, MD 21202Phone: (410) 347-7700Fax: (410) 625-2238www.abet.org

© 2000

American Academy of Environmental EngineersAmerican Congress on Surveying and MappingAmerican Consulting Engineers CouncilAmerican Industrial Hygiene AssociationAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.American Institute of Chemical EngineersAmerican Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum EngineersAmerican Nuclear SocietyAmerican Society of Agricultural EngineersAmerican Society of Civil EngineersAmerican Society for Engineering EducationAmerican Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc.The American Society of Mechanical EngineersAmerican Society for QualityAmerican Society of Safety EngineersComputing Sciences Accreditation BoardInstitute of Industrial Engineers, Inc.The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.ISA The International Society of Measurement and ControlMaterials Research SocietyThe Minerals, Metals, and Materials SocietyNational Council of Examiners for Engineering and SurveyingNational Institute of Ceramic EngineersNational Society of Professional EngineersSociety of Automotive EngineersSociety of Manufacturing EngineersSociety for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.Society of Naval Architects and Marine EngineersSociety of Petroleum EngineersSociety of Plastics Engineers

Professional and Technical Societies

Viewpoints

ForewordEngineering education, like so many areas in today s world, is undergoing change.Change not only in the vanishing of obsolete technologies and the addition of newtechnologies, but also change in the methods by which education is delivered.Education delivered anytime, and anywhere in our global economy is becomingincreasingly common and is challenging ABET s goal in maintaining qualityassurance in education.

ABET s pursuit of its vision to encourage the highest quality for engineering,engineering technology and applied science education, has drawn upon the skillsof leaders in industry as well as education to lead, advise and direct ABET s efforts.Industry leaders provide input in two ways, one is through appointment to ABET sboard of directors, accreditation commissions and visiting teams by their technicalparticipating body; another is through participation on ABET s Industry AdvisoryCouncil (IAC).

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Vol. IIssues of

Accreditation in Higher Education

By the Members of the

Industry Advisory Council

of the Accreditation

Board for Engineering

and Technology, Inc.

The IAC, composed of prominent engineering leaders in industry, provides ABETwith access to industrial viewpoints on issues related to accreditation. As part ofthis charge the IAC has prepared three papers, attached herewith, on the issues ofEthics, International Mobility of Licensed Engineers and Distance Education.

These valuable viewpoints from industry leaders are provided to you, ourstakeholders, for your information and response. ABET values your input, soplease take some time to provide us with your comments.

Our sincere appreciation goes to the members of the IAC and to you for yourcontinued support of ABET.

C.R. Chuck PennoniABET President, 1998 99

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Introduction

The immense power of modern technology extends globally. Many hands guidethe controls and many decisions move those hands. A good decision can benefitmillions of people, while a bad one, particularly one based on unethical behavior,can cripple the future. Such decisions have more widespread ramifications thanever before. As a federation of engineering, technical, and professional societiesrepresenting over 1.8 million practicing engineers nationwide, ABET is pleased topresent the views of its Industrial Advisory Council (IAC). The IAC believes thatthere is a critical need to improve and increase ethics awareness in highereducation.

Why Ethics Matters

The ability to uphold one s values and the unwillingness to compromise aresometimes tested when dealing with diverse groups. As a global society, thebusiness world has no geographic boundaries. Because people of all nationalitiesand cultures work together, it is very important that they understand thatcultural, ethical and professional differences exist. What is acceptable in oneculture may be unacceptable in another.

ImprovingEthics

Awarenessin Higher

Education

Years ago, the average person had less power, influence, and reach. However, intoday s world, many people are empowered by their companies to make decisionsthat ultimately impact not only their businesses, but also those with whom theywork. Poor judgment can produce catastrophic results that affect many aspects ofpeoples lives both personally and professionally. Society today appears to havebecome desensitized to misconduct. Our standard of ethics must be continuouslyemphasized to counteract this trend.

The role of ABET in the ethics awareness issue

In keeping with the vision of ABET, the IAC believes that the organization shouldprovide leadership to universities to promote ethical awareness as part of theeducational process. The IAC has had experience that is genuine and believes thatsome of the most effective ways to accomplish this are to:

1. Maintain a climate for ethics and develop an ethics awareness plan.

2. Require ethics awareness as part of the curriculum, including the study ofthe United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (USFCPA).

3. Concentrate on ethics awareness as it pertains to international challenges byconducting exchange programs that allow interaction and dialogue amongforeign students.

4. Analyze code of conduct statements and ethics policies of variouscompanies.

5. Provide ethics awareness as part of a capstone educational experience (teamproject).

a. Require each student to create a personal code of conduct statementrelevant to the capstone design.

b. Instruct the class to draft a code of conduct statement for their group orteam.

6. Provide continuity by research into the subject and by having access to theliterature of others, such as PRISM.

The IAC encourages the engineering education leadership to maintain a focus onethics. The 1999 Engineering Dean s Institute had a substantial portion of theprogram dedicated to ethics and the IAC encourages the continuation of suchefforts.

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Introduction

In 1995, pursuant to the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), the United States Council for International Engineering Practice(USCIEP) along with organizations in Canada and Mexico executed a documentproviding for the mutual recognition of licensed engineers and allowing forgreater mobility in the cross border practice of engineering. The USCIEP iscomprised of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET),the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and the National Councilof Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Since that time,organizations representing different sectors of the world s economies have beenestablished with the purpose of facilitating the mobility of engineers across theglobe. These include:

The Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)The Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF)The Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TEP)The Coalition of Service Industries (CSI)

Over a decade ago an attempt began to achieve free trade and greater accessibility

International Mobility

of Professional Engineers

to services between Canada, Mexico and the United States. This initial attempthas evolved into a multinational effort to define and agree upon a set of criteriathat allows for licensed engineers from member nations to be recognized forprofessional practice with minimum registration requirements in the respectivecountries. While this endeavor represents a gigantic contribution to thedevelopment of a global economy, it must also be noted that its implementation iscomplex and multidimensional because of the many barriers impacting itsdevelopment. Barriers include, but are not limited to, language, turf protection(domestic and international), ethical standards, local engineering standards/codesand the establishment of a multinational set of minimum requirements forengineering licensure. While these obstacles can be overcome, without a solid andconsistent educational baseline from which to draw competent candidates, allefforts become greatly diminished. The cornerstone of the entire process iseducation and the foundation that supports the efforts of each and every programtargeted for international mobility is the mutual recognition of educationalsystems.

Why is ABET’s role vital?

ABET s vision is to provide world leadership and assure quality while stimulatinginnovation in engineering, engineering technology and applied science.Consequently, ABET s role is pivotal in helping ensure that educational programsaround the world are of a caliber that meets the demands placed by industry, theconsumer of graduates, and by the engineering academic community. Thisconclusion is based upon several facts:

1. ABET s international focus is on the promotion and development ofmultilateral and bilateral recognition agreements with countries whoseaccreditation systems can be recognized as substantially equivalent toABET s. Through periodic verification and monitoring ABET ensures theintegrity of national accreditation systems. The Washington Accord, signedin l989 by the accreditation organizations of six nations (Australia, Canada,Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States)recognizes the accreditation systems of these countries and consequently theengineering qualifications of their respective graduates. Subsequently,engineering accreditation organizations in Hong Kong and South Africahave joined the Accord.

2. ABET s international activities include consultant services and technicalassistance to other countries in the development of their own accreditation

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systems. Engineering organizations in Mexico and Argentina have alreadysigned Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with ABET to collaboratein this process and Japan has plans to follow suit in upcoming months.

3. Countries seeking assistance from ABET are looking at long term plans ofentering into a bilateral mutual recognition agreement with ABET or joiningthe Washington Accord in the near future.

4. Industry is using more in country engineers due to the economic, politicaland cultural considerations associated with the extensive use of expatriateengineers. There is a need to ensure consistency of engineering servicesacross international lines without sacrificing quality. ABET s internationalinitiatives contribute to raising the level of confidence in the integrity ofnational engineering accreditation systems.

5. Distance learning has become a reality and will continue to expand acrossdomestic and international boundaries. The increase in educationalaccessibility along with the development of more sophisticated distancelearning delivery systems makes mutual recognition of transnationalprograms a challenge. ABET s role will be critical in this new educationalventure.

The role of ABET now and in the future

ABET is a recognized leader in engineering accreditation. Since l932 it has carvedthe path of the engineering accreditation process in the United States and in thelast ten years has gained world leadership in assessing the quality of engineeringeducation through program evaluations, technical assistance and mutualrecognition agreements. ABET should continue to focus on the educationalaspects of the engineering profession that support the efforts of entitiesresponsible for licensing issues as follows:

1. Maintain its focus on education through international activities that helpsupport the needs of the licensing entities.

2. Continue its work in international quality assurance.

3. Continue to work in concert with international accreditation organizations todevelop agreements that meet mutual recognition standards.

4. Continue to provide assistance to other nations in developing theirengineering accreditation systems.

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The face of the American student is changing. Baccalaureate students fresh fromhigh school and living on campus are decreasingly the norm. There are morecommuter students and more students beginning their college careers atcommunity colleges. Many students are combining work and study in variouspart time/full time configurations. The need for convenience and accessibility hasgiven rise to an increased demand for distance education as more students fromvarying situations seek a college education.

Distance education is defined as education in which the student and the educatorare separated by distance or time, or both. Distance education and distancelearning are not new concepts, but have evolved rapidly with advances ininformation technology. There are two main types of distance education. Coursesmay be delivered in a synchronous mode in which the student and instructor arenot in the same classroom or laboratory, but the course is conducted in realtime. Courses may also be delivered asynchronously with the studentparticipating at a later time than the classroom course or where there is no liveclass session.

DistanceEducation

Regardless of the type and method of delivery, accreditation is a critical elementin the continued evolution of the modes of education. Accreditation informsstudents, parents, the institution, employers, and the public that the program hassatisfied certain criteria. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology(ABET) is recognized in the United States as the sole agency responsible foraccreditation of education programs leading to degrees in engineering. Realizingthat one of the strengths of the American educational system is its diversity inprograms, ABET s goal is to ensure continued quality while encouragingcontinuous innovation and improvement.

In recent years ABET has made fundamental changes in the accreditation ofprograms, the most evident of which is reform of the criteria used to evaluateengineering programs, Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000). These criteria supportthe premise that student outcomes, regardless of the method of educationaldelivery, should be consistent with the stated objectives of the program. It is theobligation of the institution to have in place a means for assessing studentoutcomes and a process for using the results to improve the program. Whiledistance education programs and traditional classroom programs may employdifferent instructional methods, it is essential that graduates of both programs candemonstrate the same capabilities.

The ABET Industry Advisory Council (IAC) strongly supports the role of ABET asthe accrediting agency for all engineering programs, regardless of the mode ofdelivery, and makes the following recommendations to ABET:

ABET should take a leadership role in ensuring quality and continuousimprovement in the rapidly developing area of distance education throughthe application and adaptation of the existing Engineering Criteria 2000.

ABET should develop an assessment process and procedures foraccreditation of distance learning programs through participation in earlypilot studies of such programs. This process should contain specific metricsfor evaluating the effectiveness of distance education.

The IAC is of the opinion that ABET has the opportunity for establishing aseal of approval in distance education accreditation. Furthermore, ABETshould explore the possibility of evaluating individual courses or coursegroupings leading to a degree as well as continuing education andcontinuing professional development courses. The ABET brand name would

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ensure quality for courses, modules, and overall programs.

The Industrial Advisory Council recommends that institutions offering distanceeducation should consider the following:

Methods and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of distance learningcompared to traditional learning

The importance of clearly establishing and communicating to students theperformance objectives as well as the grading criteria before the coursebegins

The opportunity to use virtual teaming of students in class projectsfacilitated by distributed simulations where appropriate

Methods to deliver experiential learning through some means, such as labsimulations, on the job or co op experiences

Ways to foster team teaching across disciplines

Methodologies for authentication of student work

Participation in pilot studies of distance education accreditation

Examination of economies of scale through the development of modularcourses

The development of high quality modules which individual faculty couldintegrate into his or her own courses

Evaluation of needs for additional training or credentials for faculty indistance learning settings

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Casimir S. Skrzypczak,ChairCisco Systems

Stephen J. AndrioleSafeguard Scientifics, Inc.

Ronald L. CarleLaw Engineering &Environmental Services

Bruce C. ColesLaw Gibb Group

Curran CottonMaytag

Joe R. FowlerStress EngineeringServices, Inc.

Arthur L. GlennAir & Water TechnologiesCorp.

Mary Jane HagensonPhillips PetroleumCompany

Darrell HoslerBurns and McDonnellInternational, Inc.

Robert MastracchioExxon Research andEngineering Co.

C.R. PennoniPennoni Associates Inc.,Consulting Engineers

Winfred M. PhillipsUniversity of Florida

John M. SamuelsNorfolk SouthernCorporation

Lee W. SapersteinUniversity of MissouriRolla

Edwin B. StearThe Boeing Company

Herbert WhitneyCITGO PetroleumCorporation

Lonnie WilliamsScientific and CommercialSystems Corp.

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1999 ABET Industry Advisory Council

George D. Peterson, Ph.D., P.E.Executive Director

Kathryn B. Aberle, CAEAssociate Executive Director

ABET Staff

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a federationof professional and technical societies that represent more than 1.8 millionengineers and other professionals. ABET s main objective and responsibility is themaintenance and improvement of the quality of education in engineering,engineering technology, and applied science programs. Through its accreditationcommissions, committees, and Board of Directors, ABET addresses current andfuture issues, implements studies, and develops policies, some of which becomepart of the criteria used by the accreditation commissions to evaluate educationalprograms in their respective fields.

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