General Instructions Introduction The ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 is based upon what students learn in the course of their program of studies as opposed to what they are presented in a curriculum. Consequently, institutions are required to have educational objectives and to employ outcomes assessment techniques to determine the degree to which program goals and objectives are being attained. The assessment, in turn, is used in an ongoing process of improving student learning through enhancements to the program. Purpose of Program Self-Study Report The Program Self-Study Report provides essential input for the evaluation team as part of the overall accreditation process. The accreditation process followed by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) consists of the following steps: 1. Request by the institution for evaluation of its engineering program(s); 2. Institution submission of Program Self-Study Report; 3. On-site visit by a team of program evaluators; 4. Submission of a Preliminary Report of Deficiencies prepared by the team to the dean at the conclusion of the on-site visit. The dean must note errors of fact or observation and respond to ABET within 14 days; 5. Submission of Preliminary Statement to the Institution, based on the team's findings and on the dean's response, for review and comment; 6. Revision of the Preliminary Statement by ABET in light of the institution's response; 7. Formal consideration by the Engineering Accreditation Commission resulting in a Final Statement to the Institution and an accreditation action. Self-Study Requirement The Secretary of Education of the United States Department of Education lists ABET as the nationally recognized agency responsible for accreditation of educational programs leading to degrees in engineering. To attain this recognition, ABET must include as part of the accrediting process an institutional or program self-study and an on-site review by a visiting team. The self-study is expected to be a qualitative assessment of the strengths and limitations of the institution or program, including the achievement of institutional and program objectives, and should involve broad and appropriate constituent groups in its preparation and process. The institution determines how it will conduct its self-study, and the accrediting body specifies the items to be addressed in the report, i.e., this Program Self-Study Instructions. Completion of the Program Self-Study Report satisfies the requirements of the EAC for initial information on the institution and its engineering programs prior to the on-site visit. In addressing certain sections of the Program Self-Study Report, particularly those relating to objectives and processes, the EAC strongly recommends that input from constituencies such as industry advisory boards, students, alumni, and employers of the institution's engineering graduates be considered among the data obtained as measures of the outcome of the educational programs. Content The Program Self-Study Report provides information on the program and institution for both a qualitative and quantitative assessment by the EAC. As a minimum, the qualitative and quantitative data can be supplied by responding to the items identified in this document or in formats used by the institution. IF AN ALTERNATE FORMAT IS UTILIZED AT LEAST ALL OF THE IDENTIFIED INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THESE SHOULD BE INCLUDED. Each program submits a separate Self-Study Report. Each report contains three sections: (1) Main Body, (2) Appendix I (Program Data), and (3) Appendix II (Institutional Profile). Appendix II is common to all program self-study reports for an institution. Supplemental Materials The following additional materials are to be supplied: 1. A copy of the general catalog of the institution covering course details and other institutional information applicable at the time of the visit. 2. A copy of all promotional brochures or literature describing the engineering offerings of the institution and, if available, the institution's website address. Preparation It is important that the program title appear on the cover of each Program Self-Study Report and that this title be given exactly as it is listed in your college catalog and your institution's Request for Evaluation. This title should also agree with the program title as listed in the ABET Accreditation Yearbook. State Boards of Registration consider the ABET list of engineering programs as the authoritative list. Individuals applying for governmental positions, or for any position requiring graduation from an ABET accredited program, can find themselves in difficulty if the ABET listing of accredited programs is not consistent with the program title (or degree) as identified by the institution. DO NOT reproduce these instruction pages in the completed report. Also, DO NOT include the instructions for each question in the completed report. Submission and Distribution For ABET headquarters, submit one copy of the Program Self-Study Report for each program and one set of the supplemental material. It should be addressed to: Accreditation Director Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology 111 Market Place, Suite 1050 Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 The institution submits one copy of the Program Self-Study Report for each program and one set of the supplemental material to the team chair. Following instructions from the team chair, the institution submits one copy of the appropriate Program Self-Study Report and one set of supplemental material to each program evaluator and observer. When new or updated material becomes available between the time the Program Self-Study Report is assembled and the date of the visit, it should be provided to the team members in advance or on arrival at the campus, with a copy to ABET headquarters in accordance with instructions from the team chair. Confidentiality The information supplied in this report is for the confidential use of the ABET and its authorized agents, and will not be disclosed without authorization of the institution concerned, except for summary data not identifiable to a specific institution. Program Self-Study Report for (name of program) This section presents a complete outline of the material to be provided in each Program Self-Study Report. Each report should be formatted similar to this section, preferably with the same heading titles. DO NOT DUPLICATE THE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. A. Background Information Please provide the following background information. 1. Degree Titles Give title(s) of all degrees awarded for the program under review, including options, etc., as specified in transcripts and/or diplomas, and describe as necessary. 2. Program Modes Indicate the modes (e.g., day, co-op, off-campus, distanced) in which this program is offered and describe any differences from the information given for the engineering unit as a whole in Appendix II. 3. Actions to Correct Previous Deficiencies If specific program deficiencies or weaknesses were identified by the EAC during the previous general review and any interim reviews, please refer to them and indicate the actions taken. Deficiencies that were addressed in the previous General Review as being common to all programs, e.g., institutional deficiencies, should be addressed in each program self-study report. B. Accreditation Summary This section is the focus of the Program Self-Study Report. A complete description of how the program satisfies all of the requirements for each criterion must be presented. It is suggested that the information presented for each criterion be as complete as possible such that the program evaluator can determine if all of the requirements are being met without cross-referencing material provided under other criteria. This may require some duplication of material but it should aid the evaluator. Reference to the material provided in Appendixes I and II, and to other information provided by the institution should be made as needed. 1. Students Describe how students are evaluated, advised and monitored in a manner consistent with program objectives, as required by Criterion 1. 2. Program Educational Objectives Discuss in detail the educational objectives, the process by which these objectives are determined and evaluated, how the program ensures these objectives are achieved, and the system of ongoing evaluation that leads to continuous improvement of the program, as required by Criterion 2. As a minimum: * List the Program Educational Objectives and show how they are consistent with the mission of the institution. * Identify the significant constituencies of the program. * Describe the processes used to establish and review the Program Educational Objectives and the extent to which the program's various constituencies are involved in these processes. Provide documentation that demonstrates that the processes are working and producing the desired results and that the results are being used to improve the effectiveness of the program. * Describe how the program curriculum and processes ensure achievement of the Program Educational Objectives. Provide data the shows the processes are working and producing the desired results and that the results are being used to improve the effectiveness of the program. 3. Program Outcomes and Assessment Describe the assessment process, documented results, and evidence that results are applied to further development and improvement of all outcomes important to the mission of the institution and the objectives of the program, as required by Criterion 3. As a minimum: * List the Program Outcomes that have been established based on the Program Educational Objectives. * Describe how the Program Outcomes relate to the outcome requirements of Criterion 3. * Describe how the Program Outcomes relate to the Program Educational Objectives. * Describe the processes used to assure that graduates have achieved the program outcomes. * Provide qualitative and quantitative data used on a continuing basis to demonstrate that the graduates satisfy the Program Outcomes. * Describe the process by which the assessment results are applied to further develop and improve the program. * Document changes that have been implemented to further develop and improve the program. Provide qualitative and quantitative data used to support these changes. * Describe the materials that will be available for review during the visit to demonstrate achievement of the Program Outcomes and Assessment. * Describe the processes and procedures used to enforce policies for the acceptance of transfer students. * Describe the procedures used to validate credit for courses taken elsewhere. 4. Professional Component Describe how the engineering faculty assures that the curriculum devotes adequate attention and time to each subject area and describe how students are prepared for engineering practice, as required by Criterion 4. Note that instructional material and student work verifying the proper classification of course content must be provided for the evaluation team at the time of the visit. These materials may include all or part of the documentation used to demonstrate Program Outcomes and Assessment. As a minimum: * Describe how students are prepared for engineering practice through the curriculum which culminates in a major design experience. * Describe how the program curriculum devotes adequate attention and time to the professional component which includes mathematics and basic sciences, engineering topics, and general education. Note that a transcript analysis for a sampling of recent graduates may be requested by the team chair prior to the visit. The information contained in Appendix I presents supporting documentation and will be useful to the evaluation process. * Complete Appendix IA, Table 1, Basic-Level Curriculum. List the courses in the order in which they are given in the curriculum and classified in the appropriate categories to clearly indicate how the program meets the Professional Component (Criterion 4) as well as Program Criteria (Criterion 8), as prescribed in Engineering Criteria 2000. * Complete Appendix IA, Table 2, Course and Section Size Summary. In Appendix IB, course syllabi, provide standard descriptions for courses used to satisfy the mathematics and basic sciences, and engineering topics required by Criterion 4. The format should be consistent for each course, must not exceed two pages per course, and, at a minimum, contain the information listed below: 1. Department, number, and title of course 2. Course (catalog) description 3. Prerequisite(s) 4. Textbook(s) and/or other required material 5. Course objectives 6. Topics covered 7. Class/laboratory schedule, i.e., number of sessions each week and duration of each session 8. Contribution of course to meeting the professional component 9. Relationship of course to program objectives 10. Person(s) who prepared this description and date of preparation 5. Faculty Demonstrate that the faculty have the competencies to cover all of the curricular areas of the program and show that the faculty is of sufficient number to accommodate student-faculty interaction, advising and counseling, service activities, professional development, and interaction with practitioners and employers, as required by Criterion 5. As a minimum: * Discuss the competency of the faculty to cover all of the curricular areas of the program. * Describe faculty involvement in interactions with students, in advising, in service, in professional development, and in interactions with industry. * Discuss the adequacy of the size of the faculty. The information contained in Appendix I presents supporting documentation and will be useful to the evaluation process. * Complete Appendix IA, Table 3, Faculty Workload Summary and summarize the course load and other activity for each faculty member for the full academic year in which the Program Self-study is being written. An updated report for the current year is to be provided at the time of the visit. * Complete Appendix IA, Table 4, Faculty Analysis, which summarizes information about each faculty member. * In Appendix IC, provide current summary curriculum vitae for all faculty members with the rank of instructor and above who have primary responsibilities for course work associated with the program. Include part-time and adjunct faculty members. The format should be consistent for each curriculum vita, must not exceed two pages per person, and, at a minimum, contain the information listed below: 1. Name and Academic Rank 2. Degrees with fields, institution, and date 3. Number of years service on this faculty, including date of original appointment and dates of advancement in rank 4. Other related experience--teaching, industrial, etc. 5. Consulting, patents, etc. 6. State(s) in which registered 7. Principal publications of last five years 8. Scientific and professional societies of which a member 9. Honors and awards 10. Institutional and professional service in the last five years 11. Professional development activities in the last five years 6. Facilities Describe classrooms, laboratory facilities, equipment, and infrastructure and discuss the adequacy of these facilities to accomplish program objectives, as required by Criterion 6. As a minimum: * Provide information concerning facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, computing and information infrastructures that engineering students and faculty are expected to use in meeting the requirements of the program. * Identify the opportunities students have to learn the use of modern engineering tools. 7. Institutional Support and Financial Resources Describe the level and adequacy of institutional support, financial resources, and constructive leadership to achieve program objectives and assure continuity of the program, as required by Criterion 7. As a minimum: * Describe the processes used to determine the budget for the program. * Discuss the adequacy of institutional support, financial resources and constructive leadership necessary to achieve program objectives. * Describe the adequacy of faculty professional development and how it is planned and funded. * Describe a plan and sufficiency of resources to acquire, maintain, and operate facilities and equipment required to achieve program objectives. * Discuss the adequacy of support personnel and institutional services necessary to achieve program objectives. The information contained in Appendix I presents supporting documentation and will be useful to the evaluation process. * Complete Appendix IA, Table 5, Support Expenditures of Engineering Unit or Program. Report the expenditures for support functions of the engineering program being evaluated. The information is to be supplied for each of the three most recent fiscal years. 8. Program Criteria Describe how the requirements of the applicable program criteria are met in the areas of curricular topics and faculty qualifications, as required by Criterion 8.