CC&A Report 2012 National Civil Engineering Department Heads Conference, White Plains, New York

1. CC&A Report 2012 National Civil Engineering Department Heads Conference, White Plains, New York Doug Mace ASCE Committee on Curricula and Accreditation June 4, 2012

2. …who am I and why am I standing here? • current liason of ASCE’s Educational Activities Committee (EdAC) to Committee on Curriculum & Accreditation (CC&A) • program evaluator (PEV) for programs in civil, architectural, surveying and construction engineering • pastABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Applied Science Science (ASAC) member

3. today’s topics… • what does CC&A do? • a general report on CC&A activities • civil engineering program criteria • Q and A

4. what does CC&A do? • deals w/accreditation-related issues • with staff, assigns program evaluators (PEVs) and observers for ABET visits to all architectural, civil, and construction engineering programs • evaluates all PEV and observer reports

5. more CC&A duties... • nominate ASCE members for membership on the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) to serve as team chairs • provide (discipline-based) mentors for PEV-trainees who are going through ABET-sponsored training

6. even more CC&A duties... • Directions Newsletter (late summer)—targeted at PEVs and chairs • communication with other committees and groups (e.g., CE department chairs)—trying to keep abreast of changes!

8. ASCE’s Internal Accreditation Organization • ASCE’s ABET Board representatives (3 of 47) • ASCE’s Commissioners – EAC (6 of 66), TAC (3 of 48) • Committee on Curricula and Accreditation (8 regular members + reps) • Constituent committee of ASCE BOD level committee, Educational Activities Committee (EdAC) • Operational & Tactical focus • Charge: • Recruit, train (program criteria), assign, and assess ≈200 ASCE Program Evaluators • Maintain Program Criteria (Lead and cooperating society) • Includes representatives of EAC, Department Heads Council, ASEE • Committee on Technology Curricula and Accreditation (EdAC) • Accreditation Committee of CAP3 (Strategic focus) • Constituent committee of ASCE BOD level committee, CAP^3 • Charge: Influence ABET criteria and policies to advance the implementation of Policy Statement 465 • Includes representatives of ABET Board, EAC, EdAC, CC&A, CTC&A, Department Heads Council

9. CC&A general report summary of visits

10. CC&A general report further breakdown of 2011-12 visits for AE, CE, and ConE

11. ABET accreditation actions-all

12. ABET accreditation actions-engineering

13. CC&A general report PEV evaluations • PEVs are routinely given feedback about their findings and can be asked to do remedial training • we are working on the fine line between “toeing the mark” and being over-zealous • as information, PEVs can be and are removed from circulation

14. CC&A general report PEV evaluations (continued) • we review the docs that are submitted to ABET…we do not review “raw materials”—so, we don’t “see” all issues that may occur • we also see results of the ABET 360° evaluation comments and integrate those into our reviews as appropriate

15. CC&A general report communications/complaints from chairs, deans, and others… • if you have a problem, please let CC&A know—while this is typically going to be after the fact, it is important that we understand the institutions’ issues and concerns (and help fix future problems)

16. CC&A general report consistency is a complicated issue and something that is work upon at all levels • consistency w/in team • consistency among teams at different institutions • checked by team chairs, then by editors, and by overarching committee

17. program criteria (ABET C9) Frequent concerns w/program criteria (criterion 9) • additional basic science (note that the word basic is now in the criterion) • issues w/”professional practice” related to appropriate coverage • so, what is in the “program criteria?”

18. PROGRAM CRITERIA for CIVIL ENGINEERING—CURRICULUM The program must prepare graduates to apply knowledge of mathematics through differential equations, calculus-based physics, chemistry, and at least one additional area of basicscience, consistent with the program educational objectives; apply knowledge of four technical areas appropriate to civil engineering; conduct civil engineering experiments and analyze and interpret the resulting data; design a system, component, or process in more than one civil engineering context; explain basic concepts in management, business, public policy, and leadership; and explain the importance of professional licensure.

19. program criteria (ABET C9) do these have to be treated as student (formerly program) outcomes (SOs)? • NO! some had been moving in the direction that these had to be SOs…not so • COULD they be SOs…yes! if this is done, then they must be assessed as such

20. PROGRAM CRITERIA for CIVIL ENGINEERING—FACULTY The program must demonstrate that faculty teaching courses that are primarily design in content are qualified to teach the subject matter by virtue of professional licensure, or by education and design experience. The program must demonstrate that it is not critically dependent on one individual.

21. ASCE Committee on Curricula and Accreditation questions, comments, issues?