IS Faculty Perceptions of ABET Accreditation

1. IS Faculty Perceptions of ABET Accreditation Presented by Bruce White and Wendy Ceccucci

2. Overview • The IS2002 model curriculum • The ABET / CAC / IS accreditation • The Center for Computing Education Research (CCER) IS assessment test • Survey Results on Faculty Perception of ABET Accreditation

3. IS 2002 Curriculum Model • IS 2002 is the most recent update of a series of curriculum models • IS 2002 has ten courses • IS 2002.1 – Fundamentals of Information Systems • IS 2002.2 – Electronic Business Strategy, Architecture and Design • IS2002.3 Information Systems Theory and Practice

4. IS2002 - continued • IS 2002.4 – Information Technology Hardware and System Software • IS 2002.5 – Programming, Data, File and Object Structures • IS 2002.6 – Networks and Telecommunication • IS 2002.7 – Analysis and Logical Design • IS 2002.8 – Physical Design and Implementation with DBMS • IS 2002.9 – Physical Design and Implementation in Emerging Environments • IS 2002.10 – Project Management and Practice

5. ABET ACCREDITATION • Accreditation Board for Engineering Technologies (ABET) has four main accrediting commissions: • CAC – computing accreditation commission • TAC – technology accrediting commission • EAC – engineering accreditation commission • ASAC (Applied Science Accreditation Commission). • The CAC now accredits IS programs • The first IS program was accredited in 2002 (Pace University in New York). • There are now twenty IS programs accredited

6. Accreditation Standards • Objectives and Assessment • Students • Faculty • Curriculum • Technology Infrastructure • Institutional Support and Financial Resources • Program Delivery • Institutional Facilities • The accreditation criteria

7. Accreditation Process • Self-study – Introspective part to address problem areas and to determine if the school meets all the criteria. • Campus visit – ABET will sent two or three representatives to meet with faculty and administration to evaluate the school’s program

8. CCER Exam • Developed the readiness of IS majors to enter the job market and to improve IS courses and curricula. • The test gives feedback on three areas: • Information Technology Skills; • Organizational and Professional Skills; • Strategic Organizational Systems Development with IS.

9. Survey on Faculty Attitudes on ABET Accreditation • Survey Requests were distributed to the 2005 ISECON attendees and in ISWorld. • Responses were collected from sixty-six faculty members in the IS field nationwide

10. Demographics • 70% of the departments were housed in the Schools of Business • One third were from schools already ABET accredited or currently seeking accreditation. • Two-thirds of the faculty surveyed indicated that their schools were not planning on seeking ABET accreditation

11. Reasons for Seeking Accreditation

13. Hurdles…. • Large commitment in faculty time and effort • Revisiting curriculum to define a process for documentation • Very difficult to meet AACSB standards and ABET standards -- only 10 courses total in the ISM major. • Enormous amounts of paperwork. • The assessment cycle is tough to complete • Scheduling just two preps for faculty, since we all must teach four courses per semester. Also, ensuring that all faculty produce pubs.

14. Hurdles…. continued • Outcomes assessment requirements. Identifying artifacts, collecting and analyzing data, and maintaining a focus on the entire process. There is a tendency to act immediately to solve a problem when it is detected rather than waiting for data to be collected and analyzed. This leads to unsubstantiated and undocumented modifications. • Calculus requirement • The accreditation is relatively new. We have been waiting for the criteria to stabilize.