Accreditation & Assessment

Overview

The Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering is dedicated to its mission of being recognized as a place of excellence in fundamental chemical engineering education and lifelong learning, and in maintaining nationally recognized research in contemporary areas of engineering challenge. To attain this vision, the Department recognizes that it must continually serve its major stakeholders - current students and departmental faculty, the College of Engineering, the two universities, alumni, industrial employers, graduate schools, professional societies, and ABET and other accreditation organizations.

The Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering is nationally accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. As part of the accreditation process, the Department has developed program educational objectives and program outcomes to reflect the educational goals of the department. These objectives and outcomes are continually assessed and modified to meet the changing demands of the departmental stakeholders.

Continuous Program Assessment Process

Each year, specific program educational objectives and program outcomes are established, consistent with ABET EC-2000 criteria. A formal outcomes assessment process is followed each year, resulting in curriculum revisions, addressing deficiencies in program objectives and outcomes, and revisions to the assessment process itself. These revisions included more formal feedback procedures from "stakeholder" groups and improved course and outcome assessment procedures. By the 2001-02 academic year, a more refined outcomes assessment process was established, resulting in improved feedback to ensure that our educational objectives were either being met or modifications instituted to address any assessed deficiencies.

A formal continuous assessment and feedback process has been in place for five full years, which has resulted in significant positive changes in our program outcomes and assessment. Program improvements in the curriculum, assessment, and student advising processes are based primarily on:

  • Faculty course assessments done for each course taught in the Department,
  • Reports of the Program Outcomes Assessment Teams (composed of Department faculty),
  • Annual senior exit surveys,
  • Biennial alumni surveys,
  • The Department's External Advisory Board,
  • Employment recruiters and industrial sponsors, and
  • Alumni contacts.

These reports are presented at the annual Assessment Workshop held each May, and faculty discuss ways to improve the program based on the aforementioned sources. An overview of the program improvement process is provided in the figure below.

Program Educational Objectives

The goals of the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering are to prepare its students for academic and professional work through the creation and dissemination of knowledge related to the field, as well as through the advancement of those practices, methods, and technologies that form the basis of the chemical engineering profession. Accordingly, the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering has identified the following three Program Educational Objectives:

  1. To produce graduates with a rigorous foundation in chemical engineering principles and strong communication skills that will enable them to pursue successful careers in a wide range of industrial, professional and academic settings.
  2. To produce graduates with the ability to adapt and innovate to meet future technological challenges and evolving regulatory issues, while addressing the ethical and societal implications of their work at both the local and global level.
  3. To prepare graduates to function on interdisciplinary teams, assume participatory and leadership roles in professional societies, and interact with educational, community, state, and federal institutions.

Program Outcomes

These objectives are further expanded and detailed through eleven (11) student outcomes:

  • an ability to apply a knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, and chemical engineering to analyze chemical engineering processes (C3.a).
  • an ability to design and chemical engineering experiments, and analyze and interpret data of importance to the design and operation of chemical processes (C3.b).
  • an ability to design and analyze new and existing chemical systems and processes to meet desired needs (C3.c).
  • an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams (C3.d).
  • an ability to identify, formulate, and solve chemical engineering problems (C3.e).
  • an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility (C3.f).
  • an ability to communicate effectively (C3.g).
  • an understanding of the global and societal impact of chemical engineering practice (C3.h).
  • an ability to assess the need for, and engage in, lifelong learning (C3.i).
  • a knowledge of contemporary issues in chemical engineering (C3.j).
  • an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for chemical engineering practice (C3.k).