Our experience developing CQI procedures for ABET2000 accreditation

The College of Engineering at Michigan State University is applying for accreditation in 1998 under the Engineering Criteria 2000 of ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.) The ABET2k criteria represent a significant shift in accreditation philosophy in how it emphasizes continuous quality improvement (CQI). This paper outlines our experience in the development of CQI procedures as we prepare for the accreditation visit. Emphasis is on the Computer Engineering Program whose accreditation the author is coordinating, but experiences from across the college are shared. We begin with a brief overview of the Engineering Criteria 2000. CQI is expected for programs and courses resulting in two interlocking CQI cycles. We began with program objectives and then established procedures to evaluate and improve the meeting of the objectives. Outcomes for courses were developed which would satisfy program objectives and procedures for evaluation and improvement of the courses were produced. The key to the process is evaluation at every stage and the interlocking of outcomes with objectives. Concrete examples of outcomes and the evaluation of them at each stage are presented. At a higher level, CQI procedures were designed to provide a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the overall degree program. A component of that process was the evaluation of the lower-level course CQI process. The higher-level process involved various constituents "external" to the department such as students and employers of graduates.