Perceptions on effective engineering education

In the context of engineering education, excellence is that quality which gives a special value and worth to a particular program. Excellence in engineering education (EEEdu) means different things to different people, but in this paper, EEEdu is considered to be a quality that is achievable through geniune commitment to teacher and student development, program development, teaching innovations, and community service. Using the broad definition of EEEdu, certain perceptions and perspectives of EEEdu from the points of view of: (1) the teacher; (2) the student; (3) the community; (4) the employers; and (5) professional engineering organizations were assessed using a survey designed for this purpose. The results support the idea that engineering programs need to be developed and delivered in view of the various opinions on what makes a program distinct, rather than relying solely on the professional and academic views. The results of the survey and study suggest that excellence, in its wider definition, must be pursued as a higher goal and that sustaining excellence requires developing a culture of excellence at the organization level.