What is the University Accreditation?
Accreditation is the quality certification of the professional formation process that offers the university. It is defined through the evaluation of the study plan, the prestigious and qualification of the teachers, the modernity and enough infrastructures, among other qualities that assure the well professional formation, employability and professional success of the graduates.
Who carries out the Accreditation?
The Accreditation is carried out by prestigious and recognized national or international entities. In case of Engineering, ABET (Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology) is the most important accredited entity around the world.
What accredits ABET?
ABET is a model of flexible metrics that aims to satisfy the expectative and necessities of groups of interest (constitutes). ABET accredits University Programs. It doesn't accredit universities or departments.
What are the Groups of Interest?
They are all the people or institutions which are affected by the activities carried out by the university. For the Faculty of Engineering there has defined the following groups of interest: students, teachers, graduates, and employers.
Which are the basis of the ABET Accreditation?
The ABET Accreditation is based on two basis pillars: the achievement of professional competences from graduates, and the continuous improvement of the Program. Every program must demonstrate students and graduates achieve professional competences and that they have implemented a program of continuous improvement
What are the Educational Objectives?
The educational objectives are the competences and aptitudes that a graduate must demonstrate when finishing his university studies. Each program of Engineering defines a group of educational objectives (generally between 4 and 6) related to the mission and vision of the Program. Not only graduates, but also employers must be evaluated to demonstrate that educational objectives have been achieved.
What are the Student Outcomes?
The Student Outcomes are the competences that every student must demonstrate when finishing their studies because it prepares himself to achieve the educational objectives. ABET has stated a group of eleven student outcomes known as "(a) to the (k)" which must be achieved by each Engineering Program
How is the achievement of Student outcomes demonstrated?
To demonstrate students have achieved the student outcomes, several instruments that show students' knowledge are evaluated, for instance: designing projects, the achievement of competences of each course, pre-professional practices, competences survey from graduates and employers, admission tests, among others.
How is the Study Plan evaluated?
The study plan must have all the courses and activities that are aimed to the achievement of the Student outcomes and Educational objectives. ABET asks the Study Plan to include at least one year of mathematics and basic sciences, one and a half year of engineering topics, and one component of general courses which complements the technical formation.
The engineering topics include engineering sciences and engineering design.
The Study Plan must prepare students for engineering execution through designing experiences, which must finish by developing a final project of designing in which students could solve a real engineering problem.
The design is defined as the process of creating a system, component or process which satisfies the requirements or necessities regulated by restrictions and limits given.
How are the teachers evaluated?
Teachers form the basis part of the Engineering Program and the process of professional formation. ABET evaluates that each Program has an adequate number of teachers with the necessary competences, qualification and authority to make students achieve professional competences, and also to implement the assessment process and the continuous improvement of the Program.
What is the Continuous Improvement?
Considering that not only the groups of interest (constitutes), but also the environment in which the Engineering Program develops is constantly changes, is important that every Program has an process of continuous improvement which allows itself adapting to changes, so it assures the achievement of Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes.
The process of continuous improvement starts by defining and analyzing relevant information which allows identifying problems in order to be effectively solved.
This process includes information about assessments from graduates, employers, students, teachers, courses. Designing projects, professional practices, among others instruments for evaluating.
ABET solicits that every Engineering Program shows the implementation of a program of continuous improvement, as well as the latest actions for improving.
