Transcript ABET Accreditation and Diversity

ABET
Accreditation and Diversity
Claire L. Felbinger
Chair, Public Member Committee
ABET Board of Directors
Diversity Summit Follow-up
Washington, DC
September 17, 2003
Evolution of Diversity at ABET
 Industrial versus Academic
 Impact of Public Membership
 “New Business” Year after Year
 The Public Members Challenge the Board
“There are no gender-based
laws of physics!”
 ABET Leadership Responds
ABET by the Numbers (Percents)
Commission
Applied Science
Computing
Engineering
Technology
Total Percent
Total N
ExCom
Commission
New Members ‘03-4
F
M
F
M
F
M
0
23
20
0
13
4
100
77
80
100
87
30
15
21
16
10
15
16
85
79
84
90
85
93
0
38
14
25
19
7
100
62
86
75
81
29
“It is interesting to note that all the commissions have
women commissioners with CAC having more than 20
% and [the remainder] having from 10 to 20%.”
ABET: More Percentages
Commission
ExCom
Indian/Asian
Commission
Indian/Asian
Applied Science
0
0
Computing
0
0
Engineering
0
6
Technology
0
3
Total Percentage
Number
0
34
4
104
ABET Diversity Task Force Concerns
Preliminary Draft Considerations
 Educational institutions and industry are more diverse
 The face presented by ABET to the educational
community is the composition of its evaluation teams
(and Board and Commissions)
 ABET’s credibility will be enhanced with respect to
educational institutions, industry, and government
when their volunteer structure reflects the changing
environment
 Primary dimensions of diversity – age, ethnicity,
gender, race, sexual orientation
 Secondary dimensions – industry, academia,
educational background, professional experience,
accreditation experience, professional registration
Accreditation and Diversity
 Board and Commission Composition
The fault of engineering societies?
 Site Visit Team Composition
The fault of engineering societies?
 Role of new guidelines under EC-2000 and the
equivalents in other commissions
– Curriculum designs more sensitive to
experiences and learning styles of more diverse
students
– Attention to the social, economic, political
implications of engineering decisions
– Criteria still challenged by professional
engineering associations
ABET
Accreditation and Diversity
Claire L. Felbinger
Chair, Public Member Committee
ABET Board of Directors
Diversity Summit Follow-up
Washington, DC
September 17, 2003