Department of Chemical Engineering
SACS Program Learning Outcomes and Assessment
Bachelor of Science (BS)
The following Program and Learning Outcomes and Assessment are guidelines for BS students of the Department of Chemical Engineering. These SACS Outcomes and the Assessment process are aligned with the existing Departmental ABET process, however, it is important to note that the ABET and SACS nomenclature differs and so equivalence is established here for clarity, see Table 1.
Table 1. Equivalence of ABET and SACS nomenclature.
|
ABET
Nomenclature |
SACS
Nomenclature |
|
Program Educational Objectives |
Program Outcomes |
|
Program Outcomes |
Learning Outcomes |
Program Outcomes:
a- The graduates of this program will be prepared to enter the chemical engineering profession.
b- Every graduate will have demonstrated effective communication skills
c- Every graduate will be prepared for continued individual study or formal advanced education in chemical engineering or related fields.
d- Every graduate will have participated in technical team projects including interdisciplinary activities.
e- Every graduate will have demonstrated an understanding of the professional and ethical responsibilities of a chemical engineer.
Learning Outcomes:
Every student will demonstrate…
a- an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering,
b- an
ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret
d
c- an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs,
d- an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams,
e- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems,
f- an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility,
g- an ability to communicate effectively,
h- the broader education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in global and societal context,
i- a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning,
j- a knowledge of contemporary issues,
k- an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Assessment of Program and Learning Outcomes
Figure 1 is a flowchart of our current continuous improvement process.
Figure 1. Continuous improvement process diagram for the Department of Chemical Engineering (ABET nomenclature used here, see Table 1).
Our process begins with a mapping of the University Mission, College Mission
and Departmental Mission. We have identified our constituency as (1)
our students, (2) our alumni, (3) the employers of our students and (4)
graduate schools that admit our students.
This exercise clearly identifies our regional responsibility since the
majority of our constituency resides in
- FE Exam Results
- Capstone Design Outcomes
- Senior Lab Outcomes
- BOA Comments
- Exit Interview Comments
- Employer Survey (three-year cycle)
- Alumni Survey (three-year cycle)
The entire process is overseen by the Departmental Continuous Improvement Committee (CIC) which consists of the entire faculty since the faculty is relatively small, seven regular and one adjunct. The CIC interacts with the constituency via surveys, teleconferences, newsletters, individual phone communications, focus sessions, campus meetings, and other modes of communication.
To close the
1. Instructors must complete and submit to the department Continuous Improvement Committee (CIC) a Course-Level Assessment and Continuous Improvement Report (CLACIR) for each course taught.
2. The assessment results will be presented by the faculty responsible to the CIC.
3. The committee will decide on the level of action to be taken, i.e. department level only, BOA level, College Curriculum Committee level, ect.
4. Actions that modify the curriculum or course content will be implemented during the next semester in which the course is taught.
This policy provides for the ability for the feedback of
1. Course-level Assessment and Continuous Improvement Report (CLACIR)
2. Program Outcomes Assessment and Continuous Improvement Report (POACIR)
3. Learning Outcomes Assessment and Continuous Improvement Report (LOACIR)
This trio of forms is the basis our documentation policy for
making, tracking and documenting continuous improvement through the closure of
the assessment loop. The CLACIR is the front line document. This document is now completed subsequent to
each semester in which a course is taught.
The form has thirteen elements for which we have prepared an instruction
sheet. The 13 elements are broken into
three groups: 1. syllabus information, 2. assessment information and 3.
continuous improvement plan. The
syllabus section of this report defines the course objectives, outcomes and
requirements, and their relationship to our stated
The assessment section includes
information based on student outcomes.
Finally, the continuous improvement section includes feedback from our
Significant changes in curricular content or pedagogy will be reviewed by the faculty with input from the BOA at a subsequent meeting. Substantive changes may also need to be approved at the College and University level.
The POACIR and the LOACIR are
filed on a one to three year cycle subsequent to the collection, collation and
analysis of assessment metrics. These
reports provide a written record of the assessment process findings and are now
the basis for tracking and documenting continuous improvement at the