Experiences With The Review Of Engineering Doctoral Programs

Abstract

Institutions are assessing graduate programs as a means of strengthening graduate education. A facet of continual assessment programs, it is brought about, in part, by regional accreditation associations. Texas A&M University has had a process for the review of doctoral programs in place for several years. The University will have completed the review of the Mechanical Engineering doctoral program by the summer of 2003. This is the fourth doctoral program to have been reviewed in Texas A&M University's College of Engineering in as many years. The others are Chemical, Civil and Electrical Engineering. Civil and Electrical Engineering each have sizeable engineering doctoral programs of appro ximately 100 Ph.D. candidates. The review process involves external reviewers and the preparation of extensive documentation. This paper discusses the major features of the Mechanical Engineering doctoral program review. It outlines the review process and describes the required documentation. The procedures for identifying and choosing external reviewers are explained. The conduct of the on-site review is discussed and the procedures for documenting the review are described, as are the types of possible actions from the review. The similarities and differences between the doctoral review and an ABET review of an undergraduate engineering program are described. The review of the Mechanical Engineering doctoral program occurred in February 2003. Since this paper was completed before the visit, the presentation at the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition will discuss the final phase of the review process. It will include the nature of the outcome and describe the feedback obtained by the Mechanical Engineering faculty as a result of the review.