A Regimen to Zero Findings

The Chemical Engineering Department at New Mexico State University completed an ABET review in October 2012 with zero findings for the second consecutive time.  Strengths of the programs identified in the Draft Statement of Accreditation are summarized as (1) the alumni, (2) the students, and (3) the faculty.  This discussion will highlight the continuous improvement and management of change processes employed in the program, as well as the constituency relationships and the distribution of responsibilities that have led to a strong environment of cooperative learning, peer-assessment, and self-assessment.  Program assessment has become an inherent feature and an accepted routine within the Chemical Engineering program that is regularly discussed and clearly communicated among the constituency.  During the 2012 review, the NMSU Chemical Engineering program identified a method to streamline the collection of assessment data concerning the meeting of course objectives.  Since the fall 2012 review, the department has designed and constructed a relational database that permits the pre-planning of each assessment measurement, as well as provides a highly efficient means of collecting and reporting the assessment data.