IS Faculty Perceptions of ABET Accreditation Presented by

IS Faculty Perceptions of ABET Accreditation Presented by Bruce White and Wendy Ceccucci

Overview The IS 2002 model curriculum The ABET / CAC / IS accreditation The Center for Computing Education Research (CCER) IS assessment test Survey Results on Faculty Perception of ABET Accreditation

IS 2002 Curriculum Model IS 2002 is the most recent update of a series of curriculum models IS 2002 has ten courses n n n IS 2002. 1 – Fundamentals of Information Systems IS 2002. 2 – Electronic Business Strategy, Architecture and Design IS 2002. 3 Information Systems Theory and Practice

IS 2002 - continued n n n n IS 2002. 4 – Information Technology Hardware and System Software IS 2002. 5 – Programming, Data, File and Object Structures IS 2002. 6 – Networks and Telecommunication IS 2002. 7 – Analysis and Logical Design IS 2002. 8 – Physical Design and Implementation with DBMS IS 2002. 9 – Physical Design and Implementation in Emerging Environments IS 2002. 10 – Project Management and Practice

ABET ACCREDITATION Accreditation Board for Engineering Technologies (ABET) has four main accrediting commissions: n n CAC – computing accreditation commission TAC – technology accrediting commission EAC – engineering accreditation commission ASAC (Applied Science Accreditation Commission). The CAC now accredits IS programs The first IS program was accredited in 2002 (Pace University in New York). There are now twenty IS programs accredited

Accreditation Standards Objectives and Assessment Students Faculty Curriculum Technology Infrastructure Institutional Support and Financial Resources Program Delivery Institutional Facilities The accreditation criteria

Accreditation Process 1. Self-study – Introspective part to address problem areas and to determine if the school meets all the criteria. 2. Campus visit – ABET will sent two or three representatives to meet with faculty and administration to evaluate the school’s program

CCER Exam Developed the readiness of IS majors to enter the job market and to improve IS courses and curricula. The test gives feedback on three areas: n n n Information Technology Skills; Organizational and Professional Skills; Strategic Organizational Systems Development with IS.

Survey on Faculty Attitudes on ABET Accreditation Survey Requests were distributed to the 2005 ISECON attendees and in ISWorld. Responses were collected from sixty-six faculty members in the IS field nationwide

Demographics 70% of the departments were housed in the Schools of Business One third were from schools already ABET accredited or currently seeking accreditation. Two-thirds of the faculty surveyed indicated that their schools were not planning on seeking ABET accreditation

Reasons for Seeking Accreditation

Hurdles…. Large commitment in faculty time and effort Revisiting curriculum to define a process for documentation Very difficult to meet AACSB standards and ABET standards -- only 10 courses total in the ISM major. Enormous amounts of paperwork. The assessment cycle is tough to complete Scheduling just two preps for faculty, since we all must teach four courses per semester. Also, ensuring that all faculty produce pubs.

Hurdles…. continued Outcomes assessment requirements. Identifying artifacts, collecting and analyzing data, and maintaining a focus on the entire process. There is a tendency to act immediately to solve a problem when it is detected rather than waiting for data to be collected analyzed. This leads to unsubstantiated and undocumented modifications. Calculus requirement The accreditation is relatively new. We have been waiting for the criteria to stabilize.