Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Session 2577

ABET 2000 and the Re-Engineering of Nuclear Engineering Departments

James S. Tulenko, Edward T. Dugan, David E. Hintenlang Department of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering University of Florida

ABSTRACT

ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 emphasizes continuous improvement and professional preparation while offering flexibility for major innovations in curriculum design. The changes being seen in the nuclear engineering profession represent just the type of environment that ABET 2000 is particularly designed to help. ABET 2000 forces a continual assessment and feedback to ensure that current educational curriculum and processes are appropriate to our students’ needs. The University of Florida has engineered its curriculum to meet the needs of its students in the current professional environment and has found ABET 2000 to be a positive factor in encouraging and abetting that re-engineering.

INTRODUCTION

A question often asked of the American Nuclear Society’s Engineering Accreditation Commissioners (EAC) on the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) by nuclear department heads is: “What will the effect of the new set of accreditation criteria (ABET Engineering Criteria 2000) have on the ongoing re- engineering of nuclear engineering programs?” Nuclear engineering programs are currently undergoing a major change of life as the nuclear industry passes from a growing, building, power generation dominated phase into a steady power operation phase and a growing service/support industry. As nuclear engineering programs change to adjust to the changing employment/practice environment, they wonder if their new programs will still meet ABET/EAC engineering accreditation requirements. I have good news. ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 was created to “assure that graduates of an accredited program are adequately prepared to enter and continue the practice of engineering.”1 This is exactly what we are trying to do with the ongoing re-engineering of nuclear engineering departments and programs.

ABET ENGINEERING CRITERIA 2000

ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 has been designed to focus on the needs of the educational progress of various constituencies. The crux of the new accreditation process is an ongoing evaluation (assessment) program that demonstrates achievement of these objectives and that uses the results of the assessment program to improve the effectiveness of the education program. To quote from ABET Engineering Criteria 2000,

“Engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have (a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Tulenko, J. S., & Dugan, E. T., & Hintenlang, D. E. (1997, June), Abet 2000 And The Re Engineering Of Nuclear Engineering Departments Paper presented at 1997 Annual Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10.18260/1-2--6408