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Implementation of a Systematic Outcomes Assessment Plan to Ensure Accountability and Continuous Improvement in a Non-Traditional Electronics Engineering Technology Program

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The value of regional and professional accreditation is well established in the educational community and the literature1. Establishing an effective outcome assessment plan has been an important part of the accreditation process for virtually every educational institution. The outcome assessment process is a very crucial source of input to the institution’s continuous improvement program. It provides a metric against which the institution can assess its performance. It helps assure all stakeholders, students, faculty, and prospective employers of the value of this form of education. Most importantly, it provides a continuing reminder to the faculty of the professional goals of technology education, and provides a guidepost for the degree of rigor needed in coursework.

Accreditation is perhaps even more valuable at a non-traditional institution such as Excelsior College. The ABET-accredited BS in Electronics Engineering Technology (BSEET) degree program offered by Excelsior College is designed for adult learners who want to improve career prospects and expand individual horizons, but need a flexible learning format that enables learners to study at an individual pace and rate. This model of education equips successful students to further their careers through enhanced knowledge, understanding, and application of what was learned to their work environments. The differences among the credit sources recognized by Excelsior are self-explanatory as follows:

• Credits from regionally accredited institutions • Credits for ACE/PONSI approved courses • Credits through Exams - CLEP, DANTE, EC • Credits through assessed certifications, training, and examinations • Credits through Extra Institutional Learning process • Credits through EC portfolio assessment for prior learning • Credits from not regionally accredited institutions • Credits earned through online courses at EC and preferred providers

The ease of integration of credits earned from various sources, absence of residency requirements, along with non-punitive transcripts might be misconstrued to mean that that EC is an easy place to gain a degree. In order to avoid any misconception, Excelsior has developed a system of checks and balances in the form of appropriate and robust policies, procedures, and mechanisms that make the EC an outstanding alternative education provider. This paper describes the evolving assessment plan used by the School of Business and Technology at Excelsior College to assess student performance at three layers of attainable outcomes, program educational objectives, program outcomes, and TAC ABET Criteria. Multiple assessment tools consist of a capstone course, used as the direct measure of student

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LeClair, J., & Shih, L. (2010, June), Implementation Of A Systematic Outcomes Assessment Plan To Ensure Accountability And Continuous Improvement In A Non Traditional Electronics Engineering Technology Program Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16963