The State Of Engineering Program Accreditation And Quality Assurance In Canada
- Conference
- Location
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2008
- Start Date
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June 22, 2008
- End Date
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June 25, 2008
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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International
- Page Count
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10
- Page Numbers
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13.1265.1 - 13.1265.10
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--4290
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/4290
- Download Count
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397
Paper Authors
Deborah Wolfe Engineers Canada
Deborah Wolfe, P.Eng. is Director, Education, Outreach and Research with Engineers Canada, the federation of the engineering regulatory bodies in Canada. She is responsible for the operation of the accreditation system for undergraduate engineering programs in Canada as well as Engineers Canada’s research program, outreach activities, and foreign credential evaluation program. Ms. Wolfe is a licensed professional engineer in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Phil Alexander University of Windsor
Phil Alexander, P. Eng., is Associate Professor Emeritus in Electrical and Computer Engineering, at the University of Windsor where he has served as Department Head, and as Associate Dean (Academic) of the Faculty of Engineering. He has served for over five years on the CEAB, and is currently a member of its Policy and Procedures Committee. Prof. Alexander is a registered professional engineer in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
The State of Engineering Program Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Canada
Abstract
The accreditation system for engineering education as it is implemented in Canada is described in terms of a brief history, and an explanation of the approach which it incorporates. It includes a quality assurance component, but also provides for the preparation of graduates for proceeding to professional licensure. The internationally focused activities conducted to ensure Canadian awareness of the relationship of its system to those which are in place elsewhere in the world and which facilitate obtaining mutual recognition between its and other national accreditation systems is explained. The nature of the active Canadian program of assistance to countries which are on a path to developing their own accreditation systems is presented. Current activities associated with its shift into the more outcomes-based assessment approaches which are increasingly being used in the world, and the future challenges presented by this trend and by the emergence of potential new engineering disciplines close the paper.
Introduction to the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board
The Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE, hereinafter referenced as Engineers Canada, its business name) is the federation of provincial and territorial regulatory bodies (constituent members or CMs) which license professional engineers, each within its jurisdiction. It coordinates certain aspects of the profession across Canada. The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), a standing committee of Engineers Canada, is responsible for the accreditation of Canadian engineering education programs.
The CEAB has two goals: - that engineering programs offered by Canadian universities will meet or exceed minimum educational standards acceptable for professional engineering licensure in Canada; and - that the quality and relevance of engineering education will continuously improve.
The CEAB strives to meet these goals by continuously reviewing and updating the policies and procedures for evaluating university engineering programs.
In addition to advising Engineers Canada on all matters related to engineering education, the CEAB works closely with Canadian universities to ensure that accredited engineering programs are able to impart to their graduates the skills and knowledge needed to become productive members of the profession. It also offers advice to universities developing new engineering programs, to help them ensure that those programs ultimately meet the criteria for accreditation specified by Engineers Canada. As part of this process, Engineers Canada produces an annual report outlining the CEAB’s criteria and procedures1. The report lists the Canadian undergraduate engineering programs that are currently, or have ever been, accredited by the CEAB. It also describes the work and composition of the teams of volunteers who conduct program evaluation visits to Canadian universities on the CEAB’s behalf. Several sub- committees, including the Executive Committee, Policies and Procedures Committee, and
Wolfe, D., & Alexander, P. (2008, June), The State Of Engineering Program Accreditation And Quality Assurance In Canada Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--4290
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