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Session 2546

Who Speaks for Engineering Technology - The Role of the Engineering Technology Council

Walter W. Buchanan, Willard D. Bostwick Middle Tennessee State University/ Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis

Abstract

The national engineering technology community needs a voice. This article explores the role of the Engineering Technology Council (ETC) of the American Society for Engineering Education (A SEE) in providing a voice for the national engineering technology community. The article gives a brief history of the ETC and looks into what the ETC might do to enhance the position of engineering technology in the engineering spectrum,

Introduction

In 1970 Winston D. Purvine became the first chair of the Engineering Technology Council. The ETC was created to assess and recommend policies affecting the overall administration of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited technical colleges and schools. The ETC can also be used to provide forums for discussion and an information exchange concerning problems and experiences of technical colleges and institutions, to represent and to speak on behalf of member technical colleges, and to cooperate with other segments of the Society on matters of common interest. 1

Although the ETC and the Engineering Technology Division (ETD) represent and are the voice of the engineering technology community within ASEE, it is generally recognized that the ETC has not become an effective voice for engineering technology the way the Engineering Dean’s Council has become for the engineering community. This is unfortunate since the first guiding principle of the ETC in performing its mission of promoting quality education in engineering technology is to speak collectively for engineering 2 technology institutions.

ABET

Engineering technology has especially lacked an effective voice within the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. This goes far beyond the requirement within ABET that engineering technology programs can not advertise their programs as educating students who might become engineers even though many graduates of ABET accredited four-year engineering technology programs eventually get j obs in industry that have the title “engineer” in them. In fact, in most states a graduate of an ABET accredited four-year 3 engineering technology program has a path available to become a Professional Engineer. Nevertheless, at a recent meeting of the ABET Board, the following definition of engineering technology was voted down:

“The engineering technologist and engineering technician are well founded in the knowledge of mathematics and natural sciences and devoted to the implementation and extension of existing technology for the benefit of

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Bostwick, W. D., & Buchanan, W. (1996, June), Who Speaks For Engineering Technology The Role Of The Engineering Technology Council Paper presented at 1996 Annual Conference, Washington, District of Columbia. 10.18260/1-2--6399