Undergraduate Accreditation

Constituents

The constituencies of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) program work together to determine the educational objectives of the degree. Constituencies include:

• Our students
• Our faculty
• Our alumni
• Mechanical engineering professionals and industry members

The constituencies of the BSME program are part of the following formal committees or groups that evaluate and review the Department’s educational objectives:

• The MME Advisory Board, a group of local professionals, employers, and alumni representatives that assume the role of an ABET review committee
• The MME Faculty members

In addition, the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Advisory Board is also involved in program review.

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Educational Objectives

The BSME curriculum has the following Program Educational Objectives:

• Graduates are employed as mechanical engineers or in related fields that benefit from a mechanical engineering education.
• Graduates advance in their profession and engage in the professional community.
• Graduates participate in post-graduate educational opportunities.

The BSME Program Educational Objectives were formulated in a process of consultation with students, faculty, PSU administrators, and the MME Industrial Advisory Board. The Program Educational Objectives were updated in April 2011 to allow attainment of the objectives to be measured quantitatively. These objectives describe the goals we expect our students to attain within three years of graduating with a BSME degree.

Participate!

Your input to the assessment process is welcome.  Throughout the year, there are opportunities to provide feedback through surveys and other questionnaires created as part of our program assessment process. In addition, send feedback or suggestions for improvement at any time to the MME Department chair, or email us at mmedept@pdx.edu.

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Student Outcomes

By designing the BSME curriculum with specific learning outcomes, students will graduate with skills and abilities that will enhance their post-PSU endeavors. The below 1-7 outcomes are based on recommendations of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and were formally adopted in AY 2019-2020. These outcomes replaced the previously recommended A-K outcomes.

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

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Program Assessment

Assessment happens at two levels: for individual courses, and for the curriculum as a whole.  Assessment is a continuous process of information gathering, analysis, and implementation of improvements.

The core of the program assessment process is seeking the answer to the question, "Is the current structure of the curriculum a good way to meet the program outcomes?" Any deficiencies in the curriculum prompt us to change the learning outcomes of individual courses. In some cases, required courses may be redesigned or even eliminated in favor of other courses.

The evolution of the curriculum is gradual. New technologies encourage us to re-evaluate our teaching strategies or learning outcomes, but the laws of physics do not change. Assessment provides a self-correction mechanism that enables us to change the curriculum based on evidence of learning outcomes.

Program assessment occurs with the help of our Advisory Board, our alumni, our current students, and representatives from companies in and near Portland that hire students who graduate from the BSME program. We use a formal assessment process that includes surveys and an annual program review meeting.

The annual program review meeting occurs every spring. At that meeting, the MME Faculty, along with representatives from current students, alumni, and local industry participate in an open discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the program. We review progress in achieving the immediate goals set in the previous year's annual review meeting, we examine feedback from several sources, evaluate suggestions for curriculum improvement, and set goals for achieving improvements during the upcoming year.

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ABET

ABET is the national organization that sets standards for engineering education defined in terms of curricular content, quality of faculty, and adequacy of facilities.

More information on ABET accreditation can be found at www.abet.org/accreditation/.

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