Session: 09-01-05: Curriculum Innovations, Pedagogy and Learning Methodologies, Globalization of Engineering and Engineering Accreditation

Paper Number: 145820

145820 - One Program’s Response to a Pilot Accreditation Criteria Concerning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

In 2022 the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which is a body responsible for approving general accreditation criteria for engineering programs, approved optional pilot criteria focused on the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles in engineering programs.  The pilot program for these new criteria was first implemented in the 2023-2024 ABET accreditation cycle, and will be again included in the 2024-2025 cycle.  At present, institutions are invited to participate on a voluntary basis, with the input provided having “no bearing on the final accreditation action,” as the pilot is intended to provide the EAC with data to assess the proposed changes to the ABET Criterion 5 and 6 requirements prior to full implementation. The proposed new wording in Criterion 5 is that program curriculum must include “content that ensures awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion for professional practice consistent with the institution’s mission.”  The proposed new wording in Criterion 6 is that the “program faculty must also demonstrate knowledge of applicable institutional policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and demonstrate awareness appropriate to providing an equitable and inclusive environment for its students that respects the institution’s mission.” The Mechanical Engineering Department at Seattle University was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments (RED) grant in 2017 to support the development of a culture that fosters students’ engineering identities. The proposed “engineering with engineers” culture was built by fostering a strong connection to local industry partners, and through intentional changes in the shared vision of the department, faculty work practices, program curriculum, and student support activities.  Fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for a diverse group of future engineers, particular women and individuals from underrepresented minorities, was at the heart of the department’s RED project. Due to the department’s specific focus on these critical DEI issues during the last several years, the decision was made to participate in the optional DEI pilot criteria as a part of the department’s Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) program’s ABET Self Study Report (SSR) submitted in the spring of 2023. This paper documents the mechanisms through which DEI became integral to the vision, practices, and policies of the department through the RED project, with a specific focus on how the department approached the pilot DEI criteria as proposed by the ABET EAC.  This paper is provided as a part of the NSF RED’s grant’s dissemination process, and the hope is that it will provide mechanical engineering undergraduate programs with concrete examples for how to take steps towards achieving DEI related improvements that are beneficial for future students and in keeping with upcoming ABET requirements.  

Presenting Author: Josh Hamel Seattle University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Hamel is a Assoc. Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Seattle University. He is the department's assessment coordinator.

Authors:

Josh Hamel Seattle University
Teodora Shuman Seattle University
Katherine Kuder Seattle University
Yen-Lin Han Seattle University
Kathleen Cook Seattle University