1. Accreditation at the Masters Level
Lessons Learned and Continuous Improvement

2. Presentation Outline Institution and Department Profile
Program Accreditation History
Masters Level Accreditation – EAC
Continuous Improvement

3. College of Petroleum and Minerals, 1963
KFUPM … Then and Now
College of Petroleum and Minerals, 1963
KFUPM now…
A college
2-year technical college
76 students
14 faculty members
7 Colleges
BS, MS, and PhD
9000 students
950 faculty

4. Admission of Students Entrance tests ( Aptitude & Achievement)
Among the best 2% in the Kingdom
45% of them comes to KFUPM and the rest to other places.
Nationwide Recruitment program for high achievers.

5. Student Enrollment*
* At Dhahran (Main Campus)

6. Academic Programs In addition to two Community Colleges Engineering
Sciences
Industrial Management
Environmental Design
Computer Sciences & Engineering
Applied & Supporting Studies
Aerospace
Civil
Chemical
Electrical
Mechanical
Petroleum
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics & Statistics
Earth Sciences
Accounting
MIS
Finance & Economics
Management
Marketing
Architecture
Architectural Engineering
Construction Eng. & Mang.
City & Regional Planning
Computer Sciences
Computer Eng.
Systems Eng.
Software Eng.
Prep-year
Skills Development
Islamic & Arabic Studies
Physical Edu.
English Language
General Studies
In addition to two Community Colleges

7. Accreditation/Assessment
Accrediting Body
Programs Accredited
Year
(ABET)*
All Engineering Programs
1993
(Berkeley Team)
College of Science Programs
1996
(UNESCO)
Research Institute
1997
Engineering Programs
2001
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
College of Industrial Management
2002
Applied Engineering Programs
2003
Self Assessment
7 Programs
11 Programs
2005
(ABET)* - Extension
2007
2009
(ABET)
All Engineering Programs (18)
2010

8. The relative distribution of U. S
The relative distribution of U.S. patents assigned to higher educational institutions in the Arab world

9. Construction Engineering and Management Department
No undergraduate degree
7 Full Time Faculty Members
200+ Graduate Students (mostly part-time)

10. Construction Engineering and Management Department
Offer 3 graduate degrees
MS in Construction Engineering and Management – Since 1984
ME in Construction Engineering and Management – Since 1999
ME in Engineering Management – Since 2009

11. Program Accreditation History
MS and ME in CEM are ABET accredited
Substantial Equivalence in 1993, 2001, and 2007 (Extension)
Full Accreditation starting (Visit in 2009)
Next comprehensive review:

12. Accreditation – Last ABET visit in 2009
Self Study Report
PEV Questions Prior to Site Visit
Site Visit (2 Evaluators)
Construction Engineering
Engineering Management
ABET Draft Statement
Due Process Response Report
ABET Final Statement

13. Self Study - ABET EAC Criteria
General Criteria for Masters Level Programs ( Cycle)
Develop, Publish, and Periodically Review Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes
Fulfillment of BS Level General Criteria
One Year Study beyond BS Level
Fulfillment of Program Criteria
Appropriate to Masters Level Specialization Area
Students have ability to apply Masters Level Knowledge

14. Educational Objectives
CEM Educational Objectives (Revised)
Graduates will advance in their professional careers and attain leadership roles in their respective organizations.
Graduates will pursue advanced degrees or seek professional certification in Construction Engineering and Management or related fields
Graduates will actively participate in professional and scientific activities relevant to Construction Engineering and Management.
Assessment of all PEO* *(changes to criteria 2)
The criteria 2 allows more latitude in the way PEOs can be phrased.
“The program must have published program educational objectives that are consistent with the mission of the institution, the needs of the program’s various constituencies, and these criteria. There must be a documented, systematically utilized, and effective process, involving program constituencies, for the periodic review of these program educational objectives that ensures they remain consistent with the institutional mission, the program's constituents' needs, and these criteria.” vs. from
(c) an assessment and evaluation process that periodically documents and demonstrates the degree to which these objectives are attained.

15. Student Outcomes
Program overwhelmingly admits students with ABET accredited undergraduate degrees
Assess Masters Level Outcomes only
Outcomes “a-k”: met by virtue of the accredited undergraduate degree
Outcome “l”: Ability to conduct sound research in Construction Engineering & Management

16. One Year Study Beyond BS Level
ME: 42 Credit Hours Program
Core (24) , Elective (15), Report (3)
Course
Description
Core Courses
CEM
510
Project Planning & Scheduling
511
Construction Estimating
520
Construction Contracting & Adm.
530
Construction Engineering
540
Construction Project Management
ACCT
501
Financial Accounting
MGT
Principles of Management OM
502(1)
Statistical Analysis for Business
599
Research Seminar
600
Master of Engineering Report
3 CEM Electives (9 Credits) and 2 Free Electives (6 Credits)

17. Program Criteria – Construction Engineering
Criteria Item
Courses that demonstrate graduates’ proficiency / understanding
Proficiency in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, probability and statistics, general chemistry, and calculus-based physics
By virtue of successful completion of an Engineering BS Degree from an ABET accredited / ABET equivalent institution.
Proficiency in engineering design in a construction engineering specialty field
CEM 540 (Construction Project Management) involves application of knowledge gained through the various CEM courses. In addition, ME Reports focus on real life issues faced by the industry.
An understanding of legal and professional practice issues related to the construction industry
Core: CEM 520, 540
Electives such as: CEM 515, 513, 525 for further proficiency

18. Program Criteria – Construction Engineering (contd.)
Criteria Item
Courses that demonstrate graduates’ proficiency / understanding
An understanding of construction processes, communications, methods, materials, systems, equipment, planning, scheduling, safety, cost analysis, and cost control
Successful completion of CEM core courses CEM 510, 511, 520, 530 and 540 demonstrates that a student understands these areas. Specialized electives are offered as well to develop a deeper understanding.
An understanding of management topics such as economics, business, accounting, law, statistics, ethics, leadership, decision and optimization methods, process analysis and design, engineering economics, engineering management, safety, and cost engineering
ACT 501, MGT 501, OM 502 specifically target these areas along with elective course such as CEM 514, 516, 517,518

19. Program Criteria – Engineering Management
Criteria Item
Courses that demonstrate graduates’ proficiency / understanding
An understanding of the engineering relationships between the management tasks of planning, organization, leadership, control, and the human element in production, research, and service organizations
CEM 510, 520, 540
MGT 501
Electives such as CEM 513
An understanding of and dealing with the stochastic nature of management systems
CEM 514, CEM 516, OM 502
Demonstrating the integration of management systems into a series of different technological environments
CEM 530, 540, 600

20. Accreditation Oversight – Administrative Perspective
Assessment Challenges
Collecting Evidence
Student Outcomes
Program Educational Objectives
Faculty Involvement
Critical to the success
Ownership and Engagement
Sustainable Assessment Program

21. How to assess Ability to Apply Masters Level Knowledge?
Indirect Assessment
Peer Reviewed Publications resulting from MS Thesis and ME Reports
Direct Assessment
CEM 540 – Capstone Course – Team work
Masters Report / Thesis – Rubric Based Assessment – Individual Work

22. Rubric Development – KPIs for Masters Level Performance
Abstract
Problem Formulation
Relevance
Definition
Research Objectives
Report Contents
Literature Review
Research Methodology
Data Collection and Analysis
Results and Conclusions
Communication Skills
Report Organization
Presentation
Writing Style

23. Sample Rubric – 2 Pages

24. Sample Rubric – KPI Scoring
Performance Indicator
Exceeds Criteria 4
Meets Criteria 3
Progressing to Criteria 2
Below Expectations 1
Score
Data Collection and Analysis
Sufficient data has been collected. Acceptable analysis techniques have been employed. Analysis is complete.
Sufficient data has been collected. Acceptable analysis techniques have been employed. Analysis is somewhat incomplete.
Insufficient data has been collected. Acceptable analysis techniques have been employed. Analysis is incomplete.
Very little / No data has been collected. Analysis is incomplete.
Results and Conclusions
Clear conclusions have been reported. The findings are supported by the analysis.
Clear conclusions have been reported. The findings are partially supported by the analysis.
Somewhat clear conclusions have been reported. The findings are partially supported by the analysis.
The conclusions are unclear.

25. Mapping from KPIs to Student Outcomes

26. Closing the Loop Collect Data-> Assess/Analyze -> Implement
Rubrics to be filled out by
Report Advisor
Report Reader
Improvement Actions

27. Continuous Improvement
Changes since the Accreditation

28. Changes since the accreditation
ABET-FAQ for Masters Level Engineering Programs ( )
No exceptions for programs that admit students with ABET accredited undergraduate degrees
In case of exceptions, programs must assess all Outcomes for all students or Exception Items for specific Students
Additional Student Outcomes
One Year Study beyond undergraduate level
Ability to apply Masters Level knowledge
Changes to Criterion 2 and Criterion 4
Changes to Criteria 2 allow for more flexibility in wording the PEOs. The emphasis is also on making sure that the objectives are in line with stakeholder expectations. There has to be a process in place to review that.
Criterion 4 says: The program must regularly use appropriate, documented processes for assessing and evaluating the extent to which the student outcomes are being attained. The results of these evaluations must be systematically utilized as input for the continuous improvement of the program. Other available information may also be used to assist in the continuous improvement of the program.  
Past Language Read:
Each program must show evidence of actions to improve the program. These actions should be based on available information, such as results from Criteria 2 and 3 processes.

29. Curriculum to Student Outcomes
Program Courses
Student Outcomes a b c d e f g h i j k l
CEM 510 
CEM 511
CEM 512
CEM 513
CEM 514
CEM 515
CEM 516
CEM 517
CEM 518
CEM 520
CEM 525
CEM 530
CEM 531
CEM 540
CEM 549
CEM 599
CEM 600

30. Assessment Tools => Improvement Actions
Internal Assessment
Graduating Student Survey
Rubrics for Master Report / Thesis
Instructor Report
CEM 600 Coordinator’s Report
External Input
Alumni Survey
Employer Survey
External Advisory Board

31. Example of process improvement: CEM 600 Report Coordinator
Masters Report– One semester course
Most students were not finishing in time
Problems with finding a topic and advisor in one semester
Modified Process
Topic and Advisor – Research Seminar
Execution of Report – Masters Report

32. Example for continuous improvement Actions in Progress
Program Benchmarking and Review
ASCE – Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge / 2E – 24 ASCE Outcomes
Other leading universities
Impact of the new Engineering Management Program
Impact on Enrollment
Student/Faculty Ratio

33. Actions for the next cycle
Curriculum Revision
Revision of Student Outcomes in Response to Curriculum Revision Results
New Student Outcomes?
Consistency with PEOs?
Consistency with 1 Year Study?
Accreditation of the EngMgt Program

34. MS Level Accreditation
Challenges and Opportunities

35. Stakeholders - Faculty
Accreditation cannot succeed without active faculty involvement
Process Ownership
Value of Accreditation
Faculty Champions
Paradigm Shift is needed
Counting Beans vs. Process Quality
Embed accreditation into the way business is done

36. Role of Program Leadership
Most programs seek accreditation at the BS Level
MS Level focuses in a narrow specialization area
Value of accreditation at the MS Level?
Justification for the stakeholders?
Top management commitment
Accreditation – The Deming way?
Stay up-to-date with Changes to the criteria and revisions

37. External Factors ABET Guidelines Different external requirements
Unclear requirements for MS Programs
FAQ for master level programs
Different external requirements
Government – MoHE (42 Credit Hours)
ABET (1 Year of Study)
Alignment may be possible for some requirements
Accepting students with non ABET Undergraduate Degrees
ABET on the International Stage
Symposiums at International Locations

38. Thank you