1. Section I Accreditation Fundamentals

2. * Help explain why accreditation is important and its benefits * Help programs and institutions understand the costs of accreditation (especially hidden costs like translations) * Help to demystify accreditation * * Help select the most appropriate accrediting agency for a program * Help programs through the process of accreditation

3. * What is accredited? * What are the accrediting agencies in the Americas? * National v. International accreditation * Each program has unique needs

4. * Review process to guarantee engineering program meets certain standards – not a ranking * Standardization and quality assurance * Enhance capacity building for faculty and students and economic development for region * Increase competitiveness and mobility * Required in a growing number of countries

5. * Only engineering programs are accredited not institutions * Universities must be accredited by standard institution accrediting bodies * Programs must have graduates to apply for accreditation

6. * ACCAI - AGENCIA CENTROAMERICANA DE ACREDITACIÓN * GCREAS - Greater Caribbean Regional Engineering Accreditation System * ICACIT - Instituto de Calidad y Acreditación de Programas de Computación, Ingeniería y Tecnología (Peru) * CACEI - Consejo de Acreditación de la Enseñanza de la Ingeniería (Mexico)

7. * ABET(US) and CEAB (Canada) are the oldest and most recognized accrediting agencies * The relatively new accrediting agencies in the America have used the best practices of ABET and CEAB * ABET and CEAB require that all accreditation documentation and the accreditation be in English * The agency and the evaluation team may not be culturally sensitive * Pares Amigos will have expertise in specific accreditation systems. These will be listed on the Par Amigo Registry.

8. * Accreditation process in general * Accreditation agency selection * Cost of accreditation process and visit * Specifics of selected accreditation process including timeline * Information required from program and institution

9. * Accreditation processes vary but they all evaluate * Students (evaluated, advised, monitored) * Program Educational Objectives * Student Outcomes * Continuous Improvement * Curriculum * Faculty * Facilities * Support * Program Criteria