Criteria
This section presents the ten accreditation criteria which are the basis for evaluating a program for accreditation. The following sub-sections sequentially outline the required and desired attributes of each criterion in terms of sub-criteria. Required attributes are indicated through the word must, while the desired attributes are indicated through the word should. This section does not provide any quantitative bench-mark requirement to satisfy a criterion or sub-criterion adequately or appropriately. Adequacy or
appropriateness is to be decided qualitatively in consideration of what is necessary for the students to attain the outcomes. It should be noted that no sub-criterion is
assigned any weight. Each criterion is to be holistically evaluated in terms of the qualitative bench-mark requirements. The report template that the evaluation teams
will use is given in Annex-III.
Organization and Governance
Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub-criteria.
i. Major positions of the institution must be filled. These positions include Vice
Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Treasurer, Dean, and Chairperson.
ii. The statutory bodies/committees of the institution must be formed in
accordance with the applicable rules and guidelines. These
bodies/committees include the Board of Trustees, Syndicate, Academic Council, Admission Committee, Finance Committee, Curriculum Committee,
and the Faculty Selection Committee.
iii. The position appointees and committee members must function effectively as
per the roles defined in the relevant act/statute.
iv. The institution must have published policies, including a mechanism for
addressing grievances, regarding academic and administrative matters
involving students, faculty members and non-teaching employees.
v. The academic and administrative policies must be put into practice.
Financial and Physical Resources
Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub-criteria.
i. Major positions of the institution must be filled. These positions include Vice
Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Treasurer, Dean, and Chairperson.
ii. The statutory bodies/committees of the institution must be formed in
accordance with the applicable rules and guidelines. These
bodies/committees include the Board of Trustees, Syndicate, Academic Council, Admission Committee, Finance Committee, Curriculum Committee,
and the Faculty Selection Committee.
iii. The position appointees and committee members must function effectively as
per the roles defined in the relevant act/statute.
iv. The institution must have published policies, including a mechanism for
addressing grievances, regarding academic and administrative matters
involving students, faculty members and non-teaching employees.
v. The academic and administrative policies must be put into practice.
Faculty
Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub-criteria.
i. The department must have a sufficient number of full-time faculty members to
ensure that the faculty are not overloaded with courses and that the program
does not become overly dependent on part-time faculty members.
ii. The proportion of senior faculty members and junior faculty members should
be appropriate.
iii. Adequate interaction between students and faculty members both within and
outside classes is essential. The teacher-student ratio, class size and teaching
load must not compromise opportunities for interaction.
iv. The faculty members must have adequate academic qualifications with
specializations in areas closely related to the program(s) offered by the
department.
v. Faculty members should be motivated to improve their pedagogy and assist
the students in achieving outcomes. They should be committed to the
continuous quality improvement activities of the department.
vi. Faculty members must have the responsibility and authority to design and
update the curriculum, establish course and program outcomes, and select
and use appropriate assessment tools for evaluating student performance in
classes and the achievement of outcomes.
vii. Faculty members must be engaged in research, development and
professional activities such as consulting. They should also be involved in
relevant professional societies. The results of these activities should benefit
the students.
viii. The institution or department must periodically arrange training for the faculty
members on outcome-based education and assessment. All the faculty
members must be adequately trained on how to establish course outcomes,
conduct teaching-learning activities that are appropriate for the outcomes and
assess the level of outcome achievement.
Students
Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub-criteria.
i. There must be a published policy for the admission and transfer of students
into the program. The admission or transfer requirements should be
appropriate for the selection of students with the potential to achieve the
program’s outcomes.
ii. The policy must be implemented in practice. Transfer students must also show
the attainment of program outcomes from courses in the institution.
iii. Students’ academic performance must be continuously monitored in terms of
the achievement of outcomes, and feedback should be provided to the
students. There should be provisions for remedial or corrective measures
when necessary.
iv. Every student must be assigned an advisor. The advisor should counsel,
guide and mentor the student on all academic and professional matters.
v. Students must have opportunities to participate in extra- and co-curricular
activities and the activities of relevant professional societies. The institution should ensure the participation of a significant number of students.
Academic Facilities and Technical Support
Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub-criteria.
i. The institution must have a well-stocked library. The books, e-books, journals
and other resources available in the library should be adequate for the
program and the faculty members.
ii. The number of classrooms available must be adequate to properly run the
program. The classroom facilities and the environment should be conducive to
learning.
iii. The number of laboratories and equipment must be adequate for conducting
the program’s various laboratory courses.
iv. Every student must have the opportunity for hands-on activity in the
laboratories.
v. Students and faculty members must have access to adequate computing andInternet facilities, including hardware, software tools and support.
Curriculum and Teaching-Learning Process
Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of thefollowing sub-criteria.
i. The curriculum must satisfy the relevant program-specific criteria.
ii. The breadth and depth of the curriculum must be appropriate for solving
complex engineering problems in the relevant discipline.
iii. The curriculum must contain an adequate number of courses on mathematics,
physical science, humanities and non-engineering subjects.
iv. The teaching-learning processes and activities selected for each course must
be effective and appropriate for achieving the relevant outcomes including
solution of complex engineering problems and activities, if applicable.
v. Adequate hands-on activities must be an integral part of teaching and
learning. Learning should be enhanced through student participation.
vi. The program must demonstrate the culmination of program outcomes (POs) at
the level of solving complex engineering problems, preferably through a final- year design project or capstone project extending over a period of one year.
Program Educational Objectives
Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve. PEOs are assessable based on the attributes and accomplishments of graduates, preferably those who have worked for 3 to 5 years after graduation. Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub- criteria.
i. Published PEOs must be clear, concise, assessable and realistic within the
context of the available resources.
ii. PEOs must be consistent with the vision and mission of the institution or the
department offering the program.
iii. Curriculum and teaching-learning processes must support the attainment of
PEOs. Justifications must be provided for how these contribute to the
attainment of the PEOs.
iv. A process must be developed to assess the level of attainment of each PEO
to evaluate the academic program’s effectiveness. Adequate evidence and
documentation on the assessment of PEO attainment must be provided. The
assessment tools should be indicated, and the way in which these tools are
used should be explained.
v. PEO assessment must lead to the periodic review of PEOs.
Program Outcomes and Assessment
Program Outcomes (POs) or graduate attributes are narrower statements that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These statements relate to the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired by students while progressing through the program. The program must demonstrate that by the time of graduation, students have achieved an acceptable minimum level of certain knowledge, skills and behavioral traits. The BAETE specifically requires thatstudents acquire the following graduate attributes:
a) Apply knowledge of mathematics, natural science, engineering fundamentals and
an engineering specialization as specified in K1 to K4 respectively to the solution
of complex engineering problems.
b) Identify, formulate, research literature and analyse complex engineering problems
reaching substantiated conclusions using first principles of mathematics, natural
sciences and engineering sciences. (K1 to K4)
c) Design solutions for complex engineering problems and design systems,
components or processes that meet specified needs with appropriate
consideration for public health and safety, cultural, societal, and environmental
considerations. (K5)
d) Conduct investigations of complex problems using research-based knowledge
(K8) and research methods including design of experiments, analysis and
interpretation of data, and synthesis of information to provide valid conclusions.
e) Create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and modern
engineering and IT tools, including prediction and modelling, to complex
engineering problems, with an understanding of the limitations. (K6)
f) Apply reasoning informed by contextual knowledge to assess societal, health,
safety, legal and cultural issues and the consequent responsibilities relevant to
professional engineering practice and solutions to complex engineering problems.
(K7)
g) Understand and evaluate the sustainability and impact of professional engineering
work in the solution of complex engineering problems in societal and
environmental contexts. (K7)
h) Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics and responsibilities and
norms of engineering practice. (K7)
i) Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader in diverse teams
and in multi-disciplinary settings.
j) Communicate effectively on complex engineering activities with the engineering
community and with society at large, such as being able to comprehend and write
effective reports and design documentation, make effective presentations, and
give and receive clear instructions.
k) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineering management principles
and economic decision-making and apply these to one’s own work, as a member
and leader in a team, to manage projects and in multidisciplinary environments.
l) Recognize the need for, and have the preparation and ability to engage in
independent and life-long learning in the broadest context of technological change.
In addition to incorporating the above-listed POs (graduate attributes), the educational institution may include additional outcomes in its learning programs. An engineering program that aims to attain the abovementioned POs must ensure that its curriculum encompasses all the attributes of the Knowledge Profile (K1 – K8) as presented in Table 4.1 and as included in the PO statements. The ranges of Complex Problem Solving (P1 – P7) and Complex Engineering Activities (A1 – A5) are given in Tables4.2 and 4.3, respectively.
Table 4.1: Knowledge Profile
Attribute |
||
K1 |
A systematic, theory-based understanding of the natural sciences applicable to the discipline | |
K2 |
Conceptually based mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics and the formal aspects of computer and information science to support analysis and modeling applicable to the discipline | |
K3 |
A systematic, theory-based formulation of engineering fundamentals required in the engineering discipline | |
K4 |
Engineering specialist knowledge that provides theoretical frameworks and bodies of knowledge for the accepted practice areas in the engineering discipline; much is at the forefront of the discipline | |
K5 |
Knowledge that supports engineering design in a practice area | |
K6 |
Knowledge of engineering practice (technology) in the practice areas in the engineering discipline | |
K7 |
Comprehension of the role of engineering in society and identified issues in engineering practice in the discipline: ethics and the engineer’s professional responsibility to public safety; the impacts of engineering activity; economic, social, cultural, environmental and sustainability | |
K8 |
Engagement with selected knowledge in the research literature of the discipline | |
Table 4.2: Range of Complex Engineering Problem Solving
Attribute |
Complex Engineering Problems have characteristic P1 and some or all of P2 to P7: |
|
Depth of knowledge required | P1: Cannot be resolved without in-depth engineering
knowledge at the level of one or more of K3, K4, K5, K6 or K8 which allows a fundamentals-based, first principles analytical approach |
|
Range of conflicting requirements | P2: Involve wide-ranging or conflicting technical, engineering and other issues | |
Depth of analysis required | P3: Have no obvious solution and require abstract thinking, originality in analysis to formulate suitable models | |
Familiarity of issues | P4: Involve infrequently encountered issues | |
Extent of applicable codes | P5: Are outside problems encompassed by standards and codes of practice for professional engineering | |
Extent of stakeholder involvement and level of conflicting requirements | P6: Involve diverse groups of stakeholders with widely varying needs | |
Interdependence | P7: Are high-level problems including many component parts or sub-problems | |
Table 4.3: Range of Complex Engineering Activities
Attribute |
Complex activities means (engineering) activities or projects that have some or all of the following characteristics: |
|
Range of resources | A1: Involve the use of diverse resources (and for this purpose resources include people, money, equipment, materials, information and technologies) | |
Level of interaction | A2: Require resolution of significant problems arising from interactions between wide-ranging or conflicting technical, engineering or other issues | |
Innovation | A3: Involve creative use of engineering principles and research- based knowledge in novel ways | |
Consequences for society and the environment | A4: Have significant consequences in a range of contexts, characterized by difficulty of prediction and mitigation | |
Familiarity | A5: Can extend beyond previous experiences by applying principles-based approaches | |
i. POs specified by the program must be significantly equivalent to the twelve
graduate attributes or POs of BAETE.
ii. POs must contribute to each PEO.
iii. The process involved in defining and refining the POs must be described. The
correlation between the course outcomes (COs) and POs must be
demonstrated through the mapping of COs onto POs.
iv. The way in which each attribute of the Knowledge Profile (K1 – K8) is
addressed in the curriculum must be demonstrated through mapping. The
program must also demonstrate how the attributes of the Range of Complex
Engineering Problems (P1 – P7) and Complex Engineering Activities (A1 –
A5) are incorporated in the teaching, learning and assessment.
v. A course file must be maintained for each course. The course file should
include the assessment of outcomes, curriculum, examination questions and
answer scripts, other assessment tools and samples of corresponding student
works, and a summary of performance and attainment of course outcomes
with suggestions or feedback for future development.
vi. POs must be assessed using direct methods. Direct methods of assessment
are accomplished through the direct examination or observation of students’
knowledge or skills against measurable performance indicators or rubrics. In
addition, indirect methods may also be used for PO assessment. Indirect
methods of assessment are based on opinions or self-reports from different
stakeholders. The way in which various assessment tools, including
examinations and rubrics, contribute to the evaluation of attainment of each
PO must be described. The results of the evaluation of PO attainment must be
shown.
vii. It must be demonstrated through evidence from appropriate evaluation that
the students attain all the POs by the time of the graduation.
Continuous Quality Improvement
The program must have a continuous quality improvement mechanism. Requirements and desirable attributes under this criterion are described in terms of the following sub- criteria.
i. The program must demonstrate an established system for periodically
compiling the level of attainment of PEOs, including a mechanism for trackingand obtaining feedback from graduates and their employers.
ii. The findings of the CQI exercises for PEOs must be evaluated, and the
identified shortcomings and limitations must be used to refine and improve the
program
iii. POs must be assessed on a regular cycle. The program must prepare CQI file
for each of the 12 POs to review considering feedback from relevant
stakeholders including graduates
iv. Each course must have clear quality requirements and facilitate the
achievement of COs through teaching-learning and assessment methods.
v. The concerned course instructor must prepare course review reports including
CQI files for the courses he/she is teaching
vi. The program must evaluate the curriculum and teaching quality on a regular
basis while considering feedback from faculty members and students. The
program must demonstrate that the results of this periodic evaluation are usedfor continuous improvement
Interactions with the Industry
A communication channel between the educational institution and the industry should be in place. The industry should be encouraged to provide feedback concerning the quality of the teaching-learning process. Requirements and desirable attributes underthis criterion are described in terms of the following sub-criteria.
i. The industry must participate in the development of the curriculum to ensure
that it is relevant, regularly updated, and meets the needs of the industry,
particularly in areas experiencing rapid changes
ii. The program should have an Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) and an Alumni
Association (AA) for this purpose. The IAP or AA may meet at certain intervals
with the department to provide feedback.
iii. The program must provide students with the opportunity to obtain industrial
experience through internships, industry visits or design projects conducted bypracticing engineers and faculty members with industrial experience.