The mission of the Department of Chemical Engineering is to provide a broad-based education in chemical engineering and related fields for highly qualified undergraduates; to accomplish, in conjunction with a program of graduate education, research recognized by peers as among the most significant in the world; and to serve society through chemical engineering leadership in matters of national policy, education, standards, and professionalism.
Why create an assessment plan?
In 1997 the UIUC Provost charged each campus unit with developing and implementing a plan for assessing training outcomes for their undergraduate and graduate majors by March 30, 1999. Each plan must be approved by the Provost and will be an important component of the next North Central Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation review of UIUC.
Details about the unit assessment plans, guidelines for their development, and information about how this information will be used by the campus can be found at the UIUC Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) web page.
The undergraduate program of the Department of Chemical Engineering is also due, in 2001, for accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, ABET under the new outcome assessment based criteria referred to as "Criteria 2000".
It is, therefore, the intention of the department to develop a single plan that can be presented to both agencies for their accreditation purposes.
Chemical Engineering Assessment Plan
The outcomes assessment plan describes the educational objectives of chemical engineering undergraduate and graduate programs, how we measure the extent to which students meet the learning objectives set by the department, and how the continuing assessment of outcomes is used to improve our training program. The plan is the result of meetings and discussions with the faculty, staff, members of the departmental External Advisory Committee, students of the department, the Executive Boards of the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) Student Chapter and the NOBCChE (National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers), alumni, as well as present and prospective employers.
The Department of Chemical Engineering assessment plan, along with all other units' plans, are on the UIUC, CTE web page to ensure that every stakeholder is aware of the plan and has the opportunity to comment on all of its parts.
I. Developing the Plan
The Outcomes Assessment Committee started its initial activities with persons who are formally responsible for the administrative affairs of the department. These include:
Charles Zukoski, Head
Asghar Mirarefi, Assistant to the Head and Assessment Coordinator,
Carl Pirkle, Development Director and Lecturer and AIChE Faculty Advisor
Members of the committee participated in different on- and off-campus seminars and workshops to acquire the information and precise knowledge for developing a draft of the plan. The draft was prepared and continually refined by the committee in consultation with the External Advisory Committee members, faculty, students as well as alumni and corporations who were contacted and/or visited by the Development Director.
Regular progress reports were prepared and discussed with the above groups as the plan was being developed. UIUC in general and the Department of Chemical Engineering specifically have given special attention to the quality of education they provide. An essential part of maintaining the quality of educational program is routine assessment of outcomes in individual courses, extracurricular activities sponsored by the Department, integration of the overall program and the outcomes of the overall program. Data included in this assessment process include coursework, the ICES Reports, Chancellor’s and Departmental Senior Surveys, Campus, College and Departmental Alumni surveys. Required now by both the North Central Association and ABET is a formal and systematic plan. Establishing an assessment plan has formalized these procedures and resulted in the implementation of additional assessment tools. It was decided that while the existing data will continue to be used, additional forms and surveys are needed and are being prepared to gather additional information for outcome assessments. Individual course information sheets are being prepared to document the objectives, outcome, and assessment tools for individual courses taught by the faculty of the department. A sample of the form is attached to this plan. The form provides the information about the course objectives, compares it with the ABET list and explains the method of assessment. Each faculty has accepted the responsibility to complete and submit the forms to the Assessment Coordinator.
II. Learning Outcomes
Undergraduate Program
The Chemical Engineering Department has the following expectations and goals for the graduates from our undergraduate programs. These goals coincide with the desired outcomes specified under Criterion 3 by ABET and are stated below.
ABET Criterion 3. Program Outcomes and Assessment
Engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have
(a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
(c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs
(d) an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
(e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
(g) an ability to communicate effectively
(h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context
(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues
(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Graduate Program
In addition to the above goals the department expects that the graduates can:
Function effectively as an independent researcher or instructor
III. Assessment Tools
Undergraduate Program
The Chemical Engineering Department at UIUC will evaluate the success of the outcomes it has set forth for its graduates in the following ways:
A. Using existing survey instruments:
1. Course material: Exams, Problem sets, Reports
2. ICES Evaluations
3. Chancellor’s Senior Survey on the Undergraduate Experience
4. GRE Scores
B. Creating new survey instruments
1. Faculty Input
The faculty survey will include rating types of questions and open-ended questions. Cheryl Bullock in CTE will process these surveys to ensure anonymity. In addition as part of the annual review process, faculty are asked to submit a review of a course prior to receiving the ICES data.
2. Survey of major employers of UIUC Chemical Engineering Graduates to determine adequacy of undergraduate preparation for industry
3. Survey of current majors
This annual survey will be on-line. The students will be notified of the survey by email and will be sent two reminders by email. Questions will be developed and answers analyzed in conjunction with an Undergraduate Advisory Committee reporting to the Department Head.
4. Survey of Graduates of University of Illinois
a. Exit survey
b. Survey of graduates 1-3 years after graduation
c. Annual Report of School of Chemical Sciences Placement Director detailing where our graduates will be employed or what professional school they will attend, as a measure of general success of preparation, and an indicator that graduates are prepared to work in their chosen field.
Other Possible assessment tools
- Number of awards
- PE exam results
- Participation in AIChE/NOBCChE/EOH/AXE
Graduate Program
The Chemical Engineering Department at UIUC will evaluate success of outcomes for its graduate students in the following way.
Progress towards Degree
IV. Using the Results
An annual report incorporating the results from section III will be assembled by the Outcomes Assessment Committee and presented to the Department Head who will disperse the results to the Faculty. The Outcomes Assessment Committee will make specific recommendations to the Head for addressing issues that arise from the assessment of the learning outcomes.
V. Timetable
The faculty survey, the current student survey and the employer survey will be developed over the next year. The final plan will be in place by May 30, 1999.
VI. Support
The $1,000 grant from CTE has been helpful to cover the cost for attending the workshops and developing the new surveys we plan to use.