ABET is the global standard in accreditation and quality assurance in technical education. As such, ABET seeks to continuously review and improve its own systems and operations. In 2011, ABET made several changes aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the accreditation experience.
Harmonization Efforts
ABET introduced harmonized versions of the general accreditation criteria, the Accreditation Policy and Procedures Manual, and the self-study questionnaire templates for the 2011-12 accreditation cycle. Changes include common terminology across all documents and renumbered general criteria that address topics in the same order, regardless of the commissions involved. These changes mean less confusion for institutions with accredited programs that fall under more than one discipline, such as computer science and engineering.
Accreditation Policy and Procedures Manual
A major upgrade to the Accreditation Policy and Procedures Manual went into effect for the 2011-12 accreditation cycle. The new version creates flexibility in the accreditation process to review programs outside of the United States and programs delivered through non-traditional methods more effectively.
Multi-Campus Review Pilot
The Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) used a trial process to evaluate engineering technology programs offered by a single institution with multiple locations across the United States. The institution requested single program accreditations for three programs, irrespective of location. The country was divided into six geographic regions, and separate review teams visited two locations in each region on a sampling basis. Then, an additional review team visited the institution’s headquarters and completed the final report. At present, the potential applications of this "pilot" process for future accreditation requests from multi-campus programs are under review.