Southern University has been actively engaged in the assessment of student academic achievement since 1998, when the Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research, PAIR, was charged to develop mechanisms for evaluation and assessment of the University's undergraduate and graduate programs and research units. At about the same time, the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education began to place special emphasis on the assessment of student academic achievement as part of its accreditation process. In concurrence with and in response to that emphasis, the Chancellor charged a standing faculty committee with oversight of the student outcomes assessment efforts of the campus.

Since then, the PAIR Office has worked to help academic units develop assessment plans for their majors and to develop assessment measures for the broader, overarching, campus-wide learning goals that are expected of all Southern University students.

While campus leadership and support is necessary, only through faculty involvement can institutions devise effective and efficient program-based assessment plans that will produce results beneficial for all academic units. With assessment planning located primarily at the unit level, faculty can exercise their responsibility to devise appropriate methods to measure student learning. Ownership of assessment planning is given to faculty and enables them to determine the methods and instruments that are most applicable to their educational objectives and missions. Also, each academic unit is best suited to determine how assessment results can be used to ascertain curricular strengths and weaknesses and to improve programs.

In fall of 1999, a committee was formed by the Dean of the College of Engineering (CoE) at Southern University, and a college-wide assessment coordinator was named to chair the committee. This committee was charged with the task of studying a comprehensive outcomes assessment program for the CoE. In light of the discussions made by many accrediting agencies, including ABET, regarding the requirement for an outcomes assessment program, the college presented the preliminary results of its program to the Engineering Council of Visitors (ECoV) in the Spring of 2001. The program was reviewed and subsequently approved by the ECoV. Consequently, each program in the CoE was directed to adopt the overall outcomes assessment approach and tailored it according to their mission.

This booklet introduces an outcomes assessment model utilizing the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of ABET  requirements for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the strengths and limitations of the electronics  engineering technology programs. The implementation procedures are outlined in the College of Engineering Outcomes Assessment Handbook.

The mission of Southern University is to be a “People's Institution serving the State, the Nation, and the World.” The University's goal is to prepare students to compete globally in their respective professions and to engage in advanced study in graduate and professional schools. 

The vision for the College is to be a premier values-based institution, committed to excellence in preparing students for success in the engineering and technology professions, through research, experience-based instruction, and community service, under the directions of a highly qualified and customer-oriented faculty and staff.

The mission of the College is to provide its students with a high-quality education, which will enable them to successfully compete within all dimensions of the engineering and technology professions, while making significant contributions to society. The program's vision, mission, and goals are consistent with the mission and goals of the University and the College and conforms in their focus on teaching, research, and public service.

VISION

The Electronics Engineering Technology Program is to be a premier values-based program, committed to excellence in preparing students for success in the Electronics Engineering Technology profession, through research, experienced-based instruction, and community service, under the direction of a highly qualified and customer-oriented faculty and staff.

MISSION

The Mission of The Department is to prepare students to compete globally in their profession and to achieve excellence in undergraduate education and public service.

GOAL

The program educational goal is to provide an educational experience that inspires students to reach for the highest levels of intellectual attainment and personal growth throughout their lives.

The Program Educational Objectives (PEO) were derived and is consistent with the mission of the University, the College, and the Department. Faculty members, students, industry advisory board members, and representative from other service departments were engaged in the development  of the PEOs.  These objectives broadly represent the expected career related accomplishments of graduates during the first few years after graduation.

Graduates from Southern University's Electronics Engineering Technology Program will be expected:

• To be educated in the design, installation and application of electrical and electronic systems as Engineering Technologists.

• To be trained in the operation and maintenance of electrical and electronic systems.

• To be prepared for lifelong learning and successful professional careers.

• To have developed oral and written communication skills that allow graduates to present information effectively.

• To have an understanding of professional, ethical, and societal responsibilities.

Graduates from Southern University's Electronics Engineering Technology Program will have achieved: 

• Mastery of the knowledge of electrical and electronics theory and design

• An ability to apply current knowledge and adapt to emerging applications of mathematics, science, engineering and technology to identify, analyze and solve technical problems

• Mastery of the knowledge of measurement/laboratory skills to conduct, analyze and interpret experiments and apply experimental results to improve processes

• An ability to apply creativity in the design of electrical and electronic systems, components, or processes

• An ability to function effectively on teams and to communicate effectively

• A commitment to quality, timeliness, continuous improvement, and lifelong learning

• An awareness of professional, ethical, and social responsibilities, a respect for diversity and knowledge of contemporary professional, societal, and global issues

The significant constituencies of the Electronics Engineering Technology program are:

• The students of the program
• Faculty members serving the program
• The companies which employ these students
• The alumni of the program

The program is evaluated through consultation with these various constituencies and also with the EET Departmental Council and the Engineering Council of Visitors; the results of those evaluations are used to formulate revisions to the program.

• Form A-Analyzing students' performance in classrooms
  
• Form B-Seeking student's opinion on the intended outcomes of each course
  
• Form C-Reporting level of competencies in laboratory performance
  
• Form D-Reporting level of competencies gained in basic knowledge and skills
  
• Form E-Reporting level of competencies gained in assigned projects in the courses with design content
  
• Form F-Evaluating level of competencies in oral communication skills
  
• Form G-Evaluating level of competencies in written communication skills
  
• Form H-Reporting level of competencies gained in assigned projects in the courses with design content
  
• Form I-Seeking alumni evaluation of the program
  
• Form J-Seeking graduating seniors evaluation of the program
  
• Form K-Requesting input on academic matters from the Advisory Council of Visitors
  
• Form L-Requesting input on the graduates' performance in workplace