A student's view of the ABET 2000 criteria

In August 1999 Georgia Tech will convert from the quarter to the semester calendar. This change has resulted in each engineering school having to overhaul its curricula in the process of revising every course. At the same time these curricula were prepared under the new accreditation requirements of Criteria 2000. This process involved conflicting viewpoints and interests and some confusion over the meaning of some of the ABET criteria. The process culminated with the submission of the new curricula to the faculty for approval and an on-site visit from an ABET team. In reporting the actions of the curriculum committee to fellow students the author has discovered that the feelings of the majority of undergraduate students largely parallel his own. Through informal talks and with surveys of students representing students inside and outside the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering he has found that most of the changes found in Criteria 2000 are welcomed by the majority of the students. However, some of the criteria are not as broadly supported and are not perceived to be as important as a part of a college engineering education. These aspects are seen by many as being the responsibility of the individual or of his or her future employer. Examples of these "lesser" criteria are the recognition for the need of lifelong learning and a knowledge of contemporary issues. On some of the criteria it could be that it is more of a mis-perception of the purpose behind the criterion while for others this is not the case.