Comprehensive testing and outcomes assessment in the chemical engineering program

A variety of assessment tools are being used to determine how well graduates from the chemical engineering program are meeting the established outcomes. These tools include student, faculty, employer and alumni surveys, as well as placement data, results of standardized tests, and performance in contests and research presentations. In order to further enhance the objective nature of the outcomes assessment process, an industrial board of advisors has been established to help with the development of additional tools. Members consist of alumni, research collaborators and representatives from a broad spectrum of industry. One of the new tools that have been developed is a 24-hour comprehensive test given as part of the capstone process design class. Problems and suggested solutions are provided by the advisors and tend to be open-ended, covering most of the program outcomes. The response of the students has been favorable and valuable data has been obtained and incorporated into the assessment process. Specifically, the importance of open-ended questions and case studies has become more apparent. Program details and initial results of the comprehensive testing process are presented in this paper.