The State Of Engineering Program Accreditation And Quality Assurance In Latin America

Engineering program accreditation and international recognition of its accrediting body is critical to degree recognition, to facilitate credentialing of the graduates of the program, and to permit mobility of the engineer. This paper looks at the countries in Latin America and the state of Engineering program accreditation in their region. Introduction Accreditation systems are the materialization of quality doctrines and criteria both for programs and university institutions. Appraisal methodologies and quality measurement of engineering teaching and education were created in USA and Europe some decades ago. During the 90s some Latin American countries created appropriated legal environments that in turn gave origin to what nowadays we understand as a quality culture, which included its interpretations as autoevaluation for continuous improvement and quality assurance, also referred as accreditation processes. Accreditation is a form of auto-regulation and it is an essential mechanism to sustain a responsible professional practice. Accreditation may be understood as a service for students, professors, institutions, education authorities, professional associations, fellowships, employers, and for society in general. Auto-evaluation is the fundamental essence in the system. The Asociación Iberoamericana de Instituciones de Enseñanza de la Ingeniería (ASIBEI – in English: Iberoamerican Association of Engineering Education Institutions) published a book on the state of accreditation of the Iberoamerican Engineer in 2003 [1] . International recognition of the engineering degree and mobility has grown in importance, and an international register for professional engineers has emerged [2] . Although no Engineering accrediting agency in Latin America has signed the Washington Accord, some have signed agreements with signatories, and some engineering institutions have sought substantial equivalence by undergoing evaluation by internationally recognized accrediting agencies. The rapid changes occurring in the region warrant an update to the state of Engineering program accreditation in the region. Figure 1. ASIBEI publication: Culture, Profession and Accreditation of the Iberoamerican Engineer P ge 13267.2 The next sections summarize some accreditation systems external to Latin America. Accreditation Systems outside of Latin America United States of America ̇ There are many of such systems in the US since 1933. ̇ ABET, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is the most known and its services are offered in other countries. It is recognized by the US Education Department, and by the COPA, Council of Post-secondary Accreditation. ̇ ABET is a collegiate organization of private nature, where experienced academics participate together with professional associations. ̇ ABET grants the accreditation of a program for an specific period of time; this sort of information is published annually. ̇ ABET system identifies the fulfillment of minimum requirements and develops specific criteria to different engineering fields. ̇ ABET is supervised by the US Accreditation Council. With the accreditation granted it is possible to apply for special federal funds.