Satisfying ABET's Program Criteria for Environmental Engineering: Experiences with a Laboratory-Based Course in Air Quality

Program criteria for environmental engineering program as stated in ABET’s 2015-16 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs requires that the curriculum must prepare graduates to “conduct laboratory experiments and analyze and interpret the resulting data in more than one major environmental engineering focus area e.g., air, water, land, and environmental health.” Observation and evaluation of curricula at various accredited environmental engineering programs since 2005 indicates that a majority of the programs achieve this program criteria requirement with water and land as focus areas. This paper discusses the experiences, successes and challenges in teaching a course in air quality which has a significant laboratory component. The course is offered at a small private liberal arts school as part of the curriculum of an accredited environmental engineering undergraduate program. This required-for-graduation course has been taught for over twenty years and along with courses in water quality, soils, hydrology, and water and wastewater treatment, is used to satisfy the 2015-16 program criteria that relates to conducting laboratory experiments in more than one major environmental engineering focus area. Along with the course content and objectives, this paper discusses how the course achieves the Program Criteria and some of the ABET Student Outcomes relating to laboratory experience, and how the results are used in improving the course and the program in general.