Open AccessABET Accreditation in Colombian Higher Education Institutions: Opportunities and Barriers
Author(s) -
Guillermo Mejía,
María Mónica Caballero-Márquez,
Kevin Huggins,
Lola Xiomara Bautista Rozo
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
revista uis ingenierías
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2145-8456
pISSN - 1657-4583
DOI - 10.18273/revuin.v19n4-2020020
Subject(s) - accreditation , context (archaeology) , curriculum , process (computing) , certification and accreditation , quality (philosophy) , engineering ethics , higher education , engineering education , engineering management , business , medical education , political science , engineering , medicine , computer science , paleontology , philosophy , epistemology , law , biology , operating system
Accreditation is a contemporary issue in engineering education. There are varying opinions about the opportunities and barriers of this process within the Colombian context. This study compared the advantages and disadvantages of various experiences published in the literature about ABET accreditation. The findings show the ABET accreditation promotes the adoption and implementation of a continuous improvement system and quality culture in engineering education. Additionally, the continuous improvement process aligns the institutional mission, program educational objectives, curricula, and student outcomes. On the contrary, the main concern is the high cost associated with preparing and adapting programs to meet the ABET requirements. Accreditation takes time and effort to be meaningful, which can sometimes lead to increased workloads and time requirements, inadequate training, and lack of faculty commitment. The compilation of experiences with the ABET accreditation process is a significant contribution to engineering programs of public universities in Colombia seeking international accreditation.