Comity Without Concessions
(From the NCEES publication LICENSURE EXCHANGE, December 2009, ISSN NO. 1093-541X, VOLUME 13, ISSUE 6 – PAGE 1)
EVA ANGELA-ADÁN
DIRECTOR, NCEES CREDENTIALS EVALUATIONS
The NCEES Credentials Evaluations department has been busy in recent months with changes to its online application and reporting system.
The changes result from recommendations made after a recent audit of the department’s processes by an advisory council of NCEES members. They should result in a faster and more efficient evaluation process that maintains a high level of accuracy and thoroughness. The new system will allow for better communication between applicants and evaluation staff throughout the application and evaluation process.
Changes to evaluation reports
The evaluation reports submitted to Member Boards will have some changes. Any deficiencies as they compare to the ABET criteria will be detailed on the front page for quick reference.
Another section of the report, Criteria Analysis, will break down the applicant’s coursework by area of study: mathematics/basic sciences, humanities/social sciences, engineering sciences and design, and elective/other. With this breakdown, the decision-makers at Member Boards receiving evaluation reports will be able to see in detail the types of courses an applicant has taken.
In many cases, deficiencies are in the humanities/social sciences or mathematics/basic sciences categories. It is worthwhile to remember that these types of deficiencies are often the result of differences in education philosophies in different countries. Many countries do not emphasize a liberal arts and sciences curriculum at the college level, concentrating this type of coursework in secondary education.
For these deficiencies, some boards deny the application and require the candidate to complete additional coursework, while other boards allow the candidate to sit for an exam based on the amount of engineering and design coursework completed.
The ultimate decision rests with the licensing boards. The evaluation report is designed to provide the information needed to make that decision.
Several other changes are being made to the evaluation process. The evaluation report now has separate templates for engineer applicants and surveyor applicants. Reports are transmitted electronically to Member Boards, who are notified immediately when a report is released. Also, the new system allows Member Boards to review all reports released in the previous 60 days; they can review all reports submitted to their board going back to 2006, when the Credentials Evaluations department began operations.
Planned initiatives for 2010
Over the next year, the Credentials Evaluations department will work with the advisory council on a new criteria analysis methodology that will further assist boards with making decisions on whether applicants meet their educational criteria for licensure. We are considering possibilities with regard to this methodology, and it is possible that it will incorporate aspects of the former ABET criteria that were in place before the outcomes-based criteria went into effect.
We are also working with the advisory council to implement criteria for master’s degree programs. Many boards have voiced a need for evaluations of candidates who hold master’s degrees in engineering, particularly in cases where these candidates completed bachelor’s degrees in majors other than engineering. Currently, we evaluate courses required as prerequisites for
entry into a master’s degree program for this type of candidate.
Finally, our department is developing a document that would guide boards as they make decisions. This document would explain the evaluation process in detail while answering some commonly asked questions about the ABET criteria, such as why some of the outcomes defined under the new criteria cannot be quantified through the evaluation process and why certain aspects of the criteria carry more weight than others. This document will better prepare boards to explain their decisions to applicants, particularly in cases when an applicant’s credentials are deemed deficient.
