Participation by Constituencies
Our four constituencies provide their input to the program evaluation process in the following manner.
- Faculty participation occurs through monthly faculty meetings and occasional faculty retreats, as well as through meetings of the CAC and the USC representing the program faculty
- Current student participation occurs through exit surveys of graduating seniors and focus group discussions, while past-student participation occurs through alumni surveys. The exit surveys are conducted by the CAC at the end of each semester. The focus groups are conducted annually by the College of Engineering and Architecture Assessment Committee (COEAAC) and the results transmitted to the individual programs in the college. The ME data are archived in the ME Curriculum Assessment Office and analyzed by the CAC.
- Employer participation occurs through employer surveys. At present, this survey is also conducted annually along with the alumni survey. The results are handled the same way as the in the case of the alumni survey. In addition, industrial input also occurs more directly through the participation of the External Advisory Board for the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, which meets at least once every year. The members of this Board are generally (but not necessarily) MME alumni and represent the industries, national laboratories and the federal agencies that usually employ our graduates. It is envisioned that in the future the COEAAC-administered employer survey will be replaced by an on-line survey conducted with the assistance of the External Advisory Board members.
- The participation by the citizens of the state has been in several forms; such as legislative actions and requirements for accountability, directives from the Washington Higher Education Co-ordination Board, Governor's 2020 Plan, etc. The Implementation of these policies usually occurs through the action of WSU Faculty Senate.
A student studies in Todd Atrium
