Work in progress - the evolving role of an advisory board for continual improvement

Ongoing accreditation by TAC/ABET requires that an active advisory board provides input from industry to improve the program. Over the past few years, the processes used to interact with board members have evolved to increase their participation. The meetings have been restructured, and processes are under development for obtaining feedback outside of meetings. Employers of recent graduates are another valuable source of feedback. Employers, especially first-line supervisors, are in a position to provide direct assessment of program outcomes. A survey is being developed to obtain anonymous feedback using an online questionnaire. An initial trial had been conducted by members of the advisory board. After completing the survey, members are providing feedback on the questions and results, and they are recommending improvements. After revisions, a link to the survey will be emailed to employers of recent graduates. Employers will be asked to complete the survey anonymously online. The goal is to obtain candid feedback that may be used to identify improvements.