Minimizing the pain and maximizing the gain of assessment

This paper presents a snap shot of the evolving, flexible assessment process used in the Electrical Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy. The assessment process was initiated to meet the new accreditation requirements for engineering programs required by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). To circumvent becoming process centered and maintain faculty support, efforts are continuously focused on program improvement. To simplify the implementation of the assessment process, ideas were borrowed from other programs and workshops and modified to fit the department´s mission and culture. When the assessment process didn´t clearly return results that supported program improvement, it was modified. This paper describes the optimization of the assessment process, including faculty buy-in, document creation and process efficiency. Key course and program level assessment tools are included and their use justified.