Program Assessment
Why accreditation matters
Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires programs to undergo comprehensive, periodic evaluations. These evaluations focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities, institutional support and other important areas.
EBME department mission statement
The Electrical & Biomedical Engineering (EBME) program provides students with an education in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and engineering physics. It instills in them the attitudes, values and vision that will prepare them for lifetimes of continued learning and leadership in their chosen careers. Through research, scholarship and outreach, the EBME department strives to generate new engineering knowledge and technology for the benefit of the state of Nevada, the nation and beyond.
Assessment plan
The EMBE department has developed a number of tools that allow it to assess the bachelor's degree program in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering and provide feedback to faculty.
It also has developed a process through which the feedback is used to modify the curriculum to ensure student outcomes and the program educational objectives are met.
The department has assigned each student outcome to specific courses for assessment purposes. Several outcomes are subdivided to provide more specific information on various aspects of the outcome and the degree to which they are achieved. The instructors of the courses for a specific outcome collect and evaluate assessment data and present their findings to the entire department. If corrective actions are found to be necessary, the issue is referred to the curriculum committee, which in turn proposes remedial actions. The proposals are discussed in department meetings and modified if necessary for approval and implementation.
The complete list of outcomes and corresponding courses is given as part of our student learning outcomes. The department also uses student exit surveys and focus groups to assess the program outcomes.
To assess the success of the Program Educational Objectives, the department uses recent graduate surveys and employer surveys. The results of the surveys are discussed by the department. The curriculum committee is charged with formulating corrective changes to the curriculum, if necessary. The suggestions of the curriculum committee are discussed and approved by the entire faculty.