ASSESSMENTS OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAM USING THE NEW ABET ACCREDITATION CRITERIA

The engineering programs at Sultan Qaboos University are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) since 2008. This year, the programs will undergo a third accreditation assessment using revised ABET Criterion 3 (Student Outcome) and Criterion 5 (Curriculum) which are in effect for the 2019-20 evaluation cycle. This paper outlines the Quality Assurance system for academic programs at Sultan Qaboos University and illustrates how its civil engineering program has made the transition from the previous criteria to the revised criteria. A mapping is made between the old and new Criterion 3. New performance indicators and measurement of attainment of the student outcomes are developed for the whole curriculum. A mapping of the curriculum with the outcomes is also made to ensure full coverage of the student outcomes by the time of graduation. The paper illustrates the experience of the program with the transition process to the new ABET Criteria.