Investigating the relative importance of the ceab graduate attributes: study design and initial findings

Abstract - This study represents the PhD thesis research of the lead author. The greater study is designed as a mixed-methods explanatory case study. The overarching objective is to explore whether the CEAB graduate attributes are emphasized in the engineering programs in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba in the most optimal way. The first phase of the study is designed to determine the relative importance and the levels of dependencies of the graduate attributes across three engineering stakeholder groups: faculty, students, and industry members.  In this paper, the design and methodology of the first phase of this mixed methods research study are explained, and the preliminary findings from the participation rates and participants’ familiarity with the graduate attributes on the survey data are presented.  Results show that a sizable percentage of students, faculty and industry members are not highly familiar with the CEAB graduate attributes.  Therefore, work to develop a common knowledge about the CEAB graduate attributes needs to continue.