Engineering Assessment

Both the Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering have Program Educational Objectives that are to Graduate Engineers who are able to

• Become successful professionals that recognize the complexity of a modern global society and meet the diverse needs of a broad spectrum of employers.
• Serve and contribute to the engineering needs of West Tennessee and the broader regional, state, national, and global markets.
• Continue to grow professionally, including leadership and communication skills, through life- long learning activities such as becoming a licensed professional engineer, pursuing graduate study, participating in continuing professional education, and active membership in professional engineering societies.

Both Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering use Student Learning Outcomes recommended by ABET.  The seven learning outcomes, which are assessed periodically using internal and external feedback, are that:

At the time of graduation, an engineering graduate will have…

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

The UT Martin Engineering Program, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.) degree, is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. ABET is a non-profit organization that serves the public by accrediting United States post-secondary degree programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Accreditation is intended to certify the quality of these programs. There are over 2,800 programs accredited at over 600 colleges and universities in the U.S. ABET specifies minimum curricula for various engineering programs. For instance, ABET requires that all engineering graduates of a baccalaureate program receive at least one year of study in the natural or physical sciences and mathematics, and requires some study within general education. ABET also requires that each student complete a capstone project or design class in their education. Because of ABET's involvement, engineering curricula are somewhat standardized at the bachelor's level, thus ensuring that graduates of any ABET-accredited program have some minimal skill set for entry into the workforce or for future education.

Enrollment and Graduation Data

Current annual student enrollment and graduation data is shown in Tables 1 and 2 below:

Table 1. Annual Students Enrolled (Fall Semester)

BSE

• 2013: 186
• 2014: 214
• 2015: 212
• 2016: 206
• 2017: 211
• 2018: 236
• 2019: 235
• 2020: 264
• 2021: 194

Table 2. Annual Graduation Data by Academic Year

BSE

• 2013-14: 33
• 2014-15: 24
• 2015-16: 35
• 2016-17: 28
• 2017-18: 42
• 2018-19: 26
• 2019-20: 35
• 2020-21: 23

The UT Martin Engineering Program, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree, is seeking accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. ABET is a non-profit organization that serves the public by accrediting United States post-secondary degree programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Accreditation is intended to certify the quality of these programs. There are over 2,800 programs accredited at over 600 colleges and universities in the U.S. ABET specifies minimum curricula for various engineering programs. For instance, ABET requires that all engineering graduates of a baccalaureate program receive at least one year of study in the natural or physical sciences and mathematics, and requires some study within general education. ABET also requires that each student complete a capstone project or design class in their education. Because of ABET's involvement, engineering curricula are somewhat standardized at the bachelor's level, thus ensuring that graduates of any ABET-accredited program have some minimal skill set for entry into the workforce or for future education.

The current expectation is that visitors from ABET will come to the UTM campus in October 2022 to evaluate the BSME for initial accreditation.  Upon accreditation, the accreditation retroactively applies by two years so current graduates will have their degrees accredited.

Table 1. Annual Students Enrolled (Fall Semester)

BSME

• 2021: 22

Table 2. Annual Graduation Data by Academic Year

BSME

2020-21: 6