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Session 3413

An Alumni Survey as an Assessment Tool for New Mexico Tech’s B.S. Environmental Engineering Curriculum

Randal S. Martin and Clinton P. Richardson Dept. of Mineral & Environmental Engineering New Mexico Tech Socorro, NM 87801

INTRODUCTION

According to the 1996 report by the Engineering Workforce Commission (EWC) of the American Association of Engineering Societies, Inc.1, there are 3376 full-time and 319 part-time undergraduate students enrolled in environmental engineering-related curriculums throughout the United States. Of these, 1911 and 235, respectively, are enrolled in an environmental engineering program at one of 14 colleges and universities accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)1,2. As can be seen in Table 1, these schools represent a wide geographic area and contain a varying number of students enrolled in environmental engineering curriculums. Additionally, Table 1 shows other schools which offer similar or related programs accredited under ABET’s Environmental Engineering Group (e.g. Civil & Environmental Engineering).

The Department of Mineral and Environmental Engineering at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech) in Socorro, New Mexico has awarded Bachelor of Science degrees in Environmental Engineering since 1970 and became officially ABET-accredited in 1993. As a part of the periodic reviews mandated by ABET, as well as by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Environmental Engineering Program at New Mexico Tech developed an assessment survey to evaluate alumni’s opinions concerning the program’s curriculum and its preparation for their subsequent careers, whether professional employment or graduate school.

BACKGROUND AND SURVEY INFORMATION

The required course work leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering at New Mexico Tech (NMT) includes 59 credits of college-wide basic requirements, 55 credits of supporting engineering and science classes, and 24 credits of core environmental engineering classes. A total of 138 credits is divided over 52 classes, inclusive of laboratory classes. Figure 1 shows NMT's most recent (1997-1998) undergraduate environmental engineering curriculum3. Although the environmental engineering curriculum at New Mexico Tech has continued to evolve over the past decade, the emphasis and the core courses have remained essentially the same. The most significant deletions within the last few years have been the removal of Fluid and Thermal Systems, Transport Processes, Finite Element Analysis, and Case Studies in Industrial Environmental Problems. Recent additions to the environmental engineering curriculum have included Elementary Fluid Mechanics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Organic Chemistry I, and Environmental Law and Regulations.

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Martin, R. S., & Richardson, C. P. (1998, June), An Alumni Survey As An Assessment Tool For New Mexico Tech's B.S. Environmental Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 1998 Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--6915