Setting the Standards for Engineering Education: A History [Scanning Our Past

Abstract

Who controls engineering education? And how has this control evolved over time? While some folks may presume that ABET has undisputed control over engineering degree programs in the United States, those familiar with ABET Engineering Criterion 2000’s origins know otherwise [1] . Moreover, history shows that the development of new standards in engineering education has always been a shared responsibility, with this responsibility being distributed in ways that reflect the broader fragmentation of the engineering profession. Still, the flurry of concern generated by ABET’s proposed new accreditation standard suggests that issues of control, or governance, will remain a common feature within U.S. engineering education [2] , [3] . As we converge around ABET’s latest standard, we should use the broader lessons of history to understand how our recent conversations fit within a broader historical pattern, and use this to guide our future actions.