Computing Sciences Accreditation Board Research Articles

A brief history of the computing sciences accreditation board (CSAB) promoting quality education in the computing fields

Although professional accreditation has existed well over a century, the accreditation of computing programs is a relatively new experience. This paper highlights some of the important aspects of computing accreditation, particularly from the perspective of CSAB. In essence, this narrative presents a history of the organization as it celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. The work discusses the early days of its inception, its success as a respected accrediting agency, its actions taken over the past decade, and its planned activities for the future.

The integration of ABET and CSAB

On November 3, 2001, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB), two US-based accreditation agencies, were officially integrated into a single agency. This action is the result of many dedicated professionals' engaged in many hours of work and discussions over a period of eight years. It has happened because these professionals and the two organizations share the fundamental belief that students, faculty, educational institutions, the professions, industry, and the global community will be better served by a single organization having accreditation responsibility for educational programs in engineering, technology, computing, and applied sciences. This article discusses the historical background of engineering accreditation and the activities leading to the proposal for the integration of ABET and CSAB. The integration transition period from 1998-2001 is discussed and future directions outlined.

What's new with ABET/CSAB integration (panel session)

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) and the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB) signed a Memorandum of Agreement in November 1998 to integrate CSAB's accreditation services with ABET, with a transition time of approximately two years. During the interim period, the operations of the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) are contracted by CSAB to ABET. A committee with CSAC, CSAB, and ABET representation is working to set up the new commission for accrediting programs in the computing sciences. This new commission will probably be called the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC). Other activities are underway to try to assure that this integration goes as smoothly as possible. The panel members will discuss from various points of view the current status of the integration and plans for the completion of the integration. Kenneth Martin is a Past Chair of CSAC. Lee Saperstein is past Chair of EAC. Della Bonnette is a Past CSAC Chair and current Team Chair. Doris Lidtke is serving as Adjunct Accreditation Director for Computing at ABET and a Past President of CSAB.

Curriculum 2001

The discipline of computing encompasses the understanding, design, and use of computers and computational processes. The breadth of the discipline is emphasized in the following quotation from a report issued by the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board. [1]The discipline ranges from theoretical studies of algorithms and computability to practical problems of implementations in terms of computational hardware and software. Thus, the discipline spans both advancing the fundamental understanding of algorithms and information processes in general as well as the practical design of efficient reliable software and hardware to meet given specification[s] …. [I]t includes theoretical studies, experimental methods and engineering design in all disciplines.Computing draws on the methodologies of both science and engineering. Theoretical work has done much to advance the state of the art. At the same time, computing does not separate the discovery of new scientific knowledge from the application of that knowledge to solve practical problems. The intimate relationship between theory and practice endows the discipline with much of its strength and vitality. This same connection between theory and practice, however, also means that the body of knowledge associated with computing changes very quickly as technology evolves.

Information systems accreditation

This column briefly reviews the history of information systems (IS) accreditation and presents a set of criteria, that are in the development stages, for accrediting IS programs. The purpose of the draft IS criteria is to generate discussion within the professional community that will lead to support and improvements in the criteria and endorsement of the IS accreditation process.Educators expressed interest in IS accreditation soon after CSAB was formed in 1985. An IS accreditation workshop was held in November 1986 at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in Dallas. Representatives from ACM, IEEE-CS, and DPMA (now AITP) discussed the merits of and mechanisms for accreditation. There was sufficient interest to form a working group with one representative from each society to develop draft criteria.The group circulated the draft criteria and presented it to ACM's Accreditation Committee at the 1987 Computer Science Conference. Public presentations were made at the DPMA Educational Foundation's Information Systems Education Conference (ISECON) in 1987 and at the 19th ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium in 1988. Each society published the criteria encourage discussion within the professional community. At the time, however, many IS programs were housed in an accredited AACSB school of business and these schools were not interested in program accreditation. DPMA was not interested in joining the ACM or the IEEE-CS in funding an IS accreditation process, so the idea was put on hold.Today, approximately 50% of IS programs are located outside schools of business and interest in accreditation is being revisited. NSF has provided a three-year grant to examine the feasibility of accreditation of programs in computer information science/systems/technology. The principal investigators (PI) of the study are project director Doris Lidtke of Towson University, and Co-PIs John T. Gorgone of Bentley College, John Henderson of Boston University, and Willis King of the University of Houston. The study includes the development of a set of criteria and procedures which may be used for accreditation of IS related programs. Check the IS accreditation web site [1] for ongoing information. This NSF-sponsored project brings together representation from all identified stakeholders:1. Leading information-computing societies: Association for Information Systems (AIS), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), IEEE-Computer Society (IEEE/CS), and Association for Information Technology Processing (AITP);2. Major recent curriculum efforts, IS'97, ICC'99 and Curriculum '91;3. NSF funded curriculum development efforts;4 The Computing Sciences Accreditation Board; and representatives from industry and academic institutions.

New developments in accreditation

Recently several changes have occurred in accreditation. This panel will address four major changes: the new guidelines for accreditation on Computer Science programs, the integration of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB) and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the developments in software engineering accreditation, and the developments in accreditation of programs in computer information sciences/information systems science.This panel will discuss these recent and their potential impacts. These areas may see considerable change from the submission of the proposal for a panel and the time that panel convenes in San Antonio.

Computing Sciences Accreditation: A Cooperative Effort in CIS

The Computing Sciences Accreditation Board has accredited 65 programs since 1985. This accreditation has helped to define the field and the computer science profession. The information systems discipline is following much of the historical pattern of computer science. A review of recent efforts to establish accreditation standards for information systems is presented and a draft set of criteria are discussed. Alternative forms of accreditation, institutional vs. programmatic, are presented and discussed in the context of the history of computer science accreditation efforts. This effort is intended to stimulate discussion within the information systems community.

Computer Science Program Accreditation: the first-year activities of the computing sciences accreditation board

This report summarizes the activities of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board from its inception in 1984 through its first accreditation cycle completed in June 1986. The major activities during this period were directed at developing the CSAB structure necessary to carry out the accreditation process, and at conducting the first round of accreditation visits and actions.

Computer Science Program Accreditation: The First-Year Activities of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board

Computer Science Program Accreditation: The First-Year Activities of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board