Memorandum
To: Academic Programs
CC: Academic Affairs
From: Richard Billo
Head, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Date: April 10, 2002
Re: Category I Memo to Separate the IME Degree into Two Degrees
Approved:
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Richard Billo, Head, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
_____________________________________
Roy Rathja, Assistant Dean, College of Engineering
In 1997, the B.S. degree in “Industrial Engineering” was changed to a B.S. degree in “Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering,” with options in Industrial Engineering and in Manufacturing Engineering. This change was done to reflect the fact that the Manufacturing Engineering option of the former Industrial Engineering degree was accredited by ABET as a separate Manufacturing Engineering program. It was assumed when this change was enacted that the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Degree with an Industrial Engineering Option would be accredited by ABET as an Industrial Engineering program and; the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Degree with a Manufacturing Engineering Option would be accredited by ABET as a Manufacturing Engineering program. Recent correspondence with ABET has demonstrated that their current interpretation of program accreditation guidelines does not permit this separation. Their current view is that it is the degree title that determines the program accreditation and that since the degree title is Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, graduates must fulfill the requirements of both programs. This is not practical for students currently enrolled in the Industrial Engineering Option.
To address this problem, and based on advice from the ABET Executive Director, the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department would like to offer separate B.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering. Students fulfilling the requirements of the Industrial Engineering option would receive a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering; students fulfilling the requirements of the Manufacturing Engineering option would receive a B.S. degree in Manufacturing Engineering. This change would affect the degrees awarded to graduating students, but would not affect the IME Department in any other way.
The change will allow students who complete the additional requirements for the Manufacturing Engineering Option to receive a degree that explicitly states this specialization. This has been a desirable characteristic of this program for many students, and a long-standing request by many of the industrial companies that hire our graduates. It will also make clear how the two different programs should be evaluated under current ABET criteria. We do not anticipate any negative impact to other components of our program.
The proposed change is critical to ensure that both the current Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering programs are accredited by ABET. Without the recommended change in degrees, future accreditation is jeopardized as students from the Industrial Engineering Option will be required to meet the requirements of both options.