Workforce preparation and ABET assessment

Abstract

Accreditation is a means of evaluating and improving curriculum. ABET accreditation requires that IS programs assess whether students attain the programs' educational objectives after they graduate. One way to assess these objectives is to ask alumni how important these objectives were in their job success and how well their education prepared them for these objectives. In October 2009, a web survey was sent to recent IS graduates to ask them to rate how well they felt the IS program prepared them for their first and subsequent jobs. This paper analyzes the results and sees how the objectives align with the skills that these graduates felt they needed on their job. Graduates felt well prepared for implementing software and database solutions as well as technical presentation. The largest gaps in preparation were in management of projects, analysis of technical solutions, non-technical writing. The research serves two purposes: 1) to model a process for other IS programs seeking ABET accreditation; and 2) to provide evidence as to whether these objectives are perceived as providing an adequate base for preparing an IS workforce.