Control and follow-up of engineering programs: a path for international accreditation

This paper reviews the design and implementation of a set of quality improvement tools aimed to contribute to the monitoring and controlling of engineering programs in a Chilean university. The new accreditation law regarding the quality assurance of the undergraduate programs, limits the access to programs such as medicine, pedagogy and dentistry. Therefore, engineering programs not covered by the law and with expired accreditations will have to look for either a national agency to certify the quality of their programs, an international agency to get accredited, or define internal mechanisms for self-control. This situation jeopardizes the continuity of the efforts already made by engineering programs to get nationally accredited. Therefore, some tools, a new internal structure and instruments were defined by the authorities responsible for the academic quality of the programs. Those aimed to accomplish both, self-controlling the programs and preparing them for either national certification or international accreditation in the near future.