Controversial aspects of the new ABET criteria and its implementation

This paper will address the problems that are associated with the new ABET criteria. Specifically, it discusses the "a through k" assessment criteria, problems of creating a process and maintaining the infrastructure that is required to validate the outcomes, the cost issues related to the resources engaged in accommodating such a process, and how these issues are anticipated to influence the participation of universities/colleges in such unattractive activities. Moreover, the problem of assessing the assessors, lack of uniformity in evaluation of engineering programs across different colleges and universities (different evaluators may be influenced by their own philosophies of the assessment process, since many of the criteria are either vague and/or loosely stated), and questionable results, since in most cases only one evaluator makes the recommendations regarding the accreditation of a program (this may be caused either by non-availability of sufficient number of evaluators from ABET or lack of funds from institutions to support visitation of additional evaluators). The authors will explore their personal experiences, using examples that are associated with the foregoing issues.