Mechanical Engineering

Assessment Tools

1. Alumni Survey
   Alumni surveys are sent out to graduates of the BSME program at intervals of one and five years post-graduation. The questions on this survey are used to assess ABET Student Outcomes and provide information related to the Program Education Objectives.
2. Co-Op Employer Survey
   Roughly half of ME students participate in co-ops / internships during their time at Tennessee Tech. For co-ops that are sponsored through the Tennessee Tech Center for Career Development, the co-op employers are required to complete a formal evaluation of the performance of each student at the end of the co-op. In addition, for College of Engineering students, the co-op survey also includes program- and Student Outcomes-related assessment questions. Co-op surveys are a valuable source of feedback directly from employers of our students, providing insight into their performance in-process, i.e., before they graduate.
3. NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam
   The subject-are results of the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering Exam are used in the assessment and improvement process of the BSME program. Of particular interest is the ratio of Tennessee Tech student performance to the National Average performance in each subject area. A ratio of greater than 1.0 indicates that Tennessee Tech students are outperforming the national average on the exam in that subject area. A ratio of less than one indicates underperformance. In the BSME program, taking the exam is voluntary; however, approximately 30-50% typically will do so in a given semester.
4. External Evaluation of Senior Design Projects
   External evaluators are used to assess the Senior Design Projects and Project Presentations. In Spring, 2014, a new version of the External Evaluator Form was developed, replacing the forms previously used in the course for project and presentation evaluation. 
5. Instructional Outcomes-Student Survey
   The Instructional Outcomes survey is administered to students in selected key courses in the BSME curriculum (ME2001 Elem. M.E. Analysis, ME 3023 Measurements in Mechanical Systems, ME 3910/3900 M.E. Seminar/Professionalism & Design, ME 4020 Applied Machine Design, ME 4444 Senior Design Project, ME 4720 Thermal Design, ME 4751 Energy Systems Lab). The survey provides a self-assessment of student progress in achieving the Instructional Outcomes of the course. This is based on the difference between a student's level of knowledge upon entering a course and upon leaving the course.
6. Instructional Outcomes-Faculty Assessment (added Fall, 2013)
   This new measurement tool provides an assessment of the level-of-attainment of the students in a class with regards to the course's Instructional Outcomes. The assessment is done by the course instructor at the completion of the course. It consists of a detailed analysis of the extent to which the Instructional Outcomes are achieved as evidenced by student performance on specific test and homework problems, and other course assignments.
7. Senior Exit Interview Written Survey
   The Senior Exit Written Survey is one part of the Senior Exit Interview process. It allows students graduating from the BSME program to provide feedback regarding ABET Student Outcomes, the BSME program, the ME Department, and the student's activities while at Tennessee Tech.
8. Senior Exit Oral Interview (supportive source of evidence)
   The Senior Exit Oral Interview process consists of an open discussion forum of graduating seniors with the ME Chair and Associate Chair. It serves as a valuable source of suggestions for program improvement, as well as a source of supporting feedback on student performance.  After receiving the feedback from the students, issues of particular or continuing concern are brought to the ME Faculty for further discussion and possible action.
9. ME External Advisory Board Feedback (supportive source of evidence)
   Feedback from the ME External Advisory Board is an important source of program improvement, guidance, and supporting evidence regarding the performance of students who are graduates of the BSME program. The Advisory Board contains representatives of several key constituency group of the program, i.e., employers, alumni, and the professional community at large.
10. Grades Received in STEM, General Education, and Communication Courses
    The grades earned by BSME, graduates in STEM, Gen Ed, Writing, and Speech courses can be used as a direct, independent source of evidence for several of the ABET Student Outcomes, in particular 3h, 3j, and 3g: