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Report on the Fall ’07 ABET Board Meeting

Report on the Fall ’07 ABET Board Meeting. Arnie Peskin, IEEE Representative Director, ABET Board of Directors. Nov. 17, 2007 Boston, MA. ABET Annual Meeting. 75 th Anniversary Event Program was much better than usual, i.e. :

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Report on the Fall ’07 ABET Board Meeting

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  1. Report on the Fall ’07 ABET Board Meeting Arnie Peskin, IEEE Representative Director, ABET Board of Directors Nov. 17, 2007 Boston, MA

  2. ABET Annual Meeting • 75th Anniversary Event • Program was much better than usual, i.e. : • Todd Nissen, US Trade Representative (on accreditation and globalization) • Charles Vest, Pres. of NAE, past pres. of MIT (on attributes of future engineers)

  3. Board Meeting---Major Topic Was Financials • ABET Reserves are perilously low (estimates are from under $100k to $191k projected year-end). • ABET Leadership team expect to add an additional $177k in 2008. • Have made operational changes in financial management • No imminent cash-flow problem. • Goal is to reach goal of 30% reserves within next three years.

  4. Details added in Executive Session • The numbers are not confidential • My opinions are not confidential • Specific causes and remedies may be.

  5. How did this happen? • IEEE has been warning ABET of this danger for at least two years. • Budgets are set early, changed capriciously during the year. • Systemic flaws in budgeting, reporting and analysis. • Transitions to new model & software mishandled.

  6. Actions Now Being Taken • $350k in additional expense reductions and revenue increases identified for 2008. • Changes to forecasting and reporting. • Staff consolidation due to attrition.

  7. Longer Term Measures • Strategic and governance issues, current structure ineffective. • Staff changes, new external auditor. • A management consultant will be retained in 2009.

  8. Reaction of the Board • Mixed: some see a crisis, others are more ambivalent. • IEEE/CSAB Directors are skeptical that the worst is behind us. • EAB should be prepared for an assessment increase despite assurances to the contrary.

  9. Other Major Issues • Board Operations Task Group • PAVE • International Accreditation

  10. Board Operations Task Group • Staff has partially implemented the prior recommendations on transparency and engagement. • They expect full implementation in the coming year. • Next interim Board teleconference scheduled for Feb. 6, 2008

  11. PAVE • Society survey and Society Summit helped capture best practices. • PEV Training fully implemented; usable application expected this year • Should go into maintenance mode within one year. • Financial ramifications: there are additional economies to be derived by scaling down training plans

  12. International Accreditation • Full implementation is ramping up. • Trend is to blur the distinction between domestic and international • But apparently this is not a culprit in budget shortfall.

  13. Other Noteworthy Actions • Liabilities associated with the word ‘safety’ in EAC criteria • NCOSE voted onto ABET Board with shared responsibilities in Systems Eng. • ABET will levy a fee for Observer attendance at meetings. • Establishment of an ABET Foundation to support special projects

  14. 2007-2008 BOD • Skip Fletcher new ABET President; Joe Sussman new President-elect • Bruce Eisenstein succeeds Arnie Peskin as IEEE Director • Departed from custom by conducting some business before adjournment

  15. Report on Strategic Management Initiative • Governance, Globalization and Education • Just getting organized • Developing guiding principles and postulating possible outcomes

  16. Likely Strategic Outcomes • Add academic and industrial Board representation, yet making Board smaller • Establish authentication and portability of credentials • Accommodate alternative course delivery systems. • The future of campus visits???

  17. Next Meetings • Inter-meeting teleconference, Feb. 6 • Next meeting scheduled for March 28 in Baltimore • May be cancelled in favor of another teleconference as a cost saving

  18. Personal Reflections • This is a critical moment for ABET • ABET would have been far worse off without the activism of IEEE • ABET is worth preserving.

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