IEEE Educational Activities

Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities

The Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) reports to, and is a committee of the EAB through the EAB University Resources Committee (URC).

Mission

To identify and meet the accreditation needs of the profession, by assisting in the establishment, operation, development and implementation of accrediting bodies and accreditation procedures in engineering technology in the United States and other countries as appropriate.

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Scope

To execute, under the guidance of the IEEE Educational Activities Board and the IEEE University Resources Committee, all IEEE activities relating to the accreditation of engineering technology programs by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET, and to participate in activities of other accrediting bodies (e.g., regional accreditation agencies) in the United States and other countries as appropriate.

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Functions

The CETAA responsibilities are:

1. Operational Plans and Activities

  1. Coordinate all IEEE activities relating to the accreditation of engineering technology programs by the ETAC of ABET;
  2. Specify the qualifications for the IEEE ETAC Program Evaluators, subject to consent, in writing, by the VP-EA and the Chair, University Resources Committee (URC). 
  3. Recruit and nominate Program Evaluators for approval by the URC in accordance with “Qualifications for IEEE ETAC of ABET Program Evaluators” that are included in the CETAA Operations Manual.
  4. Classify, educate, mentor and review the performance of the Program Evaluators.
  5. Manage a Program Evaluator resource pool of current and past Program Evaluators that maintains a reasonable balance between the number of available Program Evaluators and the estimated requirements for programs to be evaluated. Approximately half of IEEE Program Evaluators shall come from industry and/or government.
  6. Receive accreditation visit requirements from ETAC of ABET, select Program Evaluators from the resource pool, and assign Program Evaluators for programs being accredited.
  7. Coordinate the assignment of Program Evaluators, where needed, with other ETAC of ABET Member or Associate Member societies.
  8. Propose, review, critique, and facilitate the development of ETAC Criteria for Accrediting Programs in Engineering Technology in IEEE fields of interest, and submit recommendations to the URC for approval.
  9. Nominate IEEE Representatives and Alternates to ETAC of ABET. New nominations must be approved by EAB and re-nominations must be approved by URC.
  10. Review and recommend changes to the CETAA Charter.

Disciplines for which CETAA is responsible are:

  • BET Bioengineering Technology
  • CET Computer Engineering Technology
  • EET Electrical /Electronic(s) Engineering Technology
  • EMET Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • IET Information Engineering Technology
  • LET Laser-Optics Engineering Technology
  • SET Software Engineering Technology
  • TET Telecommunications Engineering Technology

2. Strategic Plans and Activities

Annually review committee activities to define, recommend, and implement strategic initiatives relevant to the improvement of CETAA functions, including changes in accreditation criteria, policy, and procedures.

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Composition and Appointments

The membership of the CETAA consists of voting, non-voting and corresponding members as indicated below. The total number of voting members shall be twelve (12) and the total number of non-voting members shall be three (3).

Voting Members

  1. The CETAA Chair, with succession to this position as defined in Section G below. The CETAA Chair-Elect or the Past Chair, in accordance with the succession and terms described in Section G below.
  2. The CETAA Chair-Elect shall be selected by the CETAA, endorsed by the URC, and approved by the EAB.
  3. The CETAA Program Evaluator (PEV) Coordinator selected by the CETAA from current or past CETAA members or IEEE representatives to ETAC of ABET, endorsed by the URC, and approved by the EAB.
  4. Six (6) At-Large Members, selected by the CETAA from the pool of experienced IEEE program evaluators, endorsed by the URC and approved by the EAB.
  5. One (1) IEEE member serving on the ETAC Executive Committee nominated by the CETAA Chair, endorsed by the URC and approved by the EAB. If no such individual is available or willing to serve, this position may be filled by a current IEEE representative to the ETAC of ABET, nominated by the CETAA Chair, endorsed by the URC and approved by the EAB.
  6. The IEEE representative to ETAC of ABET, nominated by the Chair of CETAA, with the concurrence of the VP-EA, serving as an ex officio member for a two (2) year term and must have served on the ETAC of ABET for at least two (2) years. 
  7. The URC Chair, serving as an ex officio member.

Non-Voting Members

  1. The VP-EA, serving as an ex officio member.
  2. One (1) IEEE Representative Director serving on the ABET Board of Directors, nominated by the URC Chair and approved by the VP-EA, serving as an ex officio member.
  3. The Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Department Heads Association (ECETDHA), or designee, serving as an ex officio member.

Corresponding Members

Corresponding Members are non-voting.

  1. All IEEE representatives and Alternates to ETAC of ABET not designated as Voting Members.
  2. All Alternate At-Large members of CETAA, selected by the CETAA from among the pool of experienced program evaluators, endorsed by the URC, and approved by the EAB.
  3. Liaisons between IEEE and other ABET member societies with responsibility for specific programs, subject to the approval of the CETAA Chair and the URC Chair.

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Membership Requirements

All Voting Members shall be IEEE Graduate Student Members, Members, Senior Members or Fellows. Furthermore, no IEEE Member serving on ETAC of ABET (including the ETAC Executive Committee) may simultaneously serve as an At-Large Member or officer of CETAA. It is expected that one-half of the At-Large Members and officers shall come from industry or government.

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Appointments, Terms of Office, Duties, and Subcommittees

1. Appointments 

Nomination and Selection of Members, Representatives and Alternates The CETAA Nominating Standing Subcommittee shall be responsible for preparing slates of candidates for CETAA Chair-Elect, CETAA Program Evaluator Coordinator, CETAA AtLarge Members and Alternates and for IEEE representatives and Alternate IEEE representatives to ETAC of ABET. The Nominating Standing Subcommittee shall solicit nominations and recruit eligible candidates, in accordance with this Charter and the CETAA Operations Manual. Under extenuating circumstances, the URC Chair, in consultation with the VP-EA, may approve the nomination of other candidates for CETAA Chair-Elect. CETAA may select up to two (2) Alternate IEEE representatives to ETAC of ABET and up to three (3) CETAA Alternates. Once approved by EAB and ABET, Alternates may be appointed by the CETAA Chair, subject to the approval of the URC Chair, to fill vacancies that occur mid-term. The CETAA Nominating Standing Subcommittee may consider CETAA Members, Alternate IEEE representatives to ETAC of ABET, and other qualified candidates for appointments as IEEE representatives to ETAC of ABET. Alternate CETAA members do not normally attend CETAA meetings.

2. Terms of Office / Length of Service

All terms of service, with the exception of those serving in ex officio capacity, commence on April 1st of each calendar year and are defined as follows: CETAA Chair The term of the CETAA Chair shall be two (2) years, beginning April 1st of an even-numbered year. The Chair shall become the CETAA Past Chair upon completion of the term as Chair. IEEE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES BOARD OPERATIONS MANUAL CETAA Chair-Elect The term of the CETAA Chair-Elect shall be one (1) year, beginning April 1st in odd-numbered years. CETAA Past Chair The term of the CETAA Past Chair shall be one (1) year, beginning April 1st in even-numbered years. CETAA Program Evaluator (PEV) Coordinator The term of the CETAA PEV Coordinator is one (1) year. The PEV Coordinator may generally hold office for no more than eight (8) consecutive terms. CETAA At-Large Members The term of an At-Large Member is one (1) year. An At-Large Member may generally hold office for no more than a total of five (5) terms. Service as a CETAA member in other positions is not considered part of the five-year term limit for At-Large Members.

3. Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of CETAA Members are as follows:

CETAA Chair

  • Serve as a voting member of the URC
  • Seek out collaborative opportunities with other URC Committees and, when appropriate, with other IEEE and EAB organizational units and Committees
  • Prepare meeting agendas
  • Convene and conduct regular and special meetings
  • Appoint CETAA Standing Subcommittee Chairs and members
  • Act as the principal liaison between CETAA and the EA professional staff

CETAA Chair-Elect

  • Duties as assigned by the CETAA Chair
  • Serve as Chair in case the CETAA Chair cannot serve (Beginning April 1st in odd-numbered years)

CETAA Past Chair

  • Duties as assigned by the CETAA Chair (Beginning April 1st in even-numbered years)
  • Serve as Chair in case the CETAA Chair cannot serve

CETAA Program Evaluator Coordinator

  • Communicate with the Engineering Technology Accreditation Director at ETAC of ABET
  • Manage the Program Evaluator resource pool of current and past evaluators in conjunction with the EA professional staff under guidelines established by the CETAA 
  • Select, assign, contact and confirm Program Evaluators for all IEEE program accreditation visits

CETAA At-Large Members

  • Attend meetings and vote on CETAA issues
  • Serve on Standing Subcommittees
  • Serve as Program Evaluators
  • Assist in recruitment and education of Program Evaluators
  • Review and rate applications of potential Program Evaluators
  • Complete all required ABET training
  • Mentor assigned Program Evaluators in accordance with ABET and CETAA requirements

CETAA Alternate Members may:

  • Serve on Standing Subcommittees
  • Serve as program evaluators
  • Serve as Mentors to program evaluators
  • Evaluate PEV applicants IEEE Representative to ETAC serving as

CETAA Voting Member

  • Serve on Standing Subcommittees
  • Review and rate applications of potential Program Evaluators
  • Assist in recruitment and education of Program Evaluators

4. Subcommittees

Standing Subcommittees of CETAA shall include Awards, Communications, Criteria, Mentoring, Nominating, Policy and Procedures, and PEV Education. The responsibilities, principal activities, and administrative processes of these Standing Subcommittees shall be defined in the CETAA Operations Manual. Ad Hoc Subcommittees may be appointed by the CETAA Chair as needed.

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Financial and Administrative Support

The EAB will provide financial and administrative support through the URC including travel, material and communication expenses, and secretarial and administrative assistance provided through an annual allocation by the IEEE. Only CETAA Voting Members, the VP-EA, the IEEE Representative Director serving on the ABET Board of Directors and special representatives pre-approved by the URC Chair shall be eligible for travel and meeting expense reimbursement. The reimbursements shall conform to the standard IEEE Travel Policy.

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Meetings

There will be at least one face-to-face meeting of the CETAA convened annually. Additional meetings shall be called by the CETAA Chair as needed. The meetings will be conducted under an informal application of parliamentary procedures and rules of order. Minutes will be recorded for each meeting. Any meeting (or discussion) may include all of the IEEE Members serving on the ETAC of ABET (including the ETAC Executive Committee).

The CETAA Chair may invite representatives of IEEE organizational units or of ABET member societies to be non-voting participants in meetings of the CETAA for the purpose of assisting CETAA in fulfilling its duties. All amendments to this Charter must be approved by EAB.

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Qualifications for IEEE ETAC of ABET Program Evaluators

Qualifications for IEEE ETAC of ABET Program Evaluators are provided in the CETAA Operations Manual with changes and updates to be approved by the CETAA with the consent of the VP-EA and the Chair, University Resources Committee (URC).

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