Program Evaluators Make Quality Happen!

Program evaluators are the heart and soul of quality assurance and the heart and soul of CSAB. These volunteers don't shuffle papers–they visit campuses around the country and the world to help improve computing education. They tour labs, talk to faculty, meet students and alumni, and work closely with their fellow evaluators and team leader along the way. If this sounds interesting, keep reading!

Who Are the Evaluators?

Evaluators are professionals in their fields. They might be computer scientists, information analysts, IT specialists, or software engineers. They are professors, executives, administrators, managers, and technical experts. They work in research institutions, private consulting, Fortune 500 companies, government services, and state colleges. They are a diverse group, but they all have one thing in common: They care about computing education. Learn more about where our volunteers come from.

How Do I Get Involved?

First, make sure you understand the qualifications:

For All Program Evaluators

Membership in the ACM or the IEEE/CS is required, and additional professional involvement is preferred. Good communication skills are necessary.

For Academic Program Evaluators

Evaluators need to be able to participate effectively in an evaluation. They need to understand the academic and curricular issues in depth.

An academic PEV must hold an associate professor or professor rank in a computing discipline , or equivalent.

Preferably, an academic PEV should have the following:

• Continuing contact with undergraduate computing students (e.g., teaching and advising)
• Experience in evaluating and/or defining computing programs, preferably active involvement in preparing for CSAB accreditation

For Industrial Program Evaluators

Evaluators need to be able to participate effectively in an evaluation. Evaluators should complement the academic team members in an evaluation and provide industrial perspectives in the evaluation.

An industrial PEV must hold at least a master's degree and have at least one degree in a computing discipline.

Preferably, an industrial PEV should have the following:

• Five years of experience as a working practitioner in a computing-related field
• Recent contact with B.S. computing graduates
• Experience in evaluating the graduates of B.S. computing programs (e.g., recruiting, hiring, interviewing, and supervising them)

Other useful experiences include:

• One year of management experience in a computing-related discipline
• Experience in evaluating computing programs (e.g., industrial advisory committees, curriculum committees, undergraduate teaching experience)
• Experience in evaluating the criteria for success in a computing career (e.g., career monitoring, academic advisory activities, making hiring and promotion decision

If Your Application Is Approved

If your application is approved, you will be asked to complete online evaluator training pre-work, 1.5-day face-to-face training, and a 2-hour webinar. When the training has been completed successfully, you are ready for your first campus visit!

How to Apply

If you are comfortable with the qualifications, it's time time to apply. Just visit http://abet.org/apply-to-become-pev/ to get started.

Application Deadline

Applications must be completed by December 31. CSAB reviews applications annually in January and February. Applicants should expect a notification by mid-March.

More Information

Still not sure? Then visit http://abet.org/volunteer-to-become-a-program-evaluator/ to learn more about this important role and the many great reasons to volunteer.

If you would like to talk to a human being about this opportunity, just call CSAB's Executive Director at (410) 339-5456.