JBM Accreditation visit confirms Civil Engineering excellence
External verification of standards and fitness for purpose of academic provision may take several forms, but none is more important for civil engineering programmes than professional body accreditation.
The School was particularly pleased therefore to receive in May the report of the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) accreditation visit carried out in January 2006. The JBM acts on behalf of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, and the Institution of Highways and Transportation, for the purposes of accreditation of programmes aiming to provide the academic base for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer or as an Incorporated Engineer.
Continuing accreditation for the full range of BSc, BEng and MSc programmes was confirmed, with some recommendations to the School with regards to aspects of assessment, industrial support, and the development of sustainability issues in the curriculum.
The approach taken by the JBM to the accreditation process remains a traditional one, focused on the civil engineering curriculum and its delivery, and differs somewhat from other more recently evolved models for assurance of national standards such as the Quality Assurance Agency Institution Audit approach.
The team of seven, including an Engineering Council observer, spent two days in the School, during which they met the Vice-Chancellor, the Industrial Advisory Board, recent graduates and current students. Ten sets of submission documentation were required in advance consisting of three volumes and a CD containing several years of assessment material. In addition, over 100 box files of student output were available for inspection during the visit.
The team were particularly impressed by the enthusiasm of the civil engineering students and graduates and noted their satisfaction with the teaching and the help and advice available. The School is committed to continuing to extend the number of programmes in other engineering disciplines which are accredited by relevant professional bodies and is confident that the long-term benefits to the School and its students are substantial and well worth the investment of resources required.
Alasdair Grant