A framework for measuring the sustainability of academic programs in the technical fields: Initial validity study findings

The term sustainability aims to describe the capacity of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future. Sustainability is a key characteristic of continuous improvement, a criterion required by numerous outcomes-based quality assurance and accrediting bodies, such as ABET. It is well known that "closing the loop" of assessment and evaluation processes remains a significant challenge for academic programs worldwide. In efforts to address this issue, the Sustainability of Technical Education (SoTE) framework was developed. The SoTE framework consists of criteria, measures, indicators, and a set of analytic rubrics that aid the calculation of discrete performance indicators that can result in one primary indicator called the Sustainability Indicator. This framework can be used by programs, colleges and/or institutions to guide them in system-wide development and measurement of policies, practices and procedures to ensure not only sustainability, but also to positively impact student, faculty and staff learning for continuous improvement purposes. In this paper, we focus on student learning by coursework program and present the results and analysis of a pilot study using a case study methodology. Included is a discussion on the presented comprehensive evaluation tool's usefulness for the continuous improvement at programmatic and institutional levels, as well as for collecting and providing evidence for quality assurance and accreditation organizations, such as ABET.