Review of the computer science program

C. Assessments

For each instrument used to assess the extent to which each of the objectives is being met by your program, provide the following information:

1. 
   Frequency and timing of assessments
   
2. 
   What data are collected (should include information on initial student placement and subsequent professional development)
   
3. 
   How data are collected
   
4. 
   From whom data are collected (should include students and computing professionals)
   
5. 
   How assessment results are used and by whom
   

Attach copies of the actual documentation that was generated by your data collection and assessment process since the last accreditation visit, or for the past three years if this is the first visit. Include survey instruments, data summaries, analysis results, etc.

Program assessment and improvement has been the approach of the ICS department since its inception in 1985. The process of assessment was informal rather than formal and rather than having explicit documentation and it was implicit. The ICS Curriculum committee every academic year is assigned the task to review the program taking into consideration the following factors:

1. 
   Instructors’ comments in the course file,
   
2. 
   Technological developments in the computing field,
   
3. 
   Trends in computer science education as discussed in various articles published in the literature,
   
4. 
   Faculty opinion during the ICS council meetings,
   
5. 
   Input from the students through department Chair and the college Dean meetings with the students at least once every semester
   

As the ABET/CSAB criteria changed in 2001, the department adopted the new criteria and developed formal program assessment tools. These include

1. 
   Graduating students exit surveys: every graduating student is required to complete survey before his clearance form can be signed by the department. Such surveys are collected every semester by the department office and passed to the curriculum committee for analysis.
   
2. 
   Employer surveys
   
3. 
   Alumni surveys
   Both the employer and alumni surveys are conducted online through the Web page of the Deanship of Academic Development on the request of the department. These surveys were conducted during the academic year 2002-2003. These are now conducting again in 2006-2007.
   

The ICS department considers the views of graduating students, alumni, and employers on its offered programs as a valuable source to assess the strengths and weakness of the programs. The department uses the graduating students’ surveys, alumni surveys, and employers surveys as tools to assess its programs. The department conducted the surveys twice: once during 2002 – 2003 academic year and a second time during 2006-2007. In addition, the program, after revision, was given to internal and external reviewers for their comments before it was approved and implemented in February 2007.

1. 
   2002 – 2003 Surveys
   
   1. 
      Graduating student survey
      
   2. 
      Employer Survey
      
   3. 
      Alumni Survey
      
2. 
   2005 – 2006 Surveys
   
   1. 
      Program review comments from Academia
      
   2. 
      Program review comments from Industry
      
3. 
   2006 – 2007 Surveys
   
   1. 
      Graduating student survey
      
   2. 
      Employer Survey
      
   3. 
      Alumni Survey
      

1. 
   2002 – 2003 Survey Results
   

1. Graduating Students Survey

During the period from September 2002 to April 2003, twenty-six graduating students participated in the survey. The results of the survey are summarized below.