Industry Advisory Board Assessment and Evaluation

Virtually all academic programs in any given discipline have an Industry Advisory Board (IAB) whose purpose is to add value to the academic program. It must be noted that the term “IAB” is generic in nature and refers to any Industry Advisory Board, Committee, Council, or otherwise named advisory group. An IAB exists to advise, assist, support, and advocate for their associated academic program and the constituents of that program. Similar to what accreditation requires of an academic program, an IAB must periodically assess and evaluate their performance, which can lead to corrective actions and have a profound impact upon an IAB and the academic program. The contents of this paper describe two methods that an IAB can use for assessment and evaluation, namely IAB Self-Assessment and IAB Benchmarking. The Purpose of IAB Assessment and Evaluation Ensuring organizational accountability is a key role for any IAB.6 Through periodic performance assessments and evaluations an IAB can identify ways to enhance IAB operations and services to the academic program. Within the context of this paper, assessment is defined as one or more processes that identify, collect, and format data for analysis, while evaluation is defined as one or more processes for analyzing interpreting the assessment data.4,5 IAB assessment and evaluation serves many purposes, some internal to the IAB and some in relation to the academic program. A systematic assessment and evaluation process can: • Give individual IAB members an opportunity to reflect on their individual and collective responsibilities. • Identify different perceptions and opinions among IAB members. • Point to questions that need attention. • Serve as a springboard for IAB improvements. • Increase the level of IAB teamwork. • Provide an opportunity for clarifying mutual IAB expectations. • Provide accountability. • Provide credibility with the academic program, potential funding agencies, accreditation organizations, and other external audiences. ___________________________________________________________________ This is the author's manuscript of the article published in final edited form as: McIntyre, C., Fox, P. (2017, February). Industry Advisory Board Assessment and Evaluation. In Proceedings of the 2017 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference. Session Number ETD 455 Proceedings of the 2017 Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration Copyright ©2017, American Society for Engineering Education IAB assessment and evaluation must be legitimate in the eyes of IAB members. The opinions of outsiders can be somewhat discounted, but what an IAB says about itself must be taken seriously. However, input from other sources (academic administrator or faculty) could also provide some insight. The Timing of IAB Assessment and Evaluation A full-scale assessment and evaluation may be desirable only once every two or three years with interim assessments conducted to monitor progress on the IAB work plan or action items. The time at which a full-scale assessment and evaluation may be particularly useful include: • At the outset of a strategic planning process. • In preparation of a major expansion of IAB programs or capital campaigns. • When there is a sense of low energy, high turnover, or uncertainty about IAB member responsibilities. • After an executive leadership change in the IAB or the academic program. The Value of IAB Assessment and Evaluation IAB Assessment and Evaluation, when properly conducted and with corrective actions, can have a profound impact upon an IAB. It can provide the impetus to move an IAB forward. It can also bring IAB members closer together and help break down barriers, establish camaraderie, and open-up dialogue. IAB assessment and evaluation may be the best method in which to reach the root of governance problems and find lasting solutions that will make for a more dynamic and effective IAB and thus better serve the academic program. The Process of IAB Assessment and Evaluation The overall process consists of a two-phase approach using both IAB Self-Assessment and IAB Benchmarking. Both are considered IAB Assessment and Evaluation methods and involves a number of steps, which include: • Decide to conduct the assessment and evaluation. This must be a collective decision. • Assign the responsibility for making the necessary arrangements to a small task force or to the IAB Executive Committee. • Decide whether to use the standard instruments designed for IAB Assessment and Evaluation or design a process from scratch. • Use the assessment tools to collect the data. • Compile and document the responses in a report that is distributed to IAB members. • Discuss and evaluate the assessment, perhaps in a closed session, and identify actions that will lead to improved IAB performance. • Implement necessary corrective actions. There exist a number of on-line assessment methods that were developed for non-profit organizations.2,11 However, most are designed as generic self-assessment questionnaires or surveys and are not specific to the actual needs of an IAB. IAB Self-Assessment and IAB Session Number ETD 455 Proceedings of the 2017 Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration Copyright ©2017, American Society for Engineering Education Benchmarking were developed specifically for an IAB and can be found in the appendices. Appendix A IAB Self-Assessment provides a tool for determining the performance of an IAB from both and organizational and performance perspectives. Appendix B IAB Benchmarking was developed to assess and evaluate IAB Outcomes also referred to as best practices.8,9 This process is updated periodically as additional IAB Outcomes are identified. Both of these processes are described in the following sections of this paper.