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ALICE L. GREIFE, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, recently retired as dean of the University of Central Missouri’s College of Health, Science and Technology. She is a member of AIHA’s Academic Accreditation Panel.
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ABET Proposes New Criteria for Industrial Hygiene Academic Programs
BY ALICE L. GREIFE
Staying current with the knowledge and skills for industrial hygiene practice is essential to be a competent professional. Keeping up with the most recent developments and technologies can help you stand out to an employer and make you a valuable asset. This is especially true for students who are just beginning their careers in the field.
One of the best ways for students to learn about changes in the field and the latest developments and technologies is to graduate from an ABET-accredited program. ABET accreditation ensures confidence that a collegiate program has met the standards essential to prepare graduates to enter critical STEM fields such as industrial hygiene in the global workforce. Graduates from an ABET-accredited program have a solid educational foundation. They can lead the way in innovating, implementing emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public. Industrial hygiene programs are accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Commission, one of the four commissions of ABET.
ENSURING ALIGNMENT
AIHA’s Academic Accreditation Panel (AAP) strives to ensure the quality and caliber of these accredited programs and periodically reviews and recommends changes to program criteria to ensure alignment with the changing requirements of the profession. The AAP oversees two primary areas. First, the AAP trains, supervises, and assigns program evaluators (PEVs) on behalf of AIHA for IH and the Health Physics Society. Second, the AAP periodically reviews IH program criteria and proposes modifications when needed.
The AAP has just finished its periodic review of the IH program criteria. The proposed changes were informed by the current CIH exam blueprint (PDF), AIHA's Principles of Good Practice initiative, and research on EHS programs conducted by Shirley Parsons, a global professional services firm specializing in environmental health and safety. In 2020 and 2021, Shirley Parsons distributed two surveys: one asked graduates of EHS academic programs to indicate how applicable the existing ABET criteria were to their duties as practicing professionals, and the other asked EHS employers to share what competencies were most important to their organizations and how applicable the ABET criteria were to the EHS, safety, and industrial hygiene professions.
The proposed changes were informed by the current CIH exam blueprint, AIHA’s Principles of Good Practice initiative, and research on EHS programs.
PROPOSED CHANGES
The proposed changes to the industrial hygiene program criteria are available for review and comment on the ABET website. The changes, which appear in red text, show the proposed additions and deletions. For example, proposed additions to criteria for baccalaureate program curricula include the application of statistical techniques for interpreting exposure monitoring data. For master’s programs, proposed additions to curricula include material on the “uses and limitations of occupational exposure limits and approaches to consider when established OELs are unavailable or inadequate.”
Your input on these proposed changes to the industrial hygiene program criteria is essential. Comments can be added in the field at the bottom of the page. You have the option to remain anonymous. Your comments will help guide our budding professionals' educational process to reflect current and future needs. The deadline for submitting comments is June 15, 2024. Please take advantage of this opportunity to influence the direction of industrial hygiene education.