The effectiveness of an advisory board as a critical friend

External advisory committees have played a crucial role in both the implementation of the Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) program and preparation for ABET accreditation for the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The advisory committee model utilized by the MIE program consists of members from both academia and industry that are selected based on their credentials and national stature in their fields. The committee serves as a group of critical friends and provides constructive advice on how to improve implementation of the program, keeping in mind the purposes of the original award: to increase the quality and quantity of under-represented minorities who earn degrees in science and engineering. Recommendations from the committee have positively impacted the program and the university. Based on the recommendations of the committee, the program expanded its pilot entering student program to include all entering science and engineering students in 1998. The success of the entering student program influenced the formation of a new administrative unit at UTEP, the University College, which serves the needs of all entering students. Based on the positive influence of this advisory committee, the College of Engineering adopted its own advisory board. The college then went to the next level and developed a strategic partnership with one company in preparation for ABET accreditation in the fall of 2001.