Diagnosis to design a faculty recognition and evaluation model for engineering programs in Ecuador within the Erasmus+ EEntitle project.

Resumen

This article presents a preliminary diagnostic study aimed at designing a faculty evaluation and recognition model for engineering programs at five Ecuadorian higher education institutions, within the framework of the Erasmus+ EENTITLE project. The study is based on a review of the state of the art in faculty evaluation, academic recognition, and institutional models in higher education, as well as on the need to strengthen the quality of university teaching through more comprehensive systems capable of articulating evaluation, continuous improvement, professional development, and institutional recognition of faculty members. Using a mixed-methods, exploratory-descriptive, cross-sectional approach, a structured questionnaire was administered in January 2024 to five Ecuadorian universities and polytechnic schools. The instrument examined eleven faculty evaluation and recognition mechanisms through closed-ended and open-ended questions, as well as rating scales, in order to identify their feasibility for implementation in the participating institutions. The results show that the mechanisms with the greatest institutional alignment and priority are research support, professional development opportunities, international collaboration, academic leadership roles, and public recognition. Likewise, the most relevant internal factors for their implementation are faculty and university administration; among the external factors, cooperation with other higher education institutions and funding entities stands out; and among the necessary resources, institutional time and funding are particularly prominent. Overall, the study provides an initial basis for building a shared, contextualized, sustainable, and potentially replicable model within Ecuador’s higher education system in engineering.