Engineering Technology Programs Re-Accredited
The School of Engineering received word that its three baccalaureate engineering technology degrees have been re-accredited by the Technology Accreditation Board of ABET. Those degree programs are Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Plastics Engineering Technology.
“We’re very pleased that our programs have been re-accredited,” Ralph Ford, director of the School of Engineering, said. “Our faculty work to continuously improve our programs so that they remain technically current and also satisfy accreditation requirements.”
ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students. Furthermore, accreditation helps students and their parents choose quality college programs; enables employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared; and is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants.
The college’s Mechanical Engineering and Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering baccalaureate degree programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Board of ABET.
In the United States, engineering program accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process of peer review that requires an educational institution or program to meet defined standards. ABET, engineering’s premier academic accrediting organization, is responsible for the specialized accreditation of educational programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. To initiate accreditation, schools must complete a self-study that documents whether students, curriculum, faculty, administration, facilities, and institutional support meet the established criteria.
While the program conducts its self-examination, the appropriate ABET commission (Applied Science, Computing, Engineering, or Technology Commission) forms an evaluation team to visit the campus. A team chair and one or more program evaluators make up the evaluation team. Team members are volunteers from academe, government, and industry, as well as private practice.
During the on-campus visit, the evaluation team reviews course materials, student projects, and sample assignments and interviews students, faculty, and administrators. The team investigates whether the criteria are met and tackles any questions raised by the self-study.