Engineering College Completes Accreditation Process
September 17, 2012
The 2011-12 accreditation process is complete for Old Dominion University's Batten College of Engineering and Technology.
In a report to ODU President John R. Broderick late last month, the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET requested no actions to maintain accreditation of the Batten College's three B.S. Engineering Technology programs - in civil engineering technology, electrical engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology - until Sept. 30, 2018. These three programs have been ABET-accredited since 1976 without any interruption.
The Batten College's B.S. Civil Engineering, B.S. Electrical Engineering and B.S. Mechanical Engineering programs have been accredited by ABET without interruption since 1967, and the B.S. Computer Engineering program since 1987. All four programs were reaffirmed by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET in 2010 until Sept. 30, 2016.
Oktay Baysal, dean of the Batten College, said the most recent ABET accreditation is proof of the college's commitment to relevant, up-to-date engineering education and research.
"The results aren't surprising to us, but they're the result of hard work by everyone in our college to become the most professional, forward-focused, metropolitan research institution that we can," Baysal said.
Headquartered in Baltimore, ABET accredits more than 3,100 applied science, computing, engineering and technology programs at more than 660 institutions in 23 nations. Seven societies founded ABET's predecessor, the Engineers' Council for Professional Development, in 1932. Today, ABET has 31 member societies representing many disciplines.
These member societies join ABET so they can collaborate to review and accredit degree programs in the fields they represent. In addition, these societies recruit and help to train the 2,000 volunteers who carry out ABET's accreditation activities.
Accreditation impacts students, programs and institutions, professionals in business, industry and government, and the public. Students who graduate from accredited programs have access to enhanced opportunities in employment; licensure, registration and certification; graduate education; and global mobility.
Accreditation is an assurance that the professionals that serve society have a solid educational foundation and are capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies, and in anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.