At a glance
Dr. John Williams, dean of the School of Architecture, Management and Engineering Technology at Alfred State, said, “Having the majority of our technology programs recognized by ABET highlights the strength of our faculty and programs and the great experience provided to our students.”
Reaffirming that Alfred State is committed to providing a high-quality technical education, the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) has reaccredited 10 of the college’s technology-related majors.
Programs that were recently reaccredited include: computer engineering technology (AAS and BS), electrical engineering technology (AAS and BS), mechanical engineering technology (AAS and BS), surveying engineering technology (AAS), surveying and geomatics engineering technology (BS), construction engineering technology (AAS), and construction management (BS).
Dr. John Williams, dean of the School of Architecture, Management and Engineering Technology at Alfred State, said, “Having the majority of our technology programs recognized by ABET highlights the strength of our faculty and programs and the great experience provided to our students.”
Dr. Matthew Lawrence, chair of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technology Department, said, his department is pleased that all six of its engineering technology programs have been fully accredited by ABET through 2024.
“Successful accreditation represents validation of the quality of students, faculty, and staff in the department,” he said. “ABET accreditation evaluations are very thorough; over a three-day period, industry and academic experts for each program inspect course materials, review assessment procedures, and interview students, faculty, and administrators. The goal of accreditation is to verify that academic programs are taught by qualified faculty, using industry-relevant techniques and equipment, and, perhaps most importantly, producing graduates that can immediately and positively contribute in their profession after completing the degree. All program constituents deserve recognition for this accomplishment!”
Erin Vitale, chair of the Civil Engineering Technology Department, echoed Lawrence’s remarks, noting that she is very pleased about the reaccreditation of her department’s programs. She noted, “ABET accreditation puts a national stamp of approval on our programs. It also gives our students credit toward the experience required for professional licenses."
According to Williams, Alfred State programs have been recognized by ABET since the 1950s. To become accredited or reaccredited, educators must create a detailed performance program for each major that aligns the program and its courses to the standards of the national professional societies that oversee each discipline. They must also continually collect and assess data regarding student performance and the level of achievement of program objectives.
“Each program must create a self-study document and host an external review team,” Williams said. “This represents a lot of hard work and dedication.”
In addition to the excellent news about the 10 ABET reaccreditations, Williams noted that the college’s construction management BS program was recently recognized by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC), one of four ABET commissions that lead and conduct accreditation activities.
“Historically, our engineering technology programs were accredited under the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC),” he said. “Some recent changes at ABET headquarters required the shift of our construction management BS program from ETAC to ANSAC. This program’s objectives and assessment activities needed to be modified to satisfy the new ANSAC expectations and process. This was our first ANSAC accreditation review and we were successful.”