Norfolk State University Receives

ABET Accreditation for its Engineering Programs

 

Norfolk, Va. —Norfolk State University officials in the Office of the President and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology announced this week that the university has received the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET accreditation for its engineering program – including the bachelor’s degree programs in electronics engineering and optical engineering. ABET is the accrediting body for postsecondary programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology. NSU’s computer science program has been accredited since 1991.

ABET accreditation assures that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students. Accreditation is a voluntary process on the part of the institution and is important for several reasons including:

• Helping students and their parents choose quality programs;

• Enabling employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared;

• Screening applicants for registration, licensure, and certification boards; and

• Giving colleges and universities a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve the quality of their programs.

We are very pleased with the news,” said Adebisi Oladipupo, vice president for research and economic development. Sandra DeLoatch, dean for the School of Science and Technology added, “We are thrilled about this accomplishment which fulfills an important institutional goal.”

 

According to DeLoatch, NSU has spent several years building the infrastructure to support strong engineering programs. Besides a master’s degree in engineering and a doctoral degree in materials science and engineering, NSU also offers bachelor’s degrees in both electronics and optical engineering – which are the programs that are reviewed by the accrediting body. She also said that the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Accord with the Commonwealth of Virginia provided funding for hiring engineering faculty, securing administrative support, buying equipment and designing new laboratory space. “The ABET onsite review committee was very impressed with our facilities,” said DeLoatch. Following the onsite campus visit, the ABET team provided the university a written report of the evaluation. During ABET’s annual 2008 commissioners’ meeting, the final evaluation report was presented and an affirmative accreditation action was approved.

 

 

The accreditation of NSU’s engineering programs is retroactively effective from 2006. NSU’s accredited programs will also be published annually by ABET in its ABET Accreditation Yearbook and on the ABET website at www.abet.org. For more information, contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at 757-823-8373.