Campbell University School of Engineering’s Bachelor of Science Engineering program has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (http://www.abet.org), founding Dean Dr. Jenna Carpenter announced this week.
Launched in 2016, the school saw its first graduating class in 2020, and has grown to become one of the most inclusive programs in the nation, recognized nationally for its hands-on curriculum. Carpenter, who began her one-year term as president of the American Society for Engineering Education in July, said she is “absolutely thrilled” to see the school receive ABET accreditation for its four-year degree program.
“It is the gold standard of quality in engineering education,” Carpenter said. “We began implementing a robust assessment program in 2017, but institutions cannot apply for accreditation until after they have graduated their first class of students. That means we have been working toward this day for a long time.
“We are most grateful to our campus community, faculty, staff, students, alumni, external advisory board and industry partners, all of whom have been important partners in this process.”
According to ABET’s website, the organization accredits “college and university programs in the disciplines of applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. With ABET accreditation, students, employers and the society we serve can be confident that a program meets the quality standards that produce graduates prepared to enter a global workforce.”
According to Carpenter, the accreditation is retroactive to October 2019, meaning all students who have earned degrees in the program have now graduated from an ABET accredited school.
“Achieving ABET accreditation of our engineering program is a pivotal moment for the School of Engineering and Campbell University,” said Dr. Mark Hammond, vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This sterling achievement comes after a multi-year process including extensive peer reviews and evaluations of every part of the curriculum, student outcomes, alignment with the University mission and ABET’s framework for excellence.”
Hammond called the news a “proud accomplishment for many at Campbell, including me.”
“A provost rarely gets to start a new school, so I am especially grateful for the opportunity to start a School of Engineering,” Hammond said. “Dr. Jerry M. Wallace, then president, gave me approval in 2013 to extend an earlier study I had done with former provost Dr. M. Dwaine Greene. Early partners in the full proposal for the new school include Dr. Mike Wells, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Britt Davis, vice president for advancement.”
He said the key to making all of it a reality was the hiring of Jenna Carpenter, who began work at Campbell a full year before the school opened its doors.
“Dean Carpenter has worked relentlessly to develop and launch a superb school,” Hammond added. “She has hired a fantastic team of faculty and staff, all of whom were essential in the initial accreditation and its continued early successes, and I am incredibly proud of the outcome.”