Human-Centered Engineering program earns accreditation
Boston College’s bachelor’s degree program in Human-Centered Engineering has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, a nonprofit quality assurance organization.
Accreditation, which is retroactive to 2024, marks a significant milestone for the engineering program, which the University launched five years ago. Through the accreditation of academic programs, recognition of credentials and assessment of student learning, ABET supports excellence in education worldwide.
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Siddhartan Govidasamy (Photo by Caitlin Cuningham)
“This is well-deserved recognition for our students and faculty, as well as people throughout the University who helped to establish this program five years ago,” said Professor of Engineering Siddhartan Govindasamy, who is interim chair of the department. “The department is aligned with the University’s values and initiatives and that makes it a very distinctive engineering program.
“Creating a distinctive engineering program that is mission aligned for BC, is human centered, and at same time meets the standards of ABET is a significant milestone and notable stamp of approval.”
Sought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines, where quality, precision and safety are of the utmost importance. ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.
Glenn Gaudette (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
“Being able to let the students know of the accreditation through ABET is a tremendous experience because our students have done this together with us,” said inaugural John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Department of Engineering and Professor Glenn Gaudette. “Our students knew coming in that as they were going through the program, they were building it. They took ownership of the accreditation process, as did we all. So this is very rewarding.”
Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., said ABET accreditation was always in mind when the University launched a Human-Centered Engineering program that integrated “the liberal arts ethos that animates the Morrissey College with a rigorous engineering curriculum” that would meet the demanding technical standards required for accreditation.
“For everyone whose dedication and perseverance brought us to this moment, achieving this milestone is an occasion for celebration and gratitude,” said Fr. Kalscheur. “I am particularly grateful for the leadership and tremendous hard work on the part of Glenn Gaudette and the entire Engineering Department faculty. I’m grateful for our pioneering HCE students and their families who made the decision to participate in an entirely new program, trusting that our vision would be realized.”
Developing an engineering program from the ground up required a University-wide effort to bring the discipline into BC’s world-class traditional liberal arts curriculum, said DeLuca Professor of Biology Thomas Chiles, who serves as vice provost for research and academic planning.
“ABET accreditation was the result of many individuals—foremost the Engineering faculty, but also University leadership and support,” said Chiles, citing the contributions of Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Fr. Kalscheur. “The accreditation process involved numerous faculty, departmental chairs, and administrative staff from across the University. Receiving ABET accreditation after graduating our first class is recognition of the innovative curriculum and the impact of our graduates in the world.”
Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support and are conducted by teams of highly skilled professionals from industry, academia and government, with expertise in the ABET disciplines.
ABET currently accredits 4,773 programs at 930 colleges and universities in 41 countries and areas as of October 1, 2024.
More information about ABET, its member societies, and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.