University of Puerto Rico re-accredited by ABET engineering commission
The University of Puerto Rico, UPR-Bayamón, has received prestigious accreditations in its technological programs.
The University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón, five technological programs of the institution were re-accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET.
This significant achievement positively impacts over 600 students, which translates into 14.1 per cent of the total enrollment of the campus.
Dr Miguel Vélez Rubio, chancellor of the UPR-Bayamón, says: “We are extremely pleased with this achievement that continues to hold us to the top in terms of quality standards worldwide.
“I congratulate all the faculty and students of both departments. The work done has obviously been excellent.
“In addition, we are pleased with the achievement of the new accreditation of Materials Management that leads us to be pioneers in this area at an international level.
“These achievements confirm the University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón as a leader in the STEM disciplines.”
Likewise, the interim president of the UPR, Dr Darrel Hillman Barrera, highlighted the excellence that distinguishes the technological programs of the Bayamón campus and celebrated the most recent achievement in the wave of prestigious accreditations that the university system has received.
Barrera says: “It is a pride for our institution that the programs of the UPR-Bayamón have shone for their quality during the accreditation process.
“This tells Puerto Rico and the world that the UPR has the resources to prepare the best professionals, especially in an area as relevant and competitive as engineering technology is.”
The Department of Engineering and Engineering Technologies achieved the reaccreditation of:
- the Associate Degree in Civil Engineering Technology;
- the Associate Degree in Engineering Technology in Construction, Surveying and Roads; and
- the Associate Degree in Industrial Engineering Technology.
Additionally, the Department of Electronics and Instrumentation obtained the reaccreditation of the Bachelor Degree Program of Science with a concentration in Electronic Engineering Technology and the Associate Degree in Automation Technology, Instrumentation and Control Systems.
The latter is said to be a unique program in the UPR.
For his part, the Bachelor Degree Program in Materials Management, became the first program in this discipline worldwide to be accredited with ABET.
This program was evaluated by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET.
This bachelor’s degree promotes the development of competences, attitudes and knowledge so that their graduates can manage the complexity of the supply chain and its logistics. It’s also a unique program in Puerto Rico.
Samuel Lugo, director of the department of electronics and instrumentation at UPR, says: “The Bachelor Degree Program of Science with a concentration in Electronic Engineering Technology is the only one in the country and the Caribbean that is also recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration under the Technical Operations Collegiate Training Initiative.”
ABET is the international accreditor of university academic programs in Engineering, Technology of Engineering, Computing, Applied Sciences and recently Natural Sciences.
The entity is in charge of establishing quality standards in education that includes services to students, educational objectives, performance criteria of graduates, assessment processes and the improvement of the quality of teaching and faculty who teaches in the program, among others.
Jorge Velar, director of the department of engineering and engineering technologies at UPR, says: “The accreditation of the programs allows the exchange of students with other institutions and to continue graduate studies, as well as it facilitates graduates to apply for federal jobs that require that their academic degrees come from accredited universities.”