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August 29, 2008

Computer science program accredited

The computer science program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe has been reaccredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., the recognized accrediting agency for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.

ABET accreditation demonstrates a program’s commitment to providing its students with a quality education, said Dr. Jose Cordova, program coordinator of computer science.

"ABET accreditation is a great indicator of the quality of our program. The external review team took a close look at our faculty credentials, our computing equipment, our library resources, our courses, and the level of satisfaction among our students. Since excellence in undergraduate computer science education is the primary mission of our program, it is very rewarding that the review team acknowledged the quality of our program and the strong interest the faculty members take in nurturing our students."

Dr. Ron Berry, dean of College of Business Administration, expressed his pride in the program.

“I offer my sincerely congratulations to Dr. Cordova, the computer science faculty and our students for earning reaccreditation from ABET. The results of the accreditation visit confirmed what we knew—we have a group of outstanding faculty that is delivering a high quality computer science program.”

Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires programs to undergo comprehensive, periodic evaluations. The evaluations, conducted by teams of volunteer professionals working in industry, government, academe, and private practice within the ABET disciplines, focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities, institutional support, and other important areas.

One of the key elements of ABET accreditation is the requirement that programs continuously improve the quality of education provided. As part of this continuous improvement requirement, programs set specific, measurable goals for their students and graduates, assess their success at reaching those goals, and improve their programs based on the results of their assessment.

In addition to providing colleges and universities a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve their programs, accreditation also helps students and their parents choose quality college programs, enables employers and graduate schools to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared, and is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants.

ABET is a not-for-profit organization, owned and operated by its more than 25 professional and technical member societies. An internationally respected organization with some 1,500 volunteers, ABET has set the higher-educational standards in its fields for nearly 75 years. More information about ABET, its member societies, and the evaluation criteria used to accredit programs can be found at www.abet.org.

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