Purdue technology program in Columbus receives accreditation

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, known as ABET, granted the associate degree program initial accreditation, which is effective for six years.

"The program has been offered in Columbus since the early 1990s, but this is the first time we have sought accreditation," said Joseph Fuehne, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology at Columbus. "It's very exciting to receive it because it gives us an official stamp of approval that we have a top-notch, quality program that meets the most stringent national standards."

He said the accreditation also is significant because it will help attract new students to the program. Currently, there are about 65 students enrolled in mechanical engineering technology in Columbus.

"This allows us to go to companies and schools and say with confidence that we have the highest-quality program in the area," Fuehne said. "It will also ensure that students receive a consistent educational experience that contains the appropriate rigor that they will need for their chosen field.

"As a result, students will benefit, because having credentials from an ABET-approved program will make them more competitive in the job market."

The accreditation of the Columbus program is the third College of Technology program in southeast Indiana to be endorsed by ABET. The mechanical engineering technology program in New Albany has been accredited since 1987, and the electrical engineering technology program there has been accredited since 2005.

Students with a degree in mechanical engineering technology often pursue careers as technicians with manufacturing companies, serving as a liaison between the engineers who design a product and those who assemble it.

Fuehne said the accreditation also will help in the Columbus location's quest to offer a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology in the future.

"The accreditation process is thorough, measuring both overall institutional quality and the quality of specialized programs," he said. "Our program met or exceeded all of the criteria in both of these categories, which is the best possible evaluation we could have received."

The evaluation involves an on-campus visit, during which the team from ABET reviews course materials, student projects and sample assignments and also interviews students, faculty and administrators.

In addition to the associate degree in mechanical engineering technology, Purdue's location in Columbus offers programs in computer and information technology, industrial technology, and organizational leadership and supervision.

Purdue's College of Technology location in Columbus is one of three educational institutions located at the Columbus Learning Center. Also included at the center are Ivy Tech and Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus. The institutions share space at the center but are governed by three separate organizational entities.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Joseph Fuehne, (812) 348-7203, jfuehne@purdue.edu

Andy Schaffer, director of College of Technology Columbus location, aschaffe@purdue.edu

John Hartin, mechanical engineering technology department head and professor, (765) 494.9652, jhartin@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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