ISAT program achieves ABET reaccreditation

By Lianne Boxley, CISE Student Writer

The School of Integrated Sciences’ BS-ISAT degree program has been reaccredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

ABET is a nonprofit organization that serves to promote excellence in STEM education and ensure programs produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields. Its voluntary peer-review process is highly respected by companies and institutions around the world, assuring employers that graduates are prepared to utilize their talents internationally. Achieving reaccreditation signals that the BS-ISAT program produces global citizens capable of pioneering innovation and emerging technologies.

The BS-ISAT program first became accredited in 2008, becoming the nation’s first four-year program to attain ABET accreditation in the Applied Sciences category. To achieve reaccreditation, the ISAT department engaged in an eighteen-month peer review process culminating in a team of highly skilled professionals from academia, government, and industry evaluating the department’s curricula, faculty, facilities, and institutional support. After this extensive examination, ABET determined that the BS-ISAT program met its rigorous standards, and then chose to reaccredit the program in 2019.

“Having ABET accreditation is not mandatory and is an extra step taken by the faculty to make sure we stay true to our values and ideals,” says Linda Thomas, Director of the School of Integrated Sciences. “Meeting the difficult ABET standards ensures faculty, students and employers that our graduates have completed the highest level of instruction while staying current and innovative.”

By achieving reaccreditation, the BS-ISAT program has demonstrated its ability to meet a global standard in Applied Sciences education, commit to a process of self-examination, and establish learning outcomes that prepare students to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners. Reaccreditation also provides many benefits for ISAT students, such as enhanced employment opportunities, the ability to utilize their skills on a global scale, and recognition from licensure boards, graduate schools, and employers.

“The mission of BS ISAT is to prepare graduates to excel in a complex, technological world by empowering them to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners,” says Thomas. “Critical thinking is hard to measure but over time academics and those in industry have identified key features of critical thinking. Meeting ABET standards ensures our program has these key features and also requires us to annually assess that students are getting the best education possible.”

For more information about the BS-ISAT program’s reaccreditation from the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, visit https://www.jmu.edu/bsisat/about/accreditation/index.shtml