The Applied Engineering and Technology program has received full accreditation on Nov. 9 for the next six years.

The program is part of the School of Technology.

Every six years the department goes through a process to be accredited by The Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE).

The official accreditation term began Nov. 20.

Wafeek Wahby, professor in the school of technology and chair of the accreditation committee for this cycle, said the process occurs in three phases and begins shortly after the current term begins.

“We do not claim perfection, but this accreditation is a unique landmark, not many schools get it,” Wahby said.

He said most accreditations come with conditions such as a visit two-years in, but Eastern did have any conditions.

In fact Eastern is one of 50 institutions to receive accreditation from the organization, he said.

“Right now we are just catching our breath, but soon we start planning the field trips and things we need to record for the next cycle, we also do student surveys every semester so that it continues,” Wahby said.

The three phases of the process are the submitting a report, a two-year reporting phase and a two-day visit phase after the report is submitted.

The accreditation committee visited campus on April 3-5.

While they were on campus the committee met with faculty, staff and administrators of the department as well as Booth Library officials, the Office of Admissions, University Marketing and Communication and Academic Affairs.

“The representatives of the agency came with lots of questions,” Wahby said. “They also verified and investigated everything we had reported on. They looked at everything from the lights in classrooms to the physical layout of the building.”

After the visit, Wahby and his team went to the group’s annual convention this November, which was in Cleveland, Ohio.

While there they attended a hearing to determine whether or not they had been accredited.

“It was like a congressional hearing, they spent about 45 minutes asking further questions,” Wahby said. “After that they made a movement and voted unanimously to accredit us.”

The accreditation term goes through November of 2017; however this was Wahby’s last cycle.

“David Melton is the new chair of the committee,” Wahby said. “However, I will still be around and told him I will help in any way I can.”

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]