Tuskegee University News August 24, 2017 Construction Science and Management program receives first-ever accreditation For the first time in Tuskegee University's history, its Construction Science and Management program is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education - making it one of only two accredited bachelor's degree programs in Alabama, and one of only three accredited HBCU programs nationally. The program's five-year accreditation status extends through July 2022. "Accreditation by ACCE demonstrates the increasing academic rigor of programs like those in our Department of Construction Science and Management, as well as the solid value and competitive edge a Tuskegee University degree offers our graduates," said Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, Tuskegee's interim president. Accreditation by ACCE promotes and improves construction education in colleges and universities by gathering input from construction professionals and construction educators to establish and maintain standards and criteria for accreditation, provide guidance to those programs seeking to achieve accredited status, and carry out the accreditation process. "ACCE accreditation assists construction education programs like ours maintain contact with practicing professionals and remain current with emerging technologies in the field," said Dr. Carla Jackson Bell, dean of the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. "It also provides a network through which we can promote our academic program, exchange best practices with institutional peers and access construction industry contacts nationwide." The accrediting report cited a number of the program's strengths - especially its faculty's commitment to inspiring, mentoring and interacting with its students; the strong support the university administration demonstrates for the program; and the passion the program's students exhibit for their chosen major. Rogers Hunt III, MEng., head of the Department of Construction Science and Management, indicated the program's new accreditation status benefits prospective students and the industry alike. "Accreditation helps prospective students identify institutions that offer quality construction education programs," Hunt said. "Construction industry employers benefit by easily identifying job applicants with the potential for making lasting industry and professional contributions." It is that academic-industry partnership that undergirds the "undeveloped potentials" cited by ACCE in its accrediting report. These - along with students collaborating with their peers in the school's Architecture program and having greater access to hands-on opportunities - are vital to preparing students for careers in the field. "ACCE has challenged our program to deepen and strengthen our partnerships with industry through our recently formed Construction Science and Management Industry Advisory Board," Rogers said. "By securing additional industry partnerships, we in turn can provide our students with more hands-on experiences and professional mentoring relationships." Construction education at Tuskegee University dates back to 1883. The program is part of the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science, named after Taylor who was the first accredited African-American architect and the first to receive an architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and who served as Tuskegee's first director of Mechanical Industries in 1901. The university formally established the Construction Science and Management program in 1933, making it the country's oldest bachelor's degree program in the field - a fact recognized by the American Council for Construction Education. For more information about the program's ACCE accreditation, visit www.acce-hq.org/accreditation<http://visit%20www.acce-hq.org/accreditation>. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/