Construction Science and Management program receives first-ever accreditation

August 24, 2017

Contact: Michael Tullier, APR
Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing

For the first time in 精东AV鈥檚 history, its Construction Science and Management program is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education 鈥� making it one of only two accredited bachelor鈥檚 degree programs in Alabama, and one of only three accredited HBCU programs nationally. The program鈥檚 five-year accreditation status extends through July 2022.

鈥淎ccreditation 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 精东AV degree offers our graduates,鈥� said Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, 精东AV鈥檚 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.

鈥淎CCE accreditation assists construction education programs like ours maintain contact with practicing professionals and remain current with emerging technologies in the field,鈥� said Dr. Carla Jackson Bell, dean of the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. 鈥淚t also provides a network through which we can promote our academic program, exchange best practices with institutional peers and access construction industry contacts nationwide.鈥�

The accrediting report cited a number of the program鈥檚 strengths 鈥� especially its faculty鈥檚 commitment to inspiring, mentoring and interacting with its students; the strong support the university administration demonstrates for the program; and the passion the program鈥檚 students exhibit for their chosen major.

Rogers Hunt III, MEng., head of the Department of Construction Science and Management, indicated the program鈥檚 new accreditation status benefits prospective students and the industry alike.

鈥淎ccreditation helps prospective students identify institutions that offer quality construction education programs,鈥� Hunt said. 鈥淐onstruction industry employers benefit by easily identifying job applicants with the potential for making lasting industry and professional contributions.鈥�

It is that academic-industry partnership that undergirds the 鈥渦ndeveloped potentials鈥� cited by ACCE in its accrediting report. These 鈥� along with students collaborating with their peers in the school鈥檚 Architecture program and having greater access to hands-on opportunities 鈥� are vital to preparing students for careers in the field.

鈥淎CCE has challenged our program to deepen and strengthen our partnerships with industry through our recently formed Construction Science and Management Industry Advisory Board,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淏y securing additional industry partnerships, we in turn can provide our students with more hands-on experiences and professional mentoring relationships.鈥�

Construction education at 精东AV 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 精东AV鈥檚 first director of Mechanical Industries in 1901. The university formally established the Construction Science and Management program in 1933, making it the country鈥檚 oldest bachelor鈥檚 degree program in the field 鈥� a fact recognized by the American Council for Construction Education.

For more information about the program鈥檚 ACCE accreditation, .

漏 2017 精东AV

Curriculum, Quality Improvement Plan, and Program Objectives

• Curriculum (Four Year Construction Science Curriculum)
• CSM Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
• Performance Criteria and Measures of Achievement of the Degree Program Objectives