March 20, 2013
Baltimore, MD - The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is the newest Associate Member Society of ABET, the accreditation organization dedicated to assuring quality in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology education.
SWE is a global not-for-profit organization with more than 23,000 members. Its mission is encouraging women to achieve their full potential as engineers and leaders. Founded in 1950, SWE is also committed to expanding the engineering profession's image as a positive force in improving the quality of life and demonstrating the value of diversity.
"We are truly honored to have SWE join ABET, as our organizations share common values and aspirations. Both SWE and ABET strive to promote diversity and inclusion while ensuring excellence in technical education," said ABET Executive Director Michael K.J. Milligan, Ph.D., P.E. "By bringing SWE into the ABET family, our goal is to provide SWE members with leadership opportunities within the ABET organization – as program evaluators, team chairs, and Board members – that will encourage their career development and fulfillment, while ABET benefits from their perspective and experience."
SWE President Alyse Stofer shares the enthusiasm. "Becoming an ABET Associate Member Society will further our commitment to increase the contribution of women in advancing the profession while providing our members with opportunities for leadership," she stated. "By working as program evaluators, for instance, our members will be joining the technical societies in setting the standards defined by the profession and contributing to the quality of engineering programs worldwide."
Effective on February 21, SWE is an ABET Associate Member Society. Associate Member Societies participate in and contribute to the ABET mission and hold a non-voting seat on the ABET Board of Directors, but they do not have curricular responsibility for specific programs. SWE members will serve in ABET volunteer positions through the ABET technical societies that represent their discipline(s).
The ABET Board approved SWE's application for admission as an Associate Member Society during its October 2012 meeting. The application was ratified by two-thirds of ABET's member societies in February 2013.
About ABET
ABET, the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 32 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the U.S., ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for 80 years.
ABET currently accredits over 3,200 programs at more than 670 colleges and universities worldwide. More than 2,000 dedicated volunteers participate annually in ABET activities. ABET also provides leadership internationally through workshops, memoranda of understanding, and mutual recognition agreements, such as the Washington Accord. ABET is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.