When people think about ABET, the first thing they think about is quality assurance in higher education. Quality does not arrive fully formed; it is built, refined and continuously improved. That is where ABET Bridge™ comes in.

ABET Bridge™ is a nonprofit organization that operates independently of ABET, offering custom fee-based advising to support institutions and programs on their journey towards ABET accreditation. Through advisory services, ABET Bridge™ fills a space between where a program is and where it needs to be by helping programs navigate continuous improvement and the accreditation process.

A History Rooted in Advancing ABET’s Mission

The roots of ABET Bridge™ trace back to The ABET Foundation, a philanthropic entity that support ABET’s charitable, educational work.

“As the global demand for advisory services has increased, with expansion into disciplines such as applied science, our organization has evolved and our new name — ABET Bridge™ — reflects our expanded focus,” said Robert A. Herrick, who served as president of the ABET Bridge™ Board of Directors at the time of the relaunch.

The name change signaled a deliberate broadening of scope from a primarily philanthropic entity to one that also provides structured, expert-led advisory support for programs navigating the accreditation process. “ABET Bridge™ provides programs with the opportunity to hire expert accreditation advisors with confidence, allowing them to get custom information about their specific program needs,” ABET Bridge™ Board of Directors President, Dr. Mary Kasarda, states.

Today, ABET Bridge™ serves institutions worldwide. “I am delighted that ABET Bridge has helped so many institutions and programs strengthen quality and pursue continuous improvement,” Dr. Hamid Fonooni, ABET Bridge™ Board of Director’s treasurer, said.

What ABET Bridge™ Is and What It Is Not

ABET Bridge™ advisory services are entirely independent of any accreditation activities conducted by ABET. The organization does not evaluate programs for accreditation, issue accreditation decisions or act on behalf of ABET in any official capacity. That independence is fundamental — and it is what makes the advisory relationship work.

“When advising, we are not judging compliance with criteria but are helping the program achieve compliance,” says Dr. Scott Danielson, ABET Bridge’s advisor coordinator. “That changes the whole dynamic.”

It is a distinction that matters enormously to the institutions ABET Bridge™ serves. Working with an ABET Bridge advisor means working with someone whose only goal is the program’s success, not its evaluation.

What ABET Bridge™ Offers

ABET Bridge™ provides fee-based advisory services tailored to the specific needs of each program. Services include:

Accreditation self-study reviews.

Advisors work directly with program faculty and administrators to review self-study documentation, identify gaps and strengthen the case for accreditation before a formal review begins.

Mock accreditation visits.

Programs can experience a simulated aspect of an accreditation visit.

Faculty workshops.

From the overall ABET accreditation process and timelines to understanding ABET criteria and common shortcomings and how to show criteria compliance when writing the self-study, ABET Bridge™ offers customizable workshops designed to build institutional knowledge and confidence across the entire faculty.

The accreditation review process typically spans 18 months and requires sustained compliance with ABET’s criteria, policies and procedures. And because accreditation is not permanent, the value of advisory support extends well beyond the initial review. Over the course of the six-year cycle, key players may have left the program making ABET Bridge™ advising beneficial for established programs as well as newer ones.

The People Behind ABET Bridge™

What distinguishes ABET Bridge™ from other advisory services is the caliber and currency of its advisors. Every ABET Bridge™ advisor is a current or former ABET program evaluator or team chair. These professionals have conducted numerous ABET accreditation reviews, understand the process from the inside and are individually vetted and approved by the ABET Bridge™ Board of Directors.

ABET Bridge™ does not rely on institutional memory alone. It ensures that the guidance its advisors provide reflects what accreditation looks like right now. Advisors are required to remain current on ABET’s procedures and policies through a formal, ongoing training program.

“As the coordinator, I work to find a good match between the [ABET] Bridge advisor and the program,” Danielson said. “In addition to their deep experience, most advisors continue to be active program evaluators and are approved by the relevant technical society for the program area.”

Danielson also emphasized the flexibility the organization brings to each engagement. “We have a lot of flexibility so we can customize the advising to meet the program’s needs,” he said — adding that for him personally, the advisory role carries its own rewards. “Being an advisor is a lot more fulfilling than doing official evaluations, which I continue to do as well. When advising, we are not judging compliance with criteria but are helping the program achieve compliance. That changes the whole dynamic.”

Why ABET Bridge Matters

For institutions working toward ABET accreditation, especially those doing so for the first time or those in regions where accreditation expertise is less accessible, ABET Bridge™ offers something that no written guide or online resource can fully replicate: experienced, personalized guidance from people who have been in the room.

ABET Bridge™ is also structured to facilitate donations from individuals, corporations and trusts to further support philanthropic goals of ABET. One of the main goals is to fund ABET Awards that recognize individuals, programs and organizations that have made major contributions to higher education. The ABET Bridge™ advising services operations provides a significant amount of funds towards these awards.

“ABET Bridge™ is a philanthropic organization that advances ABET’s mission by supporting colleges and universities worldwide,” said Dr. Michael K. J. Milligan, ABET CEO. “I am delighted that ABET Bridge™ has helped so many institutions and programs strengthen quality and pursue continuous improvement.”

That mission is what connects everything ABET Bridge™ does, from the advisory services that help a program prepare for its first review to the awards that recognize the educators changing what higher education can be.

Learn More About ABET Bridge™

Whether your program is exploring accreditation for the first time, preparing for a renewal visit or looking to strengthen your continuous quality improvement systems, ABET Bridge™ has the experience and the expertise to help.

Visit abetbridge.org to learn more about advisory services, explore philanthropic opportunities or connect with the ABET Bridge™ team directly.