CMAA Admitted to ABET, Will Create Accreditation Process for Construction Management Programs
Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) August 15, 2013 -- In a major step to enhance and improve the quality of education for professional Construction Managers, CMAA has been accepted into ABET, the preeminent accrediting organization for technical education.
Effective immediately, CMAA is an ABET Member Society with lead responsibilities for construction management.
"We are truly honored to have CMAA join ABET, as our organizations share common values and aspirations. Both CMAA and ABET understand the crucial importance of fully qualified professionals and the essential role that excellence in technical education plays in producing them," said ABET Executive Director Michael K. J. Milligan, Ph.D., P.E.
Capital construction program owners, CMs, and academic leaders praised the announcement.
George O. Lea, Jr., P.E., CCM, FCMAA, chief of Military Branch Engineering and Construction at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, called CMAA’s admission to ABET "a big win for today’s university and college programs."
"CMAA as an association of practitioners is well positioned to define future needs of our industry and guide academia in their response. ABET’s embrace of the opportunity to enhance the professionalism of construction management is very much welcomed," Lea said.
Kevin R. Miller, CM program chair at Brigham Young University, observed that "the creation of the CM criteria in ABET will integrate CM programs better into engineering colleges, creating a unified standard that is common throughout the programs in the college. Having a strong industry partner like CMAA, coupled with ABET’s worldwide leadership with accreditation will enhance the construction management educational experience for students."
Milo Riverso, Ph.D., P.E., president and CEO of STV Incorporated, noted that "both industry and the academic community have increasingly recognized that the traditional engineering curriculum does not adequately convey critical knowledge and skills underpinning professional CM practice. Likewise, CMAA’s admission into ABET represents another formal recognition of the professionalism of construction management, as well as acknowledgement of CMAA as the leading organization defining and serving this profession."
The goal is to be prepared to accredit programs ahead of the fall, 2016 academic year.
CMAA’s president and CEO sees the partnership as a way to ensure that construction management professionals meet the highest standards in a very competitive industry. “By joining ABET, we are honoring our commitment to making certain that construction management programs meet the standards set by the profession,” says Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA. “Our goal is to develop a set of specific criteria that will impact the educational experience that students receive and contribute to the quality of professionals in our industry.”
About ABET
ABET, the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 33 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, 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 is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. For more information, visit http://www.abet.org/.
About CMAA
CMAA is the leading organization advancing professional construction and program management worldwide. Its membership is comprised of more than 11,000 public and private organizations, owners and individual practitioners. CMAA provides professional development, CM certification, advocacy and business opportunities to its members and the industry. The Association's headquarters is located in McLean, VA, U.S.A. CMAA's website is: http://www.cmaanet.org.
Danielle Baron, ABET, http://www.abet.org, +1 410-347-7729, [email protected]
Share this article