Several engineering colleges in the north Andhra region are striving to gain international recognition and accreditation, ahead of the new academic year 2014-15. The colleges that have already been recognised by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) are now looking forward to recognition by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which gives rating on the basis of quality practices at universities.
ABET is recognised in the United States by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. ABET accreditation assures that a college or a university programme meets the quality standards established by the profession for which the program prepares its students. It accredits post-secondary programmes offered by institutions that have been recognised by national or regional institutional accreditation agencies or national education authorities worldwide.
According to Aditya Institute of Technology and Management (AITAM) director V.V. Nageswara Rao and Maharaja Vijayarama Gajapathi College principal Dr. K.V.L. Raju, all countries have agreed to introduce a uniform system in engineering training. Moreover, it is more convenient for students who have done B.Tech at institutions accredited by ABET to pursue higher education abroad. “According to the Washington accord, all countries should follow ABET’s guidelines. We are trying for recognition through NBA, since getting direct recognition will be a Herculean task and expensive, too,” said Mr. Nageswara Rao and Dr. Raju.
In the long run, institutions will have a brighter future and financial stability if they get ABET recognition.
As of now, several colleges fill up seats under the management quota, as they are not sure of getting fee reimbursement in time. Many colleges did not get reimbursement for the year 2013-14, which left them in financial distress, as they had to shell out huge amounts of money as interest to banks.
Valid recognitionSeveral colleges had to spend between Rs. 80 lakh and Rs. 1.20 crore a month to pay salaries to faculty members and non-teaching staff, apart from meeting expenditures such as power bills and maintenance of vehicles. Several managements realised it was better to admit students from other States, so that they would get fee directly instead of through fee reimbursement schemes. According to college managements, students from other States will get attracted only if the institutions have valid recognition from international organisations.
