ABET’s Commitment to Positive ChangeJun 6, 2020

The recent events across the United States have painfully affected all our communities.

As an organization that focuses on STEM accreditation, ABET believes that education and lifelong learning are ways through which we bring change to the world. We exist to provide confidence that graduates of programs in the applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology professions are prepared to enter an increasingly diverse and global workforce.

When we honor and respect our differences, we strengthen our ability to solve some of the most pressing and increasing global challenges — inequality, peace and justice, quality education, poverty, hunger, and climate change, among the challenges outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

STEM professionals play a critical role in designing solutions to make the world a better place — one that is safer, more efficient and more sustainable — and to develop solutions that benefit the lives of all people. Our workforce must be comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and personal experiences. We must be intentional and proactive in creating environments that respect and embrace our differences and carefully examine historical and systemic patterns of disparity to address and eliminate barriers to achieving social justice.

We recognize there is much work to be done, and the members of the ABET community — our staff, volunteers and leadership — stand committed to our value of continuous improvement. We will work tirelessly to identify and implement solutions that support the goals of fair treatment, equitable access, opportunity and advancement for all people.

The problems we face are not isolated to one group or one community — they are everyone’s problems, and we must all be part of the solution. ABET expresses our deepest and heartfelt commitment to positive change and human progress.