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The Behrend Beacon
Engineering program
receives accreditation
by Justin Plansinis
staff writer
Penn State Erie has a well-deserved
reputation as an excellent school for students
interested in engineering and engineering
technology. People from around the world
come to the Behrend College because of our
respectability as a top engineering school. As
further proof of our campusis quality and
standards, Penn State Erie's engineering
program recently earned accreditation from
the ABET.
The ABET, the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Engineering Technology, is
engineering's premier academic accrediting
organization. Accreditation means that the
school has met certain standards laid out by
the ABET. Essentially, accreditation lets
employers know that graduates come from a
good school.
Behrend's computer engineering program
received its initial EAC-ABET accreditation.
EAC stands for Engineering Accreditation
Commission, and it is a part of the ABET. The
electrical engineering and mechanical
engineering programs at Penn State Behrend
were re-accredited having already received
accreditation in previous years.
The Engineering Accreditation Commission
was pleased with the faculty, administrative
support, facilities and student achievement in
our engineering programs," said Dr. Robert
Sinioneau, director of the School of
Engineering and Engineering Technology.
With accreditation we assure our students that
they are receiving the highest quality teaching
and learning in the electrical, mechanical and
computer engineering programs.
Behrend's engineering program earning
accreditation is good news for all engineering
students. Prospective employers are always
interested in whether job seekers come from
an accredited institution. In some cases, state
licensing boards and certification programs
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may require graduation from an ABET
accredited program as the first step in the
registration or certification process for
professional practice.
Currently, the software engineering program
is the only engineering program without
accreditation; however, this is not the fault of
the college. Accreditation can only be earned
once students have graduated from the
program. Since the software engineering
major is so new, no students have graduated
from it yet.
Software engineers need not be concerned,
however, because once they graduate and
accreditation is earned, the school is usually
accredited for the year before the year of
actual accreditation. Hence, if a student
graduates in 2003 and the accreditation is
given in 2004, the student graduated from an
accredited institution.
Penn State Behrend's electrical, mechanical
and plastics engineering technology programs
are also accredited by ABET, their most recent
re-accreditation having occurred in 2001.
ABET is composed of four commissions
that grant accreditation in the areas of applied
science, computing, engineering and
technology. Accreditation is a voluntary, non
governmental process of peer review that
requires an educational institution or program
to meet defined standards.
In some cases, accreditation can even help
students receive federal funds such as
scholarships, loans, and grants.
With Penn State Behrend being an accredited
college as well as campus of a respected state
school, engineering students should be very
marketable upon graduation. Even though
Behrend's reputation for engineering is well
known, it is nice to have the figures to back
up the claim. Engineering students at Penn
State Erie, The Behrend College, can rest
assured that their course of study is among
the best in the United States.
Friday, November 21, 2003
SGA legislative wrap-up
Homecoming Support
Discussion was heard for 10 minutes on whether
or not SGA should sponsor the Ohio Hall Council
homecoming. Senators voiced their concerns on
the validity of the organization, the timing of the
event and the similarities to the Mr. and Ms. Penn
State Behrend pageant. Other students voiced their
support for the event, stating that it will bring more
school spirit to campus and giving examples of
how hard the council has been working on the
event. The motion passed in the senate, with the
stipulation that there not be a King and Queen
competition associated with homecoming, fearing
that it would infringe upon the Mr. and Ms. Penn
State Behrend pageant.
Keg Tagging Legislation
SGA voted to support new keg tagging legislation
proposed by state Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones. This
legislation helps enforce the prosecution of adults
who purchase kegs for consumption by minors.
Kegs will now have barcodes on them, which will
be scanned on site, thus making it easier to pros
ecute the indivduals that •urchase the ke . s.
What is
by Brendan C. Quinn
Collegian columnist
"Why are you guys doing this anyway?"
Anyone who has ever canned for dance
marathon has undoubtedly heard this question
posed by a passer-by on a busy intersection. Why
would a bunch of selfish college students give up
their weekends to stand on a street corner on a
cold day in the middle of February, hustling for
spare change?
"What are you really spending that money on?
Beer? Ha, Ha!"
Anyone who has asked for money from people
for Thon has probably heard this question from
some wise-ass driving a Mercedes on that same
freezing street corner. That is really what these
college kids are doing, right? They're taking this
money under the guise of helping cancer and
spending it on cheap gin and low-level narcotics,
right?
"You're gonna do what?"
Anyone who has ever danced in Thon has
certainly heard this question from someone in the
weeks leading up to Thon. What are these same
college students then torturing their bodies for
during 48 straight hours on a different weekend?
"Thon? What the hell does that mean?"
Anyone who has worn any clothing with the
word "Thon" on it has probably gotten that very
question. What kind of people make up their own
word for an event and expect people to understand
what they are talking about?
Questions, questions, questions. It seems that
the weeks leading up to Thon are a veritable Q&A
session for nearly everyone involved in Thon. Why
so many questions? It's pretty simple actually.
Thon is selfless. And no one seems to understand
selflessness. So after my long weekend of dancing
at Thon this year, I will try to state everything that
Thon has become to me during the last four years.
Thon is a year-long event. Thon is about learning
who you are, and what is important to you. Thon
is a commitment. Thon is motivating unmotivated
people.
Thon is soliciting. Thon is asking your family
to help out these kids. Thon is going door to door.
Thon is seeing a "No Soliciting" sign on front
doors and not getting discouraged.
Thon is getting a
$lOO donation from
someone you have
never met before. Thon
is getting the door
slammed in your face at
the next house. Thon is
people asking you to
come inside from the
cold while they fill out
a pledge.
Thon is canning.
Thon is a mass exodus
from this campus with
carloads of people
going out to raise
money in far away
towns on canning
weekends
Thon is packing too
many people in a house
with not enough beds
Thon is staying up late
and getting up early.
Thon is a busy
intersection. Thon is
dodging traffic to get
Courtney Straub & Justin Curry, News Editors
ALWAYS BELIEV
H
ING
DANCE MAPI .A THON . .te,?. (.) 0 4
JRC Ambiguity
Legislation was submitted by the executive board
as to the state of the hall councils, including JRC.
Currently, the hall councils are not recognized as
active clubs by SGA, but still must complete bud
get and treasury training. It was the consensus of
the executive board that the hall councils become
subsidiaries of JRC. This will be more construc
tive for both SGA and JRC, especially during bud
get time. In the past, SGA would allocate a lump
sum of money to the hall councils. Under the new
legislation, JRC would have to submit a budget to
SGA including itemized reports and quotes for all
activities. Discussion was limited to 10 minutes,
and the legislation was tabled for two weeks.
Treasury Reallocations
Two treasury reallocations were brought before the
senate, one from Volleyball Club and the other from
Lacrosse Club. The Volleyball club's allocation
was to move $5O from recruitment to a tournament
and failed in the senate. The Lacrosse club's allo
cation was to move approximately $5OO from a
tournament to equipment and passed in the senate.
THON?
the elusive $5 bill. Thon is the new BMW
that passes you by and the 1978 Dodge Dart
that gives you $l. Thon is loving the feeling
of a can getting heavy with money in your
freezing hands. Thon is eating fast food
during breaks from the cold. Thon is getting
kicked off of an intersection by a reluctant
cop. Thon is counting thousands of dollars
in small bills and change after a long day of
canning.
Thon is people. Thon is why you don't see
some people for a few weeks. Thon is what
they are doing. Thon is the overall captains,
who sacrifice more time and effort in one
year than most do in a lifetime. Thon is people
on the morale committee, who are willing to
try to uplift complete strangers. Thon is what
we really mean when we say, "We are Penn
State."
Thon is dancing. Thon is meeting people.
Thon is the line dance. Thon is playing catch
with a football for four straight hours. Thon
is people you don't know putting stickers on
you and making you happy. Thon is hearing
Rob Base's "It Takes Two" and going crazy.
Thon is feeling like a little kid again.
Thon is pain. Thon is wanting to sleep.
Thon is periods of boredom. Thon is Rec Hall
feeling like the size of a closet at times. Thon
is your feet feeling like someone has hit them
with a hammer. Thon is wanting to give up
but knowing that you can't.
Thon is the children. Thon is the spirit in
these kids. Thon is the smile on a child's face.
Thon is seeing a child with a bald head and a
big smile who makes you feel guilty for
complaining your feet hurt. Thon is the
Hershey Medical Center. Thon is the
chemotherapy treatments that make these
kids cry.
Thon is the best doctors and nurses in the
country comforting them. Thon is families
who suffer so much during the year. Thon is
hearing their stories. Thon is the tears that
you can't hold back. Thon is these families
thanking you for your help. Thon is what
these kids look forward to all year.
Most of all, though, Thon is seeing real
heroes.