After all students currently enrolled in the Civil Engineering Technology program graduate, the University will no longer offer degrees in the program.

The university plans to replace the civil engineering technology program with a similarly named bachelor’s in science in civil engineering degree. According to the university’s website, the new program is hoped to receive an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation by 2025.

ABET, a non-profit organization which gives out accreditations to numerous engineering programs, also accredited the original civil engineering program. The university did not lose accreditation for the program, nor was that a reason cited for its discontinuation.

Enrollment data for the department of Natural Sciences and Engineering Technology (NSET) shows that in the fall 2023 semester, three total students were enrolled in the civil engineering technology program, while two were enrolled in the “civil engineering – undeclared” program, and 11 were enrolled in the civil engineering program.

Comparatively, the civil engineering technology program had 45 students enrolled in the fall 2019 semester, with zero students enrolled in the “civil engineering – undeclared” and civil engineering programs.

The mechanical engineering program, which is not being discontinued, had 29 total students enrolled during the fall 2023 semester. The program with the smallest enrollment numbers that semester was the electrical engineering technology program, which had zero enrolled students.

According to an official familiar with the matter, termination letters were sent to four faculty members in the NSET department. Those letters have since been revoked, meaning that the potentially-affected faculty members are no longer going to lose their employment.

University Marketing and Public Relations Managing Director Lou Corsaro, explained that those currently enrolled in the program will continue to receive support from the university.

“We notified faculty of the elimination of academic programs with consistently low enrollment, following a trend seen at many institutions across the country,” Corsaro said. “More important, a sharper focus on current and new programs aligned with our mission and strategic plan better serves all students. Point Park is committed to supporting students in the impacted programs in the completion of their degrees.”

While two other universities in the Pittsburgh area offer civil engineering degrees – Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University respectively – no other university in the Pittsburgh area offers a civil engineering technology degree. The closest options are Penn College of Technology in Williamsport and Pitt-Johnstown.

Gregg Johnson, interim chair of the NSET department, was unaware of additional letters sent to the four professors previously mentioned.

“To my knowledge, as of Friday morning, the professors have not received anything additional in writing other than the original letter last Friday afternoon telling them their program is being phased out,” Johnson said. “I cannot speculate beyond that.”

Johnson also promises that those currently in the civil engineering technology program will not be left behind as the program is wound down.

“Dean Pascal and I, along with the civil engineering faculty, are committed to making sure the current students will be taken care of to the best of our ability, and that they know and understand their options,” Johnson said. “Because of how engineering programs are accredited and how engineering licensure works, this has been a non-trivial process that we are still working through.”