The results achieved during this period have exceeded expectations on the development and structure of the academic study plans, which have also sought the highest quality standards.

The accreditations or re-accreditations earned by the study plans characterize this institution.

• International Accreditations
• National Accreditations
• Academic advising
• Professional Internships

Significant achievements have been made in the international accreditation process during this period. During the Annual Meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in Houston, Texas, UDLAP was reaccredited without a single recommendation. Regarding academic programs, in 2015 the undergraduate degree program in Food Engineering was re-accredited by the Institute of Food Technologists for the 2015-2020 period. In 2016 ABET accredited the following undergraduate programs: Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering. ABET’s Evaluation Commission visited UDLAP in January 2018 as part of the accreditation process for the under- graduate degree programs in Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering. The visit was successful, and official results are expected for Fall 2018. With these recent accreditations, 46% of the academic programs in the School of Engineering have earned inter- national certification. The School of Business and Economics received a response from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), informing that the auto-evaluation document, sent October 2017, had been accepted. The School was encouraged to continue the accreditation process for the programs offered by the School.

Over the past five years UDLAP upheld its commitment to the academic quality of its programs at the undergraduate and graduate degree level. The revised academic programs were submitted to the Secretariat of Public Education, which in turn sent them to external accrediting organizations that endorse their quality. This re-accreditation process generally occurs every five years. In 2016 Mexico’s National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) jointly bestowed upon the undergraduate program in Law its “Distintivo Vanguardia” (Avant-Garde Distinction) for the program’s efforts to adapt the program to the 2008 constitutional re- forms, and thus meet the challenges of a new penal justice system. In 2017, during the 71st General Ordinary Assembly of the Federation of Private Mexican Institutions of Higher Education (FIMPES) held in Leon, Guanajuato, the Universidad de las Americas Puebla was accredited “without restraint or reservation” due to the academic excellence and quality of the institution. During the last five years 100% of the study plans were ac- credited where a corresponding national accrediting organization existed. The research lines defined in 2013 are recognized for their quality and pertain to the National Program for Quality Graduate Programs (PNPC), which is part of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONCACYT).

The institution monitors the professional internship program, which serves to promote students in professional settings before concluding their studies. During this last year 1,424 students participated in internships, working in 561 organizations in education, health, food, culture, communication, construction, hospitality, automobile, industry, finance and government. The number of students benefiting from this program has sky- rocketed, as shown in the following graph. UDLAP offers more than 1,000 internships throughout Mexico, where 79% are from the private sector, 14% from the public sector, and 7% from the social sector. In 2017 several actions were made to improve student services: the exit questionnaire was automated, and online work- shops were offered on CVs and the job interview. This brought benefits such as a reduction in wait time and paper, to name a few.