College of Engineering, Computer Science & Construction Management

BS in Construction Management

Overview

The construction industry is one of the largest industries driving today’s world economy. Due to the extraordinary sophistication of modern construction operations and the high skill level required of construction managers, there is a near unlimited demand for university-educated construction project and corporate managers.

In 1989 Chico State University’s Department of Construction Management was established to help satisfy industry demand. Today Chico State’s Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management is the largest program of its type in California and one of the largest in the country, and it is fully accredited by the ACCE (American Council for Construction Education). The success of our alumni within the industry, the many regional and national awards won by our undergraduates, the construction industry’s continual aggressive recruiting of our graduates, and the construction industry’s continuing financial support of our program provide evidence of our success.

Mission

The Mission of the Department of Construction Management (referred to herein as the "Program" or the "Department") is to prepare students to enter the construction industry at the management level, possessing a broad-scope understanding of the techniques of construction project and company management, and demonstrating the entry-level skills appropriate to the United States of America construction industry.

Goals & Objectives

To accomplish the Program's Mission, the Program has adopted Goals and Objectives as follows:

GOAL 1. Maintain a Program that encompasses an appropriate blend of:

  • General Education
  • Mathematics & Science
  • General Business Management
  • Construction Management & Technology

Objectives

1.1      ACCE accreditation of the Program shall be maintained.
1.2      Alumni and student feedback on the curriculum shall be sought and evaluated.
1.3      Industry feedback on the curriculum will be sought and evaluated.

GOAL 2.   Secure adequate and appropriate resources and support for the Program from both within and without the university community.

Objectives

2.1      Parity with respect to Program funding within the college will be maintained.
2.2      Parity with respect to faculty compensation within the college will be maintained.
2.3      Parity with respect to student/faculty ratios within the college will be maintained.Outside funding will be secured equal to or exceeding 10% of institutional college funding
2.4      Outside funding will be secured equal to or exceeding 10% of institutional college funding

GOAL 3.   Recruit and hire well-qualified faculty possessing a beneficial blend of advanced academic credentials and industry-based construction management experience in the United States of America.

Objectives

3.1      All new tenure-track faculty will have a minimum of five years of industry­ based construction management experience in the United States of America.
3.2      All new tenure-track faculty will possess a minimum of a master’s degree in construction management (or a closely related discipline) or will obtain such a degree within three years of hire.
3.3      All new tenure-track faculty should have significant and successful prior teaching experience at the college or university level.
3.4      A part-time/I temporary faculty applicant pool containing a minimum of 10 qualified (at a course-specific level) applicants will be maintained.

GOAL 4.   Provide for, and encourage, the continual updating of faculty expertise.

Objectives

4.1      Each full-time tenure-track faculty member will engage in a minimum of one significant professional experience every academic year.
4.2      Each full-time tenure-track faculty member will annually disseminate newly­ acquired professional information to all other full-time faculty members-.
4.3      Each full-time tenure-track faculty member will be an active member of at least one local, state or national professional organization related to the field of construction education and/or management.
4.4      Funds will be made available, upon request or by application, for faculty "updating" experiences at a minimum of $1,000 per full-time faculty member each academic year.

GOAL 5.  Maintain an atmosphere for students emphasizing involvement and collegiality.

Objectives

5.1      At least one active student club/organization will be maintained which organizes at least four group experiences for Program majors every year.
5.2     Coursework will incorporate group or team experiences when appropriate.
5.3     At least three teams of students will be sent to the ASC regional Construction Management competition every

GOAL 6.  Maintain high curricular rigor and student performance expectation levels.

Objectives

6.1      Program graduates will be able to satisfy ACCE Student Learning Outcomes.
6.2      The majority  of  Program seniors  will indicate  that their  expectations regarding curricular rigor were met or exceeded.
6.3      A minimum of 90% of Program seniors will receive employment offers as an entry-level manager from one or more construction companies before or upon graduation.

GOAL 7.  Maintain a high degree of program recognition at the campus, state, and national level.

Objectives

7.1      A minimum of two articles /press-releases related to the Program, its faculty, and/or its students, will be published each year.
7.2     A program website will be maintained to meet University and ACCE requirements.
7.3     The Program will be represented by the Program at the regional and national meetings of the ACCE and ASC.

Student Learning Outcomes

The American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) prescribes 20 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) as Educational Objectives for an undergraduate degree program in Construction Management.  The Construction Management Department has adopted these 20 Student Learning Outcomes and upon graduation, students shall be able to:

  1. Create written communications appropriate to the construction discipline.
  2. Create oral presentations appropriate to the construction discipline.
  3. Create a construction project safety plan.
  4. Create construction project cost estimates.
  5. Create construction project schedules.
  6. Analyze professional decisions based on ethical principles.
  7. Analyze construction documents for planning and management of construction processes.
  8. Analyze methods, materials, and equipment used to construct projects.
  9. Apply construction management skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
  10. Apply electronic-based technology to manage the construction process.
  11. Apply basic surveying techniques for construction layout and control.
  12. Understand different methods of project delivery and the roles and responsibilities of all constituencies involved in the design and construction process.
  13. Understand construction risk management.
  14. Understand construction accounting and cost control.
  15. Understand construction quality assurance and control.
  16. Understand construction project control processes.
  17. Understand the legal implications of contract, common, and regulatory law to manage a construction project.
  18. Understand the basic principles of sustainable construction.
  19. Understand the basic principles of structural behavior.
  20. Understand the basic principles of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

The following verbs, consistent with Bloom’s taxonomy, are used in understanding the intent of the Student Learning Outcomes:

Create: At the highest level, students are producing new ideas or products that integrate the knowledge they have gained. When students are involved in creating new artifacts, they are actively engaged in the subject matter.

Evaluate:  At this stage, students are asked to judge an idea. This may involve predicting, experimenting, critiquing, or making an argument from evidence.

Analyze: Students begin to develop higher order thinking.  They may be asked to compare and contrast or take a concept and break it into parts to explore the relationships present.

Apply: At this level, students begin to put the information they are learning into context. Here they are able to integrate ideas across multiple situations or utilize the content in a new way.

Understand: At this level, students demonstrate that they understand the content by explaining, summarizing, classifying, or translating the given information.

Remember: The lowest level of the taxonomy requires students to do very little with the information they are learning. They may be asked to recall, list, or name an idea or concept.