Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

Enhancing student educational opportunities by utilizing outsource industry programs and seminars may be a viable alternative for Building Construction departments with budget constraints or limited faculty resources. By utilizing these "industry" resources, educational opportunities for students wishing to specialize in areas other than traditional contracting may be achieved. Additionally, by using existing courses already offered in the University, but within other departments or schools, the necessity for developing and implementing new courses is minimized.

Key Words: Resume Minors, Outsourced Education, Specializations, Industry Education.

 

With University and Department budgets being stagnated or reduced, the use of outsource educational experiences to enhance student learning may become a viable alternative to increasing faculty workloads and adding faculty members to existing departments. By utilizing existing continuing education courses and industry-developed seminars and by allowing the student the opportunity to attend these programs for university credit, the student will be exposed to more educational opportunities, as well as being exposed to current information and technologies of the construction industry.

Construction education programs offer a wide range of courses geared towards providing a general background in construction processes and management applications. These courses prepare most students for entry-level employment in the construction industry.

However, many graduates who enter specialized areas within the construction industry learn their respective specialization from significant on-the-job training. By offering students various courses within these specialized areas, some of this training can occur prior to entering the job market. This in turn should provide the employer with a new hire who has skills beyond entry level.

Another benefit to the student is that these specializations allow the student to focus in a specific area of interest. This interest should promote student enthusiasm and creativity in other courses being taken.

Construction education specialization is becoming a standard element of most construction programs. Many construction education programs are currently offering mechanical, electrical, and residential specializations.

Within the Building Construction Management program at Purdue University, each student is allowed 14 credit hours of technical and/or free electives. These 14 credit hours are part of a 134 credit hour major.

Currently students receive the general construction program education, as well as the opportunity to specialize in three areas: Mechanical Construction Management, Electrical Construction Management, and Residential Construction Management. Students not entering one of the current specializations would be enrolled in the general program of study.

The first 2 years of the Building Construction Management program consist of general education courses as well as introductory construction related courses. This affords the student the opportunity to become exposed to the various facets of the construction industry during their first two years.

The last 2 years of the Building Construction Management program consist of specialized construction management courses. In addition, the student has the opportunity to enter one of the specializations or take a variety of technical electives. The majority of student’s technical electives occur during the student’s junior and senior year.

The vehicle by which a student may present to a potential employer an additional level of expertise is through the resume minor. A resume minor is an informal collection of related courses listed on a student’s transcript, which would allow the student to indicate this expertise on their personal resume.

The objectives of this paper are as follows:

1. Identify additional construction options that industry desires.
2. Identify existing University courses that meet industry and student needs within these options.
3. Identify existing Industry/Organization seminar courses and continuing education courses that meet the area option needs.

Based on conversations with various general and specialty contractors and other professionals in the construction industry, some potential industry needs are identified as follows:

a. Field Engineering Management

b. Heavy / Highway Construction

c. Construction Contract Administration and Documentation

d. Property Management

e. Real Estate Development

f. International Construction Management

g. Accounting / Cost Control

h. Building Codes and Code enforcement

a. Plan Review Option

b. General Inspection Option

c. Mechanical Inspection Option

d. Electrical Inspection Option

i. Construction Safety Management

j. Computer Technology in Construction

Resume minors could be easily pursued or developed in all of the areas mentioned, as well as in many other areas, such as Computer Applications, Organizational Leadership, and foreign languages. Students have the opportunity to develop their own resume minor as approved by their faculty advisor.

Most of the resume minors require a student to take courses offered by other academic units within the University. The incorporation of existing university courses into the resume minor is highly encouraged. Prior to taking these courses, approval must be granted by the academic unit offering the course. In certain instances, students may be required to take additional prerequisite courses prior to enrolling in the designated option course.

Existing courses should be limited to junior and senior level courses. However, with approval of the student’s faculty advisor, lower level classes may be used with supplemental course requirements. As an example, a course offered as a freshman level course may be supplemented by having the student perform additional course work that meets the requirements of the resume minor and the intent of the specialization.

As an example, accounting courses offered within the Business School of the University could be incorporated into a resume minor for non-business majors. A student taking a sequence of accounting courses, such as Accounting I and II, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Auditing, and Cost Accounting could list this sequence of course as a resume minor.

The primary Building Construction Management course used in the resume minor program is BCM 499-Special Assignment. BCM 499 allows a significant amount of flexibility in course content. A faculty advisor along with the student prepares a proposal for independent study in the BCM 499 course. This proposal outlines the specific area of instruction as well as the goal of the study, specific objectives, learning activities, and evaluation criteria.

Additional instruction taken outside the traditional University environment is offered through BCM 499-- Special Assignments. As an outsource educational experience, most of these courses are seminar type courses offered by professional organizations not affiliated with the University and are normally offered for continuing education credit for industry professionals. The student would be required to take and successfully pass the described course in addition to fulfilling the BCM 499 – Special Assignments requirements. All costs associated with participating in the outsource course would be incurred by the student.

The BCM 499 requirement for the outsource courses would primarily consist of attending the seminar or continuing education course as well as additional requirements as agreed upon by the faculty advisor and student. See Exhibit A for an example of a BCM 499 proposal.

As a general requirement for all options, the student is expected to become an active member in the corresponding professional organization representing the option field of study. This allows the student the opportunity to interact with professionals within the organization and develop potential sources for employment after graduation.

Field Engineering Management involves the study of construction project site control and monitoring through surveying techniques, site utilization planning and project scheduling. As a Field Engineering Manager, you will be responsible for controlling the project site boundaries and project control points. You will be responsible for proper and efficient utilization of the entire project site, as well as efficient utilization of project site resources. The proposed study plan is as follows:

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

BCM 412 Field Engineering 3 cr.*

CE 303 Route and Construction Surveying 3 cr.*

CE 423 Heavy and Highway Construction 3 cr.*

As part of this option, the student is expected to become an active member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors.

The Heavy / Highway option allows the student the opportunity to take courses that pertain to construction of roads, highways, and the infrastructure associated with transportation systems. The student will be exposed to principles relating to the application of geology as it pertains to construction related issues. As a Heavy / Highway Project Manager you will be responsible for implementing the plans as prepared by design professionals as they relate to dams, reservoirs, tunnels, and the highway system. The proposed plan of study is as follows:

BCM 499 Special Assignment 2 cr.

CE 361 Transportation Engineering 3 cr.*

CE 423 Heavy and Highway Construction 3 cr.*

GEOS 323 Applied Geomorphology 3 cr.*

GEOS 381 Geology for Engineers 3 cr.*

The student is expected to become involved in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.

As an Office Engineering Manager, you will be expected to maintain and control the paperwork side of construction projects. Tracking RFI’s, change orders, submittal management, payment processing, lien waiver processing, and document control are just some of the responsibilities of the Office Engineering Manager. The primary courses are offered through the Construction Specifications Institute. Certification is required. The proposed plan of study is as follows:

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment – PROLOG 2 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment – EXPEDITION 2 cr.

BCM 499 Construction Specification Institute – CDT Exam 3 cr.

BCM 499 Construction Specification Institute – CCCA Exam 3 cr.

The student is expected by become an active member of the Construction Specifications Institute at the local chapter level. Additionally the student will be required to take and successfully pass the Certified Construction Documents exam and the Certified Construction Contract Administration exam as administered by the Construction Specifications Institute.

As a Real Estate Property Manager, you will be responsible for the management of physical facilities. Interaction with landlords, tenants, commercial property lenders, public officials, ad facility management personnel will constitute a major portion of your job responsibilities. Integral knowledge of all buildings systems and components is vital to the maintenance and operation of properties under your control. This career option is very much a "people" oriented career. The proposed plan of study is as follows:

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

BCM 499 Design, Operation and Maintenance of Bldg. Sys. I 3 cr.

BCM 499 Design, Operation and Maintenance of Bldg. Sys. II 3 cr.

BCM 499 Property Managers Guide to Commercial Real Estate Law 3 cr.

BCM 499 Real Estate Investment and Finance 2 cr.

The student is expected to become active in the Building and Office Managers Association. Required courses are to be taken through the Building and Office Managers Association.

The Real Estate Development option helps prepare you for a career as an owner’s representative in the real estate development business. As an owners representative you will act as the owner’s eyes and ears during the design, construction, and commissioning phase of construction projects. You will be on the front lines during the entire development process. Understanding the cost and time element of the development process is critical to the owners representative. The proposed plan of study is as follows:

BCM 499 Special Assignment 2 cr.

BCM 499 Financial Analysis for Commercial Real Estate 3 cr.

BCM 499 Real Estate Market Analysis 3 cr.

BCM 499 Real Estate Decision Analysis 3 cr.

BCM 499 Real Estate Marketing and Leasing 3 cr.

Required courses will be taken through the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute. The student is expected to successfully pass the above courses and acquire their state real estate license. The student is expected to become an active member in their local real estate organization.

International Construction (German Option)

With the opening of the European and Soviet communities, as well as the Pacific Rim, the need for professional construction managers who know construction management principles and can communicate these principles to the project entities is in demand. American construction and engineering firms performed approximately $25.4 Billion worth of international construction in fiscal 1997. The opportunity for employment in the International Construction market is highly competitive. The International Construction option requires the relative mastery of a foreign language. The proposed plan of study is as follows:

GER 101 German Level I 3 cr.*

GER 102 German Level II 3 cr.*

GER 201 German Level III 3 cr.*

GER 202 German Level IV 3 cr.*

BCM 499 Special Assignment 2 cr.

Various foreign languages may be interchanged with this option. Purdue University currently offers language studies in the following areas: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Italian, French, and German.

The control of construction cost is basic to the construction industry. How well these costs are controlled may be indicative to how profitable a project is. As the manager of the construction costs function it will be your responsibility to track and control all cost of the project from the estimate to final project audit.

MGT 200 Introduction to Accounting (i.l.o. 190 B) 3 cr.*

MGT 201 Managerial Accounting 3 cr.*

MGT 350 Intermediate Accounting I 3 cr.*

MGT 351 Intermediate Accounting II 3 cr.*

MGT 506 Auditing 3 cr.*

BCM 499 Special Assignment 2 cr.

The student is expected to become an active member in the Institute of Internal Auditors or other professional accounting related organizations.

Verification of work in place is vital to the successful completion of any construction project. The various options within the Building Codes and Code Enforcement specialization allow the student to gain additional knowledge in the field of inspections, building codes, or code administration. Potential employment in both the private and public sector is available both as a field inspector for various disciplines or as a plan examiner.

BCM 499 (101) 1997 UBC Non-structural Update 2 cr.

BCM 499 (310) Design / Plan Review I 2 cr.

BCM 499 (320) Design / Plan Review II 2 cr.

BCM 499 (330) Design / Plan Review III 2 cr.

BCM 499 (340) Design / Plan Review IV 2 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

BCM 499 (410) Structural Steel Inspection 2 cr.

BCM 499 (430) Wood Inspection 2 cr.

BCM 499 (440) Concrete Inspection 2 cr.

BCM 499 (450) Inspector Workshop 2 cr.

BCM 499 (480) Combination Inspection – Apps. UBC,UMC, IPC 2 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

BCM 499 (610) Mechanical Inspection I 2 cr.

BCM 499 (615) Mechanical Inspection II – Adv. Applications 2 cr.

BCM 499 (685) Fundamentals of Mechanical Inspection 2 cr.

BCM 499 (785) Fundamentals of Plumbing Inspection 2 cr.

BCM 499 (786) Requirements of the 1997 Plumbing Codes 2 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

BCM 499 (800) 1996 NEC Update 2 cr.

BCM 499 (810) Electrical Inspection I 2 cr.

BCM 499 (820) Electrical Inspection II 2 cr.

BCM 499 (830) Electrical Inspection III 2 cr.

BCM 499 (840) Electrical Inspection IV 2 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment 3 cr.

Specific code and inspection related courses would be taken through the International Conference of Building Officials training courses. The student is expected to become an active member in the International Conference of Building Officials.

Construction accidents are expensive. In addition to the high medical costs and OSHA fines associated with these accidents, costs of delays, clean up, and the increase in insurance rates also occur. Safety personnel are responsible for directing the safety efforts of all workers in order to eliminate accidents on the jobsite. This action is accomplished by training workers to work safely and by ensuring all work performed on the jobsite complies with OSHA standards. The Construction Safety option allows the student to take advantage of the up-to-date training offered by the OSHA Training Institute (OTI). The proposed plan of study follows:

BCM 499 Occupational Safety & Health Standards (Construction Industry)* 4 cr.

BCM 499 OSHA’s Trenching & Excavation Standard Competent Person Training 2 cr.

BCM 499 OSHA’s Scaffolding Safety course 2 cr.

BCM 499 Special Assignment 2 cr.

*OTI 500 – Trainer Course in Occupational Safety & Health Standards (Construction Industry) may be substituted if student has five years relevant experience in construction safety. The student is expected to become active in the National Safety Council.

Construction managers must have a quick and convenient way to manage the daily flow of information from the construction jobsite. Due to the ease and relatively low cost of software programs and computer hardware systems, desktop/ laptop computers have been used extensively for this purpose. Along with recent technological advances, companies are now also using the World Wide Web, voice-activated computer programs, and palm-top computers to transfer information from the field to the home office in a quick and efficient manner.

This option allows the student to explore the latest technology and applications in the world of computers and become a "leader" in implementing these methods into new ideas that will be of use to the construction industry. The proposed plan of study is as follows:

CPT 135 Introduction to Computer Technology & Applications 3 cr.*

CPT 145 Introduction to Information Systems 3 cr.*

CPT 172 Database Application Development 3 cr.*

CPT 176 Information Technology & Architecture 3 cr.*

BCM 499 Special Assignment 2 cr.

The student is expected to become an active member in the Association of Information Technology Professionals.

By utilizing 3^rd party seminars and industry-sponsored courses, universities can provide quality educational opportunities not currently offered by the university. By allowing students the opportunity to interact with and participate in specific seminars and industry courses, students are being exposed to a significant body of knowledge not currently offered within the academic unit.

These "outsource" courses and seminars not only provide specific instruction in relevant industry areas, but also are teaching the most current information available to industry practitioners. By students participating in these courses, they are being exposed to the most current and relevant information available. This becomes a definite benefit to employers upon hiring students with these backgrounds.

National Society of Professional Surveyors

5410 Grosuenor Lane, Suite 100

Bethesda, Maryland 20814-2122

American Road & Transportation Builders Association

1010 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20001

Construction Specifications Institute

601 Madison Street

Alexandria, Virginia 22314-1791

Meridian Project Systems, Inc.

P.O. Box 19498

Sacramento, California 95819-0498

Primavera Expedition

901 Market Street, Suite 390

San Francisco, California 94103

Building and Office Managers Association

1201 New York Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20005

Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute

430 North Michigan Ave.

Chicago, Illinois 60611

Institute of Internal Auditors

P.O. Box 140099

Orlando, Florida 32889-0003

International Conference of Building Officials

5360 Workman Mill Road

Whittier, California 90601-2299

Appendix A

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Associated Schools of Construction Proceedings of the Annual Conference.  Copyright 2003
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Last updated: September 09, 2004.