Construction Education for Civil Engineers –

Graduate Certificates

Dr. Robert A. Perkins, PE

Construction

• Major industry in Alaska

• Non-exportable

• About 1/3 CE graduates go into directly

• Most the rest are involved

Construction project management

• The process of scheduling, coordinating and controlling all of the people, materials, equipment and financial resources needed to successfully complete a construction project.

Construction in Civil Engineering

• Construction is part of Civil Engineering– Laws– ABET– ASCE– FE

Alaska Law

• Law: “practice of engineering” …[includes] professional observation of construction of public and private structures, works, or projects …. Sec. 08.48.341. Definitions.

• Regulations: “civil engineering” means … research, design, and construction of fixed works for irrigation, drainage, waterpower, water supply and treatment, flood control, inland waterways, harbors, municipal improvements, railroads, highways, tunnels, airports and airways, sewerage, refuse disposal, foundations, structures, or bridges

ABET

• “…proficiency in a minimum of four (4) recognized major civil engineering areas;

• “..and an understanding of professional practice issues such as: procurement of work, bidding versus quality-based selection processes, how the design professionals and the construction professions interact to construct a project…

FE Exam Specs, October 2005

• From Civil (PM) Specs.• VIII. Construction Management 10%• A. Procurement methods (e.g., design-build, design-bid-

build, qualifications based)• B. Allocation of resources (e.g., labor, equipment,

materials, money, time)• C. Contracts/contract law• D. Project scheduling (e.g., CPM, PERT)• E. Engineering economics• F. Project management (e.g., owner/contractor/client

relations, safety)• G. Construction estimating

ASCE Committee on Curricula and

Accreditation The generally recognized major areas:• Structural• Geotechnical• Environmental/Sanitary• Transportation• Hydraulics/Hydrology/Water Resources• Surveying/Measurements• Construction

Construction Engineering

– ABET– Few schools– Very close to civil– No real advantage over CE with electives

Teaching Construction in CE

• Most CE schools are like UAF– Offer few electives

Perkins Opinion

• Not fruitful research area– Not much funding– Often proprietary

• Civil Engineer in construction wears two hats– Construction engineering

• Basically civil

– Construction management

Construction Management

• UAA offers AA and now BS

• Many programs nationwide

• Usually not engineering school– Great variability– Students take basic math and science

• Perkins Opinion – Shred

Demand

• Very strong demand for engineers who are “construction managers.”

• Some demand for non-engineers who are construction managers.

Workforce Development

Worker Shortage Looms for Defense SectorTuesday March 4, 2:24 pm ET

By Joelle Tessler, AP Business Writer Aerospace and Defense Sector Braces for Potential Brain Drain As Cold War Workers Retire WASHINGTON (AP) -- The aerospace and defense sector is bracing for a potential brain drain over the next decade as a generation of Cold War scientists and engineers hits retirement age and not enough qualified young Americans seek to take their place. -- almost 60 percent of U.S. aerospace workers in 2007 were 45 or older --

Problem

• Worldwide loss of middle management engineers and technical professionals– All industrial countries– All technical industries

• Loss of mentoring class

• More acute in governmental employers– Less flexibility

Alaska

• Difficult to attract people on current salary scales

• Both public and private declare shortage of middle manager-level engineering and technical managers

• 29 May UAF Workforce Meeting• 30 May Alaska Engineering Society

Workforce Development Initiative Meeting• UA to double engineering graduates ??

AK DOT Classes

• Asked UAF to offer some construction management classes spring 07

• UAF generated preliminary information

• Met with AK DOT to refine

• Gary Tyndall took plan to contractors, owners, AGC, etc.

Findings

• Emphasize management skills• Target individuals who have

– engineering or technical bachelor’s degrees, and

– who have several years of subsequent work experience.

• Short, concentrated modules– completed and applied quickly.

• Convenient times and locations – during seasons that minimize conflict with

construction activities.

Spring 08 CM Classes(One credit)

• Big picture, systems thinking and organizational dynamics, Fairbanks, (15)

• Construction Claims Case Studies, Fairbanks and Anchorage, (5)

• Scheduling for construction administration , Fairbanks and Juneau, (17)

• Managing Risk, Fairbanks and Juneau, (13).• Overview of environmental laws, regulations,

and permitting, Fairbanks and Anchorage, (2)

MS

• What about our standard MS degrees?

• Enrollments down

Standard MS not economical

• Full-time lose two years of longevity– Small increase in starting pay

• Evening program depends on how you value your free time

• Economics is different for international students

• 6 of 35 MS were US

• 0 of 6 PhDs

Student/employees Want

• Skills

• Confidence

• Advancement

• Money

• Sheepskin

Mismatch Problem

• Employers want more skills– And public, too– Generally willing to pay

• Employees want skills and compensation

• Need to match value to employer with “cost” to employee– Time and effort

Increase value of education?

• Education more specific to employer’s needs

• More convenient for students and employers

• Give credential sooner

Graduate Certificates

• Typically 12 to 15 graduate credits– Can count towards MS

• Focused on narrow area– Design of Pharmaceutical Facilities – Value Chain Enterprise Systems – Pharmaceutical Process Engineering

• Often distance delivered

Negatives ?

• Not research orientated

• Commercial rather than academic

• Does not fit academic mold

• Extension School material

• (All these are only negative from academics)

May Anchorage Meetings

• Reinforced ideas about depleted middle management engineering workforce

• Construction especially difficult

• Strong support for a Graduate Certificate in CM at UAF

Plan

• Develop relations with industry

• Promulgate a Graduate Certificate in Construction Management in CEE Department

• Hire a half ESM and half Construction Management faculty

New Degree Program Request

Certificate Program

• 15 Credits

• Divided in three rubrics

• Cafeteria style within the rubrics

• With supervisor’s approval

• Will not need engineering degree

Draft of Certificate Program

Had Four Discipline Area

1. Human interactions and communications (4-6 credits)

2. Construction project management (4-6 credits)

3. Construction contract administration (4-6 credits)

4. Other Areas (3-4 credits total)

Funding

• Have 50k in initiative budget• Have asked for 55k more from Workforce

funding• Asked for “super tuition”

– Double– Half to general tuition fund

• FTE

– Half to program

• Should be self supporting

New Faculty

• My plan, need your input

• Perkins – Half ESM and half ENVE

• Other– Half ESM and half Transportation– Never really happened

• New– Half ESM and half construction

Issues

• Stealing students from MS– Not

• Taking resources from other programs– Approaching self support with super tuition

• Administrative burden– Yes– Should get FTE

Administer

• UACP– University of Alaska Corporate Programs

• CDE– UAF Center for Distance Education

• SoM– School of Management– Others

Advantages

• Increase FTEs

• May generate surplus $

• Will increase number of “completions”

• Provide long term strength to ESM

• Provide framework for expansion of construction programs for engineers

Questions