newsletter for students and alumni

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEADConstruction Management

SPRING 2013

Kraus-Anderson Company visits CM department Chad Rettke, senior project manager at Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, visited MSUM’s construction management department last spring to donate items such as hard hats, coffee cups, literature and information about their company.

The gifts were given to inform construction management students of Kraus-Anderson and the opportunities they offer.

Kraus-Anderson has hired many MSUM construction management majors for internships and jobs, with many of the students’ internships turning into full-time employment.

“The reason we kept them on full time was the quality of education they’ve had and the skills that they bring to our company,” Rettke said. “We feel we can help them along and further their education, but they’ve got such a good baseline to start from, and that is certainly a positive that we at Kraus-Anderson view.”

Professor Norma Andersen said the construction management program values the relationships between students and businesses in the industry. “Without them we don’t know if we’re preparing students for the right things. We interact with the industry, get their input, get our students out working with them, and get feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. It helps us build our program.”

Engineering News-Record consistently ranks Kraus-Anderson among the top 50 Construction Management-at-Risk Firms in the United States. Their Minnesota base of operations is supplemented with regional offices.

Kraus-Anderson senior project manager Chad Rettke is pictured with (l to r) Provost Anne Blackhurst, Business & Industry Dean Marsha Weber, and CM Professor Norma Andersen.

Construction Management Golf Event Photos

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CM student, ROTC Cadet named honor graduate at LDACTri-College Army ROTC Cadet Jonathan Kvernen was named the honor graduate, the third Cadet of 435, in the 8th Regiment at the Leadership Assessment Development Course (LDAC) in Fort Lewis, Washington. Kvernen is a 2013 construction management graduate.

Kvernen excelled in every aspect of his leadership assessment at LDAC. He did particularly well as a field leader receiving high marks in his ability to lead soldiers in a tactical environment. Kvernen was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the North Dakota National Guard in May.

As a whole, the Bison Battalion has once again exceeded all measurable US Army Cadet Command statistics at LDAC. The battalion is primed to once again finish among the top programs in the nation. Last year the Bison Battalion was ranked third in the 3rd ROTC Brigade and in the top 10 percent in the nation.

CM students excel at Quiz BowlMSUM construction management students placed second at the 2012 Construction Management Quiz Bowl held at the Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis last fall.

The team of Darren Dell, Danny Hawkins, Dan Watkins and Myles Anderson competed against seven other teams from the University of Minnesota, North Hennepin Community College, MSU Mankato and University of Wisconsin-Stout. It was a three round, Jeopardy-style quiz bowl challenge, and the MSUM team triumphed over MSU Mankato, North Hennepin Community College and University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, placing second to Stout.

They were quizzed on everything from safety, surveying and scheduling, to estimating, contract documents and soils. Despite not prepping for the event, the team made an impressive showing.

Dell credits their performance to the construction management program’s thorough and broad education in the construction process and access to leading construction software that’s used in the industry.

“Our professors have worked in the field as project managers, bringing real life experience to the classroom, and they integrate that experience into every class,” Dell said.

“That’s why we have the best program in the area,” Anderson added.

Our professors have worked in the field as project managers, bringing real life

experience to the classroom, and they integrate that experience into every class.

Pictured L to R: Danny Hawkins, Miles Anderson and Darrin Dell

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3Construction Management spring 2013

You’re Hired!The construction industry is finally on the upswing after a tumultuous few years. The strong hiring record of our recent graduates and the placement of our students for internships are a positive sign for construction professionals and companies nationwide.

Graduates enjoy nearly 100% placementGraduate placement for fall 2011 and spring 2012 graduates remains very high.

Fall 2011 Spring 2012

Placement 100%* 90%

Average Starting Salary $48,000 $48,100**

Companies hiring our graduates: ▸ Casper Construction ▸ Nor-Son ▸ Cherne ▸ I-Kota Construction ▸ R & G Construction ▸ Greiner Construction ▸ Dunnick, Inc. ▸ TIC Weis Builders

Internships essential for student success A required 450-hour internship gives students valuable, real-world experience and the opportunity to develop their project management skills under the guidance of an experienced CM professional. The practical, hands-on immersion into the field reinforces a commitment to the profession and helps students narrow a career path. Many employers consider internship experience in the hiring process, and often look to their own interns as the best candidates for full-time positions!

During the 2011-12 academic year and summer 2012, students have interned at more than 40 construction companies in 10 states, although most students intern in the tri-state area. Recent internships include:

▸ TIC Holdings, Inc. ▸ Kiewit ▸ Weis Builders ▸ Performance Contracting Group ▸ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ▸ Met Council CCPO ▸ Trammell Crow ▸ URS-Washing Demilitarization

Graduating seniors pass Associate Constructor Exam The graduating seniors (Class of 2012) in construction management at both the MSUM and North Hennepin campus locations passed the Associate Constructor exam and exceeded the national average. This is a national exam and compares them to students across the nation majoring in construction management. The results are the best the program has ever achieved.

Fifteen out of 19 students at the MSUM location passed the exam with six scoring above the 70th percentile. To pass the exam students must score 210/300, which on this exam session was at the 43rd percentile. The school average was 221 compared to the national average at 210. The composite scores indicated that there were no weaknesses in the content area tested.

Eight out of 10 students at the NHCC location passed the exam with three scoring above the 70th percentile. The school average was 218 compared to the national average at 210.

Congratulations to all 23 students!

▸ Kadrmas Lee & Jackson ▸ Wanzek ▸ Kiewit ▸ Veit ▸ Industrual Builders ▸ World Engineering, PC ▸ Moorhead Public Service

▸ Lakehead Constructors, Inc. ▸ Construction Engineers ▸ Nebraska Department of Roads ▸ Knife River Corporation ▸ Breezley Management ▸ Comstock Construction ▸ Plus many more firms in Fargo-

Moorhead and the tri-state area

* This was the first time in several years we achieved 100% placement.

** The average salary was down a little from previous years because more students chose local jobs rather than taking employment with national companies.

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How can you support the CM program?By Rebecca Young, Class of 2000

MSUM’s Construction Management program is striving to encourage alumni support in a variety of ways. Oftentimes, alumni are hesitant about connecting with their alma mater because they think they will be pressured to give a monetary donation. While money is a wonderful gift, there are many other ways you can support our program and encourage student development.

How can you help? ▸ Volunteer to guest speak during classes on topics such as estimating, scheduling,

project management, time management, leadership, cost accounting, soils or an other area of interest

▸ Host a jobsite tour at your jobsite or current place of business ▸ Donate time to help set up the department’s hands-on lab for students ▸ Donate hardhats or company posters ▸ Donate materials or blueprints for class projects ▸ Attend alumni gatherings ▸ Offer internships for current students ▸ Stay in touch with your current information so we can contact you about

upcoming events

As a former student, proud alumna and new faculty member, my goal is to reach out to all alumni to show you how you can help us grow this program. I am proud of MSUM and the program, and want to see this program succeed in years to come! If you wish to offer your time or talent, please contact any of the faculty members below for more information!

Scott Seltveit, seltveit@mnstate.edu

Norma Andersen, andersen@mnstate.edu

Rebecca Young, rebecca.young@mnstate.edu

Students present capstone projects to industry professionalsFour groups of students presented their senior capstone projects to industry professionals and faculty last fall. It’s the first time construction management professionals have been invited to review and critique capstone projects. The students presented on the following projects: IKEA, Buck’s Archery, Pure Heaven Sculpt and Relax, and an Apple store renovation.

Since final arrangements were made at the end of the semester, students only had a couple of weeks to prepare for the presentation. Much thanks and appreciation to the following professionals and faculty for their time and expertise: Arnie Jelnek, Barry Welch, Dan Cox, Jason Hellerud and Scott Seltveit.

Norma Andersen featured in Area WomanConstruction Management Professor Norma Andersen was featured in the holiday 2012 issue of Area Woman magazine, which is published in Fargo, N.D. MSUM Marketing intern Kristin Kirtz wrote the story, which focused on the opportunities available to women in the construction management field. You can read the story at http://issuu.com/areawoman, Holiday 2012.

Jason Flack, 2002 construction management graduate and project manager at Comstock Construction, spoke to a construction management class about workplace ethics March 21. His presentation was part of MSUM’s College of Business & Industry Ethics Day.

Minnesota State University Moorhead is an equal opportunity educator and employer and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. This information will be made available in alternate format upon request by contacting Disability Services at 218.477.4318 (voice) or 1.800.627.3529 (MRS/TTY).