often include courses in both engineering and busi-
ness. Overall, however, there is no specified or basic
group of courses or standard for recipients of Con-
struction Engineering Management degrees.
Other problems also exist, such as the lack of quali-
fied teachers. This does not mean that those who are
teaching are not excellent people, but they have limit-
ed experience in construction engineering manage-
ment. Also, teachers receive lower salaries than those
who use similar or the same talents on the job. There
are other problems in the universities, such as the
Engineering teachers in academia generally receive lower
competition for the course offered by the College of
salaries than those in industry, contributing to a genera/
Business, College of Engineering, or the College of
shortage of college teachers.
Architecture.
Equally important are the industry's lack of interest
the responses to this survey, we developed a White
in seeing that educational institutions do a good job
Paper, which included certain basic conclusions.
and a general lack of acceptance of construction man-
l The course would be a graduate-level program.
agement as a profession. Finally, there is a shortage of
The committee, based on input from industry,
dollars for research-research being the amount of
concluded that not all B.S. degree undergradu-
money universities need to supplement instructors'
ates knew if they were managerial material and if
pay and also to underwrite an investigation to solve
they wanted to go into management.
various problems related to management.
l We felt that a strong B.S. degree program was
essential to developing good construction engi-
neering managers. Consequently, we did not
wish to weaken the criteria and degree require-
In the fall of 1982, I was asked to help the University
ments in the basic fields of engineering.
of Maryland set up a Construction and Entzineerine
l The graduate-level approach gave industry lead-
Management course. Why they asked me is not entire-
ers the time to evaluate an individual's potential
ly clear. Nevertheless, having had 40 years experience
for growth as a manager.
in the field, I had many contacts and associates to call
on for help. In becoming involved in the situation, I
The White Paper recommended 30 credit hours, of
learned that some of the problems I just related had
which four courses (or 12 hours), would be from the
been recognized and were being resolved at Maryland.
College of Business. The remaining six courses, or 18
credit hours, would be from the College of Engineer-
Most important, this course had been financed by the
generous donation by a Regent of the University of
ing. This turned out to be a very good breakdown and
Maryland, James A. Clark, of Hyman Construction
allowed us to start our course using available assets.
Company and Omni Construction. Also, the College of
The industry responses were fairly clear as to the
Engineering took firm control by initiating and assum-
subjects most valuable to them. The following were
ing responsibility for the program.
mentioned in the industry leader responses in the
A committee was established (with Mr. Clark as
percentagesshown:
chairman and myself as vice chairman) to develop this
Contractual Law . . . . . . . . 82%
construction engineering and management program.
Construction Methods... 82%
The committee also included individuals from Stanford
Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . .75%
University, the Corps of Engineers, the University of
Financial Management... 75%
Maryland, and industry.
Managerial Systems..... 73%
Cost Control . . . . . . . . . . . 55%
Subjects mentioned less frequently included project
simulation, local relations, materials, mega-projects
We began our work with a survey, by personal
statistics,andaccounting.
contact and letter, of principal executives of some
The White Paper was approved by the appropriate
major U.S. companies involved in engineering and
authorities and classes began in 1984. By 1985, a faculty
construction. We asked these leaders one fundamental
of four was established and hired, and the student load
question: "If you were to receive a graduate from the
had grown to be the second largest in the graduate-
level engineering course. A class on one subject was
University of Maryland's Construction Engineering
Management course, what would be the educational
attended by 40 students, of which half came from
assets that you would like him to bring to you?" From
industry.
THE MILITARY ENGINEER, NO. 511
583
G-2
Previous Page
