At a time when demand for construction professionals is at an all-time high, the Construction Management program at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) is one of the few in New England doing its part to meet the needs of industry through the development of top-tier talent.
An important part of this educational delivery is, without doubt, the industry relationships that have been formed between the program and local industry, coupled with the hands-on, experiential nature of the programming. With the backing of the institution’s 175-year legacy as the oldest public university in Connecticut (a milestone being celebrated this year), the Construction Management program, nationally accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), has answered the calls of industry for nearly 50 years.
A program in evolution
There are many different pathways to a career in Construction Management, and they all converge at CCSU. Whether it’s a tradesperson who sees the opportunity to upgrade, or a student fresh out of secondary school who sees a future in the field, the program is a gateway to countless opportunities thanks to the relationships and longevity of the school and the program.
Construction Management teaches the necessary analytical, technical, decision-making, and communication skills required by the industry to lead projects, people, and resources. Much of this is taught through in-person interaction and experiential learning (most of which came to a screeching halt during the pandemic).
While the construction industry was deemed an essential service, the pandemic had implications for the institution, as it needed to quickly pivot to ensure that the needs of industry continued to be met while keeping students and faculty safe. Online course delivery became the norm, which was a real challenge given the interpersonal, relationship-based field of study that is Construction Management.
Luckily, the program enjoyed stable enrolment throughout the pandemic, and when CCSU was cleared to do so, in-person classes resumed. A hybrid delivery system was introduced, and internal changes took place that further elevated the value of the Construction Management program and the professionals who graduate from it.
“There are two things we tell students that construction managers must be able to do: solve problems and communicate, neither of which are specific construction skills, but are life skills,” says Dr. Jacob Kovel, professor emeritus.
As he explains, “All of the companies were still working at relatively full strength, which means they needed management personnel, and they continued to get them from CCSU.”
Building relationships
Throughout the history of the Construction Management program, enrolment has consistently grown, and so too have the resources to support student success. These resources included an increase in faculty size.
“Each faculty member has fewer advisees to work with, so that gives them more time for individual students,” Dr. Kovel explains. “When I started, I had over 140 advisees at one time and to meet with all 140 was almost impossible. Now the faculty is down to 40 advisees each, which means more time with each student.”
Having both an experienced faculty with expertise in the field and the classroom, and younger professionals who bring new perspectives, CCSU has a strong balance to offer students. For Dr. Kovel, “The newer generation has different skill sets and hopefully these will enhance the education process for the kids that are coming out; they’ll bring their new skill sets to the industry, and that will enhance industry as we go forward,” he believes.
“One of the nice things about the Construction Management program is that we use a lot of faculty members who are currently working in the field to teach their particular skill sets. While doing that, they bring their already established relationships with them to the university.” And so an entire pipeline of contacts—and consequently, opportunity—is in place for students upon graduation.
Relationships are critical to the success of the program and so they remain a priority of program administrators as they continue to raise interest in the program through company visits, career fairs, and other outreach efforts to bring academia and industry together for mutual benefit. The program enjoys a job placement rate of over 95 percent, a testament to its ability to meet the needs of the industry. This is facilitated through feedback loops with its alumni and the Industry Advisory Board.
For Dr. Kovel, the proof is in the demand the program fosters. “If we weren’t producing quality students to be constructors, then nobody would be coming here to help and nobody would be interested. But they continue to be interested in our students because we’re responsive to them… that relationship is just beyond compare,” he says. “We’ve produced good people for a very long time, and that helps with the tie between us and industry. It allows us to produce quality students who become quality constructors, and that’s the ultimate goal.”
Sustaining demand
Even though demand for Construction Management personnel is high, CCSU cannot grow unfettered, as it would have negative implications for course delivery and the perceived value of the education. High demand in the industry can also pose a challenge for the institution: enrolment suffers as a booming economy reduces demand for graduate studies. “There are so many jobs and so much work out there that a lot of the traditional graduate students that we look for are working way more than they were before and don’t have time to come back and spend it in a graduate program.”
Efforts are underway to reshape the graduate program, with plans to potentially expand it into a doctoral program in Construction Management. “From the academic standpoint, our target students would be very experienced industry people who could, in the same way as the Master’s degree students, work part-time and do a doctoral program, and at the end of that make a transition to education as a second career, much like I did,” says Dr. Kovel. But he reiterates that the availability of work makes it hard to balance education. This initiative aims to develop the next generation of Construction Management professionals while also preparing future educators, so as to sustain the future of the program and the field.
“We are getting more people because the program is getting bigger incrementally, which helps,” Dr. Kovel shares. “It allows us to do more things for the students, and if we can do more things for the students, that ends up doing more things for industry, because our students are better prepared and better equipped to do the things they need to do.”
The continuing success of the program stands as a testament to this collaboration between academia and industry. By fostering strong relationships, prioritizing hands-on learning, and evolving to meet the changing needs of the field, the program has consistently prepared students to excel in their careers while addressing the demands of a growing industry. With plans to expand its offerings and an unwavering commitment to quality education, CCSU continues to solidify its role as a leader in shaping the future of Construction Management.
