University of Minnesota Construction Management Program
Annual Plan* 2024–25

Mission Statement

Preparing future construction leaders to sustainably manage the built environment.

Program Goals

The goals of our construction management program are as follows:

  1. Graduate well-qualified major/minor/certificate students
  2. Partner with the University of Minnesota College of Design (CDES), College of Science and Engineering (CSE), Sustainability Studies Management (SSM), and the Housing Studies program to serve the construction industry
  3. Collaborate with other regional construction management programs to serve industry
  4. Develop industry relationships to support student contact with industry mentors, internships, and employment
  5. Contribute to the growth and improvement of the construction industry

*updated yearly

GOAL 1: Graduate well-qualified major/minor/certificate students

Goal 1a. Maintain Program Accreditation

  • Maintain ABET accreditation by filing the annual report and renewal each fall; full re-accreditation was achieved in 2019 for six years and extended to 2026.
  • Update the annual strategic plan each fall; completed with the current report.
  • Collect student outcomes data on an ongoing basis; most core courses continuously gather data through the Canvas LMS.
  • Maintain the outcomes assessment plan on an ongoing basis; course outcomes are updated as needed.

Goal 1b. Review Curriculum to Reflect Changes in Industry and Student Needs

  • Update the list of courses for review each semester; schedule course reviews and request ATD review of Canvas sites.
  • Conduct course reviews each semester; all courses are reviewed by the Program Director and Faculty Director every three years.
  • Review curriculum for course development, redevelopment, and modality changes on an ongoing basis; course development is approved by the CCAPS Curriculum Committee, with ATD support for Canvas maintenance and development.
  • Developed MATH 1042: Mathematics of Design (2017) in collaboration with the Math Department to meet the calculus requirement.
  • Developed a student Writing Style Guide (2015); website is continually updated, and a supporting textbook was published in fall 2021.
  • Developed a Teaching with Writing Guide (Summer 2018) through a grant supporting the Third Writing Plan; teaching assistants created improved writing rubrics for faculty.
  • Plan to develop supplemental online resources in risk, delivery methods, ethics, vocabulary, and building techniques; currently low priority with no allocated resources.

1c. Provide High-Quality Student Assessment and Advising

  • Monitor CCAPS Learner Survey results annually; survey conducted biennially and includes advising questions.
  • Track student meetings, enrollment, graduation, and attrition annually; meetings recorded in A Plus system, enrollment and completion data tracked in PeopleSoft.
  • Monitor upper-division completion rates annually; 2023–24 admits show a two-year graduation rate of 16.7%.
  • Plan to develop a system for collecting student ePortfolios; currently a placeholder with no implementation.

Goal 1d. Support Student Development

  • Support the CMGT Student Association (CFMSA) on an ongoing basis; advisor and Faculty Director coordinate organizational continuity.
  • Facilitate student construction site tours on an ongoing basis through CFMSA with faculty support.
  • Participate in at least one student competition annually; recent events include NAIOP University Challenge, The Pursuit Competition, and Quiz Bowl.
  • Provide an annual study abroad opportunity; Faculty Director leads a two-week January program in Costa Rica (Pura Vida) focused on development project proposals.
  • Maintain a Sigma Lambda Chi Student Chapter in good standing since Fall 2017.

Goal 1e. Support Faculty Development

  • Provide faculty development presentations twice annually; faculty meetings include technical and learning support from ATD.
  • Maintain Canvas resources for faculty through ATD website on an ongoing basis.
  • Connect faculty to seminars and resources from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on an ongoing basis.
  • Provide ongoing individual consulting on course design and management through ATD and instructional designers.

Goal 1f. Become Active Members of ASC

  • Maintain ASC membership and facilitate annual student participation in competitions; hosted the 2018 ASC International Conference.

GOAL 2. Partner with UMN colleges: College of Design and College of Science and Engineering, to Serve the Construction Industry

  • Invite CSE and CDES students to the annual Built Environment Career Fair; 2025 attendance included 147 CDES, 29 CLA, 23 CSE, and 21 CFANS students.
  • Share class information with CSE and CDES students on an ongoing basis; communicate through advisor networks, participate in juries, and invite students to Study Abroad.
  • Monitor annual enrollments from CDES and CSE; in 2024–25, 51% of non-CCAPS enrollments were CDES and 13% were CSE.
  • Offer and assess CMGT 4003 (Managing in the BIM Environment) each spring and fall; spring 2025 enrollment: 6, fall 2024 enrollment: 13.

Goal 3. Collaborate with Other Regional CMGT Programs

  • Lead the Construct*ium initiative on an ongoing basis; hosted the 2018 ASC Conference and integrate regional faculty into joint initiatives.
  • Participate in Construct*ium conference calls as scheduled by MCA.
  • Participate annually in student competitions, including MCA Leadership Training Academy, Ryan Pursuit Competition, NAIOP University Challenge, and Quiz Bowl.
  • Organize the annual intercollege Built Environment Career Fair; fall 2024 event included 364 students and 70 employers from two regional universities.
  • Serve on the Dakota Tech Advisory Board on an ongoing basis; attended 2–4 times per year.

Goal 4. Develop Industry Relationships

Goal 4a. Develop Internship Opportunities

  • Prepare students annually for the Career Fair through CFMSA-led sessions.
  • Evaluate internships each semester via surveys to current internship students; response rates are limited.
  • Maintain an updated internship employer database on an ongoing basis; currently 593 active contacts.
  • Distribute a virtual career fair PDF annually in spring to employer database; last issued February 2025 with 10 resumes included.

Goal 4b. Expand Development and Endowment Opportunities

  • Review program development plan with CCAPS Outreach and Engagement Director twice annually; development plan updated.
  • Identify and meet with target funders on an ongoing basis; coordinate fundraising initiatives and donor engagement.

Goal 4c. Increase Advisory Board activities

  • Hold Advisory Board meetings twice annually; met twice in 2024–25.
  • Hold committee meetings as needed; Alumni Engagement committee formed in spring 2020 to restructure and reengage alumni.
  • Host internship presentations each semester through Advisory Board members; fall 2024 hosted by JE Dunn, spring 2025 via Zoom.

Goal 4d. Increase Outreach and Friend-Raising Activities

  • Review marketing and media campaigns bi-weekly; marketing representative attends staff meetings.
  • Participate in construction trade associations on an ongoing basis; Faculty Director maintains leadership and membership roles in CMAA, CHSA, AIA, and ACE.
  • Maintain LinkedIn presence with regular updates by staff.
  • Maintain Facebook and Twitter feeds with regular updates by staff.
  • Invite Advisory Board members to class events each semester, including internship presentations, Golden Pen competition, and capstone presentations.
  • Engage Advisory Board and alumni in the CCAPS mentor program annually (currently on hold); in 2024, 80 mentor pairs participated, including five from CMGT.

Goal 5. Contribute to the Growth and Improvement of the Construction Industry

  • Maintain sustainable numbers of major graduates annually; 23 (2024–25), 28 (2023–24), 27 (2022–23).
  • Maintain sustainable course enrollments each term; summer 2025: 33, spring 2025: 451, fall 2024: 395.
  • Maintain sustainable minor and certificate completions annually; 2024–25: 9 minors, 3 certificates; 2023–24: 11 minors, 3 certificates; 2022–23: 11 minors, 6 certificates.
  • Monitor graduate placement and satisfaction annually through a survey prepared by Career and Internship Services; recent outcomes show strong employment (95–100%) and job satisfaction (80–100%) in 2022–2024.
  • Sponsor at least one annual industry outreach event; hosted fall 2024 Career Fair and Golden Pen Award Competition.
  • Offer courses aligned with industry licensing and certifications on an ongoing basis, including OSHA 30 (CMGT 4031 – Construction Safety & Loss Control), Minnesota Stormwater Site Management certificate (CMGT 4081 – Managing Erosion and Sediment Control on Construction Sites), CMIT option (CMGT 4861 – Construction Management Capstone), and FMP option (CMGT 4861 – Construction Management Capstone).