A Model Partnership Between Penn State Harrisburg’s Construction Engineering Technology Program And The Construction Industry
- Conference
- Location
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2008
- Start Date
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June 22, 2008
- End Date
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June 25, 2008
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Construction
- Page Count
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8
- Page Numbers
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13.61.1 - 13.61.8
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--3960
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/3960
- Download Count
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437
Paper Authors
Sofia Vidalis Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg
Dr. Vidalis is an assistant professor of Civil Engineering at Penn State Capital College in Harrisburg, PA. She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. She has worked with Florida Design Consultants for a couple years as a Transportation Engineer. Her current research focuses on quality assurance in pavement construction and materials, construction management, and transportation planning and operations.
Joseph Cecere Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg
Dr. Cecere is an associate professor of engineering and program chair of the Structural Design & Constrction Engineering Technology at Penn State Harrisburg. He is a member of AGC Education Committee, Killinger Rearch subcommittee, AIC Professional Constructor Certification board, and he just completed a six year term on the AGC Research and Education Foundation. Dr.Cecere expertise area is construction mangement, scheduling, safety and estimating.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
A Model Partnership Between Penn State Harrisburg’s Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology Program And The Construction Industry
Abstract
The goal of any engineering technology curriculum at a university is to provide the information and skills so that each student can be successful in his/her chosen career path. This is especially critical for a construction engineering technology program because of the high demand of jobs in the construction industry. The construction industry is constantly changing over the years and this means that university programs should also keep up with that change. That is why the program at Penn State Harrisburg is continuously planning, developing, and modifying its curriculum to keep abreast of the changes and advancements being made in the construction profession. The industrial relationships and partnerships that a program develops are critical elements to its success. The programs that foster and strengthen relationships with construction firms and professional associations will not only benefit the program but also those firms and associations.
This paper will discuss the connection between Penn State Harrisburg's Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology program and the construction industry. Various activities such as student organizations, career fairs, guest speakers, internships, capstone projects, field trips to construction sites, and professional meetings have revealed excellent examples of a win- win relationship for both the Construction Engineering Technology program at Penn State Harrisburg and its partners in the construction industry.
Introduction
Partnership between Educational Institution and Industry is not a new concept in fostering learning among students. There are many universities that work closely with business, government, and industry partners to develop programs to fit their needs. Universities and industries traditionally maintained collaborations by including student internships, faculty exchanges, and industry design projects to complete a degree program. The purpose of these partnerships is to meet the needs of industries, governments, national laboratories, and the training needs of the university students.
The goal of any university engineering technology curriculum is to provide the information and skills so each student can be successful in a chosen career. This is especially critical for a construction engineering technology program. The program is continuously planning, developing, and modifying its curriculum to keep abreast of the changes and advancements being made in the construction profession. The industrial relationships and partnerships that a program develops are critical elements to its success. Programs that foster and strengthen relationships with construction firms and professional associations will not only benefit the program but also construction firms and associations.
Vidalis, S., & Cecere, J. (2008, June), A Model Partnership Between Penn State Harrisburg’s Construction Engineering Technology Program And The Construction Industry Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3960
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