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CBU - Construction Management— Continuous Quality Improvement Process (CQIP)

Assessment for the Construction Management Program is directed by the Department Chair in

conformance with the University’s assessment framework and ACCE requirements. A

“Continuous Quality Improvement Process” (CQIP) framework for the CM program has been

developed in support of program evaluation and effectiveness as displayed by the following:

The assessment results are used to continuously improve the quality of the Construction

Management program by updating and/or revising course syllabi, course content and instruction

methods.

The three levels that measure performance are described following;

Level I – Program Goals

At this level, assessment tools draw from the following:

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a) Advisory Board: Feedback from the advisory board that meets twice annually in support of

program quality improvement. Feedback at meetings become action items for that semester.

b) Student Club Activities: The student club participates in various community activities to help

them obtain their 25 community service hours for EGR 103 which is a required course in the

program.

Level II – Program Outcomes

At this level, assessment tools draw from the following:

a) Graduate Surveys: All graduating seniors are asked to complete a formal exit survey as it relates

to their learning experience as viewed from the program’s mission and stated objectives.

b) Senior Exit Interviews: All graduating seniors are asked to participate in a group exit interview

as it relates to the program’s mission and stated objectives.

c) Employer Surveys: Employer surveys are designed to collect feedback on each program

objective of the Construction Management program. Surveys will be forwarded to the

construction companies where program graduates have been employed for the past two years.

d) Construction Management Alumni Surveys: Alumni surveys will be forwarded to graduates who

have been employed for the past two years.

Level III – Course Objectives/Outcomes

At this level, assessment tools draw from the following:

a) Pre/Post Course Evaluations: These evaluations help instructors to determine what students

know during the first week of a course and allow students to reflect on what they have learned at

the end of the semester. The Pre/Post Course Evaluation questions are contoured around the

course Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) for that specific course.

b) Student Work: Homework/Test/Quizzes/ and Lab Report grades help demonstrate the level

of achievement with respect to course student learning outcomes.

c) Nationalized Exam: Part of the capstone experience is for students to take the AIC

Nationalized exam. The results of the exam helps set the bar for continued improvement.

d) Industry Certificates: Students obtain various industry certificates that are required and

integrated into their course requirements. Successful completion of these certificates help set the

bar for continued improvement.

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e) Capstone Panel Feedback: Industry professionals are invited to be part of the capstone

presentations – professional industry feedback on the capstone delivery is used for continued

quality improvement.

The following outline provides an overview on the various assessment tools used in the program

in support of the CQIP framework.

Assessment Tool Description Assessment Findings

Graduate Survey

Focuses on program strengths, weaknesses,

additional suggestions, and program

objectives.

Assessment findings are based on a Likert

Scale in support of program objectives as

demonstrated in attached example in

appendices

Senior Exit Interview

Focuses on group feedback in support of

student suggestions for improving the

program.

Assessment findings are drawn from a group

interview based on 5 questions and an open

section for suggestions.

Employer Survey (Internships)

Focuses on Program Objectives as viewed

from an employer’s platform.

Assessment findings are based on a Likert

Scale in support of program objectives as

demonstrated in attached example in the

appendices

Alumni Survey

Survey will be administered to graduates two

years after their graduation. It will focus on

how well they can apply what they learned in

their profession.

Assessment survey will focus on the program

objectives and how well students feel they were

prepared for success in the field. (Survey will

be administered in Fall 2016)

Pre/Post Course Evaluation

Administered to students at the beginning and

end of each course to determine their level of

understanding before and after a course has

been taught.

Assessment findings are based on the student

learning outcomes for each class as

demonstrated in attached example in the

appendix

Student Work

Administered during every semester in the

form of Assignments, Tests, Quizzes, Lab

Repots, and Projects. Focuses on how well

students comprehend course material.

Assessment findings are based on student work

in all CM related courses as demonstrated

through examples in provided binders. The

Student Learning Outcome rubric is used in all

classes to measure student learning outcomes.

Nationalized Exam

The AIC Nationalized exam is a requirement

for all senior students to take. Focuses on

competencies across all Student Learning

Outcomes (SLO’s).

Assessment findings are based on the AIC

exam, required for all senior students.

Professional Certificates

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Two industry certificates are required for all

CM students; OSHA-30 hour certificate and

LEED Green Associate. This focuses on

industry requirements in these fields.

Assessment findings are based on the outcomes

of the OSHA and LEED Nationalized exams –

an exam scorecard is attached in the appendix.

Capstone Panel Feedback

Industry professionals are invited to evaluate

the student capstone experience. Focuses on

student learning outcomes relevant to the

specific project.

Assessment findings are based on a questioner

outline provided to industry professionals

during capstone – an evaluation scorecard is

attached in the appendices

The following outline provides a description of each assessment tool and how the data collected

is used to measure the achievements of the Construction Educational Degree program’s

Educational Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s).

Assessment Tool Description How Collected Data are used

Graduate Survey

Focuses on program strengths, weaknesses,

additional suggestions, and program

objectives (copy provided in appendix)

Strengths, weaknesses, and additional suggestions

will be aligned and integrated against the program at

large in specific courses.

Senior Exit Interview

Focuses on group feedback in support of

student suggestions for improving the

program (copy provided in appendix)

Senior exit interview feedback will be aligned and

integrated against the program at large in support of

suggested improvement which will then be

implemented across courses and areas of need.

Employer Survey (Internships)

Focuses on Program Objectives as viewed

from an employer’s platform.

Employer feedback is aligned and integrated across

the program course spectrum where student

weaknesses are addressed as it relates to specific

courses. Internship feedback gets implemented as

early as the consecutive semester.

Alumni Survey

Survey will be administered to graduates

two years after their graduation. It will

focus on how well they can apply what they

learned in their profession (copy provided

in appendix)

Alumni Survey data will be collected two years from

now based on the first graduating class in May 2014.

Feedback will eventually be aligned and integrated

against the program at large.

Pre/Post Course Evaluation

Administered to students at the beginning

and end of each course to determine their

level of understanding before and after a

course has been taught (copy provided in

appendix)

Pre course evaluation feedback is primarily for

instructor use. Post course evaluations are compared

with pre course evaluations as a measure of student

reflected learning.

Student Work

Administered during every semester in the

form of Assignments, Tests, Quizzes, Lab

Repots, and Projects. Focuses on how well

Data collection on student work is an ongoing

endeavor which is administered every semester. Data

collection on student work provides an overview on

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students comprehend course material

(examples provided in binders)

the quality of student work. The analyzed results of

the collected work are implemented the next time that

course is offered.

Nationalized Exam

The AIC Nationalized exam is a

requirement for all senior students to take.

It focuses on competencies across all

Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s)

(outcome report provided in appendix)

Data collected from Nationalized exam results is

aligned and integrated across courses and the program

at large. Nationalized exam averages are used to help

guide the set program benchmark average in support

of continues improvement.

Professional Certificates

Two industry certificates are required for

students to obtain: OSHA-30 hour

certificate and LEED Green Associate.

These certificates focus on industry

requirements in these fields (certificate of

completion copy provided in appendix)

Data collected from industry certificate completion

rates are used as a measurement on how well students

do outside the university testing platform. This data is

used to encourage students to participate in continued

learning and credentialing during and beyond their

student journey.

Capstone Panel Feedback

Industry professionals are invited to

evaluate the student capstone experience. It

focuses on Student Learning Outcomes

(SLO’s) relevant to the specific project.

(copy provided in appendix)

Data collection obtained from the Industry Capstone

Panel is aligned and integrated across course offerings

in the program. Feedback is used to improve the next

capstone experience.

The following section provides the results of the latest assessment cycle which includes:

Graduate Survey:

The following form represents the Graduating Survey; A Graduation Survey was administered to

the first graduating class of May 2014 (N=4). The survey comprised of the student’s evaluations

of the Program Services and the Program Outcomes. It was administered on a five-point, Likert

scale with the date received represented below:

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2014 Graduate Survey Response (Program Outcomes)

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Senior Exit Interview:

CM – Senior Exit Interview Rubric

Questions Some Student Comments

What marks your highlight in the CM program?

Highlights include:

Relationships with professors

The Reno competition

Hands on class experience

What do you view as an area for improvement in the CM program?

Improvements include:

More experience

Additional accreditations beyond OSHA-30 and LEED

More about code

More professors

What do you view as an areas of strength in the CM program?

Strengths include:

Professors

The amount of hands-on and real world experience

Professors’ passion for teaching and growing the program

What would you personally like to change in the CM program?

Areas of change include:

The class structure

Some required classes in the program

A set class schedule

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Employer Survey (Internships):

The Internship Survey was sent to companies that employed students over the summer months.

Supervisors were asked to complete the survey, rating students based on their performance. The

survey was administered on a five-point, Likert scale with room for additional comments. The

following form represents the survey framework and is followed by the tabulated results of the

2014 Summer Internships. (N=2) Surveys were also conducted for the Summer 2012 and

Summer 2013 Internships, however, information was only provided for the 2014 Summer

Internships. It was administered of a five-point, Likert scale with the data received represented in

figures 11, 12 and 13 under three group headings namely, students display, students

demonstrated, and students work well within team settings.

Beginning Average Annual Graduate Salaries:

Graduate Breakdown Average Annual Salary

All graduates earning between

$48,000 and $ 65,000 a year

$ 43,000

75% of Graduates Earn $52,000 and $ 57,333.33

Construction Management Summer Internship Evaluations

2014

Student’s Performance Rated On: Total

Percentage:

Students Worked Well within Team Setting: 90%

Students Displayed:

Effective Writing Skills 60%

Effective Understanding of Constructions

Terms and Concepts

70%

Students Demonstrated:

Punctual Behavior 90%

Effective Problem Solving Skills 60%

Effective Oral Communication Skills 70%

The Ability to Acquire and Process New

Information

70%

Effective Use of Construction Software

Applications (IT)

90%

Leadership Qualities Pertaining to his/her

Responsibilities

80%

The Ability to Complete Tasks on Time 60%

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above a year

Highest Earning Graduate $65,000

Average Annual Salary $ 57,333.33

Alumni Survey:

To be administered in summer 2016

Pre/Post Course Evaluation:

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Student Work:

Nationalized Exam

Associate Constructor Examination Scores, March 2014

Content Area Max

Possible

CBU

Ave.

National

Ave.

Communication Skills 31 18 20.23

Engineering Concepts 15 6.50 9.08

Management Concepts 36 23.25 25

Materials, Methods, and

Project Modeling and

Visualization

31 18.25 20.49

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Bidding and Estimating 45 24 28.62

Budgeting, Cost, and Cost

Control 33 17.25 23.12

Planning, Scheduling, and

Schedule Control 45 30.25 32.36

Construction Safety 21 15.25 15.12

Construction Geomantic 7 3.50 4.59

Project Administration 36 24.50 26.27

Professional Certificates:

Certificate Passing Rate

OSHA 30 Hour Certificate 100%

LEED Green Associate 50%

DBIA – Fundamentals of

Project Delivery

75%

Capstone Panel Feedback:

The following form represents the Capstone Panel Feedback Survey. A panel of industry

practitioners evaluates the Senior Capstone project. This evaluation method applies strictly to

senior students; however, general feedback is integrated across the program at large. The form

used to evaluate the first graduating class of May 2014 (N=4) is below, as well as the tabulated

results of the student’s evaluation.

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Capstone Industry Panel Feedback Average Response:

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CBU Construction Management Mission— The Bachelor of Science in Construction

Management degree prepares students with competence and character to successfully complete

construction projects on time, within budget, while adhering to construction standards and safety

guide lines as it relates to the built environment.

CBU Construction Management Goals—The program incorporated the following 21 Student

Learning Outcomes (SLO’S) into its teaching platform in support of the American Council of

Construction Education (ACCE) learning outcome framework. These Student Learning

Outcomes (SLO’s) reflect the program’s goals for its students:

1. Be able to create oral presentations appropriate to the construction discipline.

2. Be able to create written communications appropriate to the construction

discipline.

3. Be able to apply appropriate knowledge of mathematics, science, and business

fundamentals.

4. Be able to apply construction management skills as an effective member of a

multi-disciplinary team.

5. Be able to analyze professional decisions based on ethical principles.

6. Be able to analyze methods, materials, and equipment used to construct projects.

7. Be able to understand the purposes of individuals, companies and agencies

involved in the construction process.

8. Be able to analyze construction documents for planning and management of

construction processes.

9. Be able to understand the basic principles of structural behavior.

10. Be able to understand the basic principles of mechanical, electrical and plumbing

systems.

11. Be able to understand the basic principles of sustainable construction.

12. Be able to apply basic surveying techniques for construction layout and control.

13. Be able to create construction project cost estimates.

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14. Be able to create construction project schedules.

15. Be able to understand construction accounting and cost control.

16. Be able to understand construction risk management.

17. Be able to understand the legal implications of contract, common, and regulatory

law to manage a construction project.

18. Be able to create a construction project safety plan.

19. Be able to understand construction project control processes.

20. Be able to understand construction quality assurance and control.

21. Be able to apply appropriate state-of-the-art electronic-based technology to

manage the construction process.