The ECS Construction Collaborative is a new co-curricular cooperative made up of three passionate student organizations – the Construction Engineering Management Association (CEMA), the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) – that aims to introduce and integrate critical construction concepts for a student body who already have a strong civil engineering foundation. Ultimately, the Collaborative seeks to equip Titan graduates with the tools they will need to enter the workforce ready to meet industry requirements.
Specifically, the Collaborative seeks to help students develop skills in:
- Client and C-Suite communication
- Teamwork
- Building information modeling (BIM)
- Quantity takeoffs
- Primavera P6
- Building and reading plans
- Time and project management
- Financial risk analysis
- Project cash flow planning
“The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is thrilled to embark on this collaborative opportunity for students aspiring to contribute to the construction and enhancement of our infrastructure,” says Phoolendra Mishra, department chair. “Co-curricular experiences play a pivotal role in broadening the horizons of students at CSUF. We anticipate introducing our students to a wealth of practical construction engineering concepts and fostering skill-based learning through this initiative.”
In the short term, the Construction Collaborative seeks to increase CSUF team participation at the Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition in Reno, Nevada. The competition, which includes categories for heavy civil, commercial, mixed-use, design-build, mechanical, preconstruction, project management, and sustainable building, aligns with the Collaborative’s intended growth areas.
Competitions provide terrific opportunities for engineering students to practice working under pressure, build new skills, connect with professionals in various industries, and meet innovative peers with whom they might one day work. At the ASC Student Competition, students are presented with a problem statement and have 12 to 14 hours to devise a solution. The second day is dedicated to student team presentations, where they showcase their solutions to judges from industry and academia.
In 2024, CSUF sent one team to the ASC competition. With support from additional industry partners, our goal is to send four student teams to the 2025 competition.
The Construction Collaborative is also seeking support from committed industry partners to expand its programming and presence on campus. Members would like to host industry speakers and offer a culminating luncheon for ASC teams and Collaborative sponsors.
Various levels of support for the Construction Collaborative at CSUF are available. Please contact Associate Director of Development Alex Choperena at achoperena@fullerton.edu.
