CSTC projects were initiated in the Fall Semester in 1994 as part of a new course, CEE 530 – Construction Professional Practice Seminar, which is required of all students in the Master of Engineering (MEng) in Construction Engineering and Management (CE&M) at the University of Michigan. In its first four years, which ended in April 1998, CSTC teams completed 19 projects for nine industry clients (see last page of nomination for list of clients and projects). Professor Robert I. Carr created the Construction Professional Practice Seminar and its CSTC, and he has recruited its industry clients and supervised the work of all teams.

Most university construction programs have had internships, coop programs, and/or summer work programs. Many individual students and teams have worked with industry people in research to solve industry problems. Many business schools have recently initiated student team consulting programs, as described in a recent cover story in Fortune. However, the CSTC at the University of Michigan is the first such formal student team consulting program in construction.

Students take CEE 530 in two successive semesters, starting in either September or January. In their first semester in CEE 530 students form teams of two to four students. Each team selects and contacts an industry client and meets with the client to identify a client problems on which the team can work and develop a project plan. In the second semester, each team performs the work in its project plan to solve its client’s problem. Each team prepares a report for the client and makes an oral presentation to the client and to the Construction Professional Practice Seminar.

Its clients’ implementation of student team products and their repeated participation prove the success of the CSTC program. For example, the first year’s projects successfully

1. determined contract document inaccuracies and scheduled contractors’ and subcontractors’ crews on hospital renovation for ADA for O’Neal Construction,
2. improved the project conceptual planning program at Detroit Edison, and
3. developed a plan for removing and transporting a historic bridge, some of which items were implemented by the Merriman Construction.

Students are universally enthusiastic about CSTC and consider it a major benefit of their graduate education. The number of CSTC client candidates continues to grow (Turner Construction is added for 1998-99), and clients compete for CSTC. The University of Michigan program proves the benefits of a CSTC program, and we encourage other universities to initiate similar programs to benefit their students and the industry.

First Semester: Students form student teams. Teams select and contact industry clients (contractor, owner, architect, engineer, union, etc). Teams and client select a project topic and produce a project plan for work in the second semester. Project represents 30 hours of work per team member spread over the semester. Team makes presentation of the plan to the Construction Professional Practice Seminar.

Second Semester: Each student team works with its client to address the client’s problem or to improve the client’s function. The team prepares a report for client and makes a 30-minute presentation to the client and at the Construction Professional Practice Seminar. Project represents 90 hours of work per team member spread over the semester.

⁺ Projects in Fall 1998 and later were completed after September 15, 1998 and were not part of the Nova Award Nomination.