The Blueprint for Success: Construction Mgmt Students Win Big

Published: March 23, 2012 | Author: Jennifer Burt | Read Time: 2 minutes

Students in Southern Utah University’s department of Construction Management are building bright futures, one blueprint at a time.

T-Birds took their skills on the road and competed in the Associated Schools of Construction regional tournament in Reno, NV recently. Rising above the competition from other universities in the West, SUU’s team was awarded first place in the ‘mixed-use’ category.

The competition is a rigorous challenge that tests the skills of students in nearly every phase of construction, from start to finish.

The two-day event begins at 7 a.m., when teams are given a full set of blueprints for a building project, complete with detailed specifications and sub-contractor bids. For the next fourteen hours, teams must outline a budget, complete management and safety plans, identify contractors and map out a project timeline. The students then compile their plans into a 30-minute proposal which they present to a panel of judges.

This year’s competition was the second for Nathan Tilley, vice president of SUU’s Construction Management Club. He believes that the competition is “the best thing that SUU offers to take what we’ve learned in class and use it in a real world scenario.”

SUU’s team of six almost didn’t make it to the competition this year, as budget cuts vacated funding for the event. Thanks to the hard work of the Construction Management Club who raised money to fund the trip through sponsorships and a donation from the student senate, the team was able to not only participate but to win top honors in the annual event.

A cash prize of $1,500 was awarded to the SUU team, who unanimously decided to donate the funds to their club to support next year’s trip. “We felt like it was the right thing to do so that others could compete next year,” Tilley said.

For more information on the Construction Management Club or to become a member, please contact Professor Boyd Fife at 435-586-7978 or fife@suu.edu.

---

Contact Information:

435-586-5400
Contact the Office of Marketing Communication