Strategic plan
NAU Construction Management
Our mission at Construction Management at NAU is to create the next generation of high-performance construction professionals. In our department, our core values are people, partnerships and performance.
Our purpose
Construction Managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise the construction of the world’s infrastructure. That global infrastructure includes the houses, offices, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and transportation systems that make up the civilized world. Because the world’s infrastructure is in continual need of replacement and improvement, construction projects are a significant part of the global economy.
Given the collaborative nature of the business, construction managers participate in the design and operation of complex facilities. These professionals work closely with owners, architects, engineers, building officials and trade workers and thus must have strong communication skills and a solid technical understanding of a broad set of disciplines.
Northern Arizona University’s Construction Management emphasizes high-performance sustainable building systems, lean construction processes and collaborative partnerships. Students are introduced to basic construction science topics that include material properties, construction methods, system analysis and design, plan reading and geomatics. They also gain an understanding of fundamental business topics including accounting, business law, finance, marketing and management principles. These foundations lead to higher-level subjects in the areas of estimating, scheduling, project control, risk and safety management, operations, ethics, and project management. Throughout their academic career, students collaboratively apply classroom skills in a unique hands-on integrated laboratory environment called Construct for Practice (C4P). Construct for Practice simulates the design, construction, and management of “real” construction project.
Core values & goals
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People
| Recruit and retain a balance of excellent students, faculty, and staff |
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| Create and implement a plan to manage program growth that focuses on attracting prepared and motivated students, expert and diverse faculty, and adequate support staff. |
| Create and implement a six-year leadership development and succession plan |
| Secure external funding ("Friends of Faculty fund") of $50k annually to support a comprehensive plan for support of faculty professional development |
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Partnerships
| Enhance our collaborations with industry, community and within NAU |
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| Develop and implement industry partnership plan that targets diverse sectors and brings expert knowledge into the program |
| Develop and pilot an Executive in Residence Program |
| Provide educational and career opportunities for partners outside of undergraduate program |
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Performance
| Develop a curriculum and an educational environment that focuses on collaboration, student success and high performance systems |
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| Integrate high-performance building systems and lean principles into a streamlined, horizontally and vertically integrated curriculum |
| Enhance student learning by implementing innovative, learner-centered and research-based pedagogies in all CM courses |
| Increase scholarly output and enhance scholarly reputation of program |