"Construction regulations and organizational management" - A case study of a new course introduction to the civil engineering curriculum

Through their careers, the Civil Engineering graduates may become project managers who will be leading the engineering teams. For such purpose, they will need the outlooks, perspectives, and ways of thinking, knowing, and doing appropriate for professional practice across economic sectors that are, in often cases, beyond the technical competencies that are taught in traditional classroom. These competencies include, but not limited to, engineering entrepreneurship and engineering enterprise management, ethical and professional considerations in engineering practice and decision making, critical thinking skills and engineering problem solving creativity, intercultural awareness in managing multinational and multi-background engineering teams as well as sustainability and environmental awareness. These competencies correspond to a number of ABET outcomes including to analyze social context in historical and contemporary settings; to communicate effectively in writing and visual presentation; to engage effectively in diverse teams; to reflect and act ethically; to engage in lifelong learning; and to design in context. However, there are few courses in engineering curricula that could encompass all these competencies in one single course. "Construction Regulations and Organizational Management" is a graduate/senior level course that is designed and introduced to the Civil Engineering curriculum with these objectives in mind. A Project-Based-Learning (PBL) course in nature, the first module of the course engages student teams to research on the engineering entrepreneurship and the required regulations for starting a design/construction firm either in the United States or internationally. As the course progresses, the students will make presentations on safety, environmental and risk management considerations for administration of a small engineering enterprise. The second module of the course focuses on the introduction of professionalism and Engineering Ethics to the students as well as theories of organizational behavior and employee motivation. Students are asked to research on ethical considerations and cultural aspects of engineering managing in another country and compare cases of successful project management and delivery due to such differences. Finally, in preparing the students for the professional job market, the third module of the course requires the students to choose a large global engineering / construction firm in which they will be interested for an internship or full-time employment and so conduct research on their operations, management processes, future growth opportunities and financial strengths and weaknesses.