“The accreditation is a confirmation that the entire program – from curriculum to facilities, from faculty to administration support – meets a rigorous set of standards,” said Bradford Sims, construction management department head and program founder. “These standards, developed initially by the construction industry in about 1970, have undergone continuous refinement, ensuring to employers that an ACCE program meets industry requirements and that students compare equally to other ACCE programs across the United States.”

WCU attained accreditation more quickly than most programs, Sims said. WCU’s program, established in 2002, has been working toward accreditation for five years. WCU graduated its first eight construction management majors in December 2004, and the program generated close to 40 graduates in 2008.

“Accreditation is awarded only after an extensive review of an entire program over several years, including assessments of its mission, objectives, curricula, resources and financial responsibility, as well as the qualifications of its administrators, faculty and staff,” said Robert McMahan, dean of the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology. “This award of accreditation is a testament to the hard work of the faculty and staff of the department to build a nationally prominent construction management program at WCU.”

In addition to an undergraduate degree, the program offers an online master’s degree program in construction management.

In pursuing accreditation, WCU adjusted its program to include a summer minor in land development at the recommendation of the Kimmel School’s Industry Advisory Board, which represents regional and national companies. Program directors are planning to add a summer minor in construction safety management in the near future.

For more information about the construction management program, call (828) 227-2201.

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Last modified: Friday, July 31, 2009