Construction management students learn the process of a major construction project directly from the builders and project owners

Rodrigues, Jill

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DOCS@RWU

Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger11-15-2018Making SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Partof the CourseJill RodriguesRoger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationRodrigues, Jill, "Making SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Part of the Course" (2018). Featured News Story. 390.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/39012/7/2018 Making SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Part of the Course | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/making-seccm-labs-construction-meetings-part-course 1/2 News ArchiveMaking SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Part of theCourseConstruction management students learn the process of a major construction projectdirectly from the builders and project ownersNovember 15, 2018 By Jill Rodrigues '05BRISTOL, R.I. – What was that concern about road clearance that came up between the Roger Williams Universityproject managers and the building contractor about the SECCM Labs construction project, asked Lauren Glancy.A temporary road leading to the project site “isn’t wide enough for the  re department,” answered Rob Jones, herclassmate in the construction management course. “They were saying it should be 20 feet but it’s not that wide.”To help the students understand why the Fire Marshal has raised this issue, Professor Gokhan Celik explained that  redepartments require enough space to bring in trucks and access water in case of an emergency during structuralconstruction projects.While it’s not uncommon for classroom discussions like theirs to weave in real-world examples of what’s beingstudied, the students in this course boast the advantage of witnessing  rsthand a large-scale construction project as itunfolds and analyzing the entire process from behind the scenes.That’s because Roger Williams University and Shawmut Design & Construction are partnering to make the SECCMLabs project a “living laboratory” where all students in the School of Engineering, Computing, and ConstructionManagement (SECCM) are observing and learning each step of the project directly from RWU’s Capital Projects sta ,builders, engineers, and designers.Like many SECCM faculty members, Professor Celik integrated the construction project happening at their doorstepinto the curriculum for his courses. Each week, the students in his Construction Project Management and Safetycourse attend the SECCM Labs construction meetings about the status of building permits, site safety, soil testing andmore, then head back to their classroom to explore the aspects of a major construction project from the perspectivesof the contractor and the owner.“Was there anything interesting or surprising from today’s meeting?” Celik asked his students. “Have you realizedanything about the project you hadn’t realized before attending the meeting?”Brian Santoro noted that the status of funding kept coming up. That’s a great example that ties in with their recentclassroom discussion about the funding ability of a project, Celik said12/7/2018 Making SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Part of the Course | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/making-seccm-labs-construction-meetings-part-course 2/2“Contractors have concerns about whether there’s enough money to  nish a project,” said Celik, adding that itimpacts the contractor’s ability to keep to the project schedule and plan ahead. “That’s why you shouldn’t shy awayfrom asking about funding for the project.”When Celik asked why the construction partners were holding a separate meeting that week on “MEP” (mechanical,electrical, and plumbing) coordination, several students knew the importance of planning ahead for that stage.They’ll bring all the subcontractors together “to look at clashes in the model and if plans will interfere with eachother,” Jones answered.And it helps the main contractor “schedule who’s on site at what time to coordinate the work,” Nick Morrison added.“Yes, if you go to one of these meetings” – and the students had been welcomed to join that as well – “you’llrecognize how tight that work is,” Celik said. “There’s a ton of systems crossing each other, and it’s impossible thatthese subcontractors can work independently of each other. This is a time they can all look at the plans and addressproblems before work begins.”Being able to observe the contractors review plans or hear a project manager and architect problem-solve an issueand then take those lessons back to the classroom has been invaluable for Jones.“We get to see real-world construction and apply it to our classes. We’re getting to see it being built in front of oureyes and learn how these meetings take place and what they talk about. That’s pretty valuable to us as students,”Jones said. “This experience will make us stand out [to employers and graduate schools] because not every studentgets an opportunity like this.”ACADEMICS CIVIC SCHOLARS LIFE @ RWU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING, & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Making SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Part of the Course

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Making SECCM Labs Construction Meetings Part of the Course

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