History
The Bachelor of Science in Construction degree has been offered at ASU since 1957. The program, developed from architectural, business, construction, and engineering curricula, was initially in the School of Architecture. In 1969 it was moved to the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, resulting in a broader program that was strongly based on engineering fundamentals. In 1992, a $4 million endowment from the Del E. Webb Foundation enabled the College to create the Del E. Webb School of Construction as a separate school within the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. The Del E. Webb School of Construction is currently developing, in conjunction with its Construction Industry Advisory Council and with the approval of the ASU President Michael Crow, a five year strategic plan that will transform the School into the first fully autonomous entity within ASU. A strategic plan is in development that will make the School the premier construction management program in the world.
Mission
The Del E. Webb School of Construction is one of 52 accredited construction programs through the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) and one of two Schools of Construction in the country. Our mission is to become a national center for construction education, research, and technology transfer, to study innovative technologies for implementation in the construction industry, and to promote international relationships.
The School actively seeks industry participation in fulfilling this mission.
Vision
The Del E. Webb endowment is creating an outstanding program and plans to continue to excel in:
- Educating students in construction management skills.
- Faculty development. Provide funding for faculty to join professional organizations and attend conferences, returning the gathered information to the program and students. Promote faculty growth and provide networking opportunities and information exchange.
- Importing talent and information leading to research. Hire leading constructors to bring their talents to the School.
- Managing and controlling information. Currently we are in the age where continuous and rapid data transfer is taking place. The leader/manager who controls, manages, and properly uses the information survives.
- Industry outreach program. Create an alliance with practicing Constructors within the industry, providing a linkage among players and providing a level playing field for debate and exchanges of ideas.
Our model for excellence emphasizes on technology transfer and the management of information. This requires using resources to improve the program, the graduates, and the industry to:
- Successfully lead and manage the School into the most up-to date level of construction education. The new Constructor will serve in a more central role where s/he will work more closely with the Owners in planning, designing, engineering, building, and leading the construction process. There will be a major emphasis on facility management, the infrastructure, and design/build.
- Bring owners (users of construction) to the School through the Alliance for Construction Excellence (ACE) with performance information data collection and use.
- Develop new research and distance education opportunities.
- Form academic alliances with universities around the world
- Develop a new undergraduate construction engineering option and a Ph.D. program in Construction Management.
- Continue to maintain the best ACCE accredited construction management program in the country.
Objectives
The School has set the following objectives to fulfill its mission:
- Graduate baccalaureate students capable of substantially contributing to the construction industry;
- Offer the best, graduate-level program in the nation that complements the undergraduate curriculum and that enhances the capabilities of those moving into executive positions in the construction industry, as well as provide a source of future educators;
- Obtain sponsored project funding and perform leading-edge research that will provide benefits to the construction industry through innovative technology to the construction industry;
- Operate a dynamic technology transfer and continuing education outreach program with the construction industry.