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Steve Hudson

Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Program At Middle Tennessee State University Preparing Students For Concrete Careers
September 26, 2008

Education’s something that’s near and dear to my heart, whether it’s working with young kids in elementary schools or working with more seasoned learners at the college level. But it particularly does my heart good to get a glimpse of the practical side of education – and I received a news release the other day that let me see exactly that.

I found it fascinating, and I thought you’d like to learn about it too.

CIM At MTSU

It seems that just up the road a few gallons to the north of here, students from the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) – it’s been described as “a business intensive program that awards students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management” – have recently announced five research projects designed to benefit industry and students.

According to the school, the CIM’s four-year bachelor of science degree in Concrete Industry Management was the first of its kind in United States. The need for such a program was recognized in 1994, and the end result was a partnership between the concrete industry and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) to develop the CIM program, implementing it with its first two students in 1996.

But that was about 12 years ago. Want to know what they’re working on now? Here’s a peek, as summarized by MTSU and CIM:

·           A collaborative project with five other labs across the United States to determine the best way to consolidate and cast cylindrical specimens for pervious cement.

·           Comparison of new fiber with existing market fibers to determine viability of the fiber to prevent plastic shrinkage cracking

·           Investigation of a new liquid admixture that could be used to enhance workability, set time and cement replacement for pervious concrete mixes.

·           Review of the pull-out strength of rebar in high-strength lightweight concrete with local precast plants and Stalite, Inc.

·           Two industry literature searches: one a compilation of all pervious concrete research that has been done to date, and the second a compilation of all papers that reference the comparison of fiber reinforced concrete vs. welded wire fabric and how well it performs.

“For these projects, the faculty at MTSU serves as mentors and trains the students to use equipment they might not have used before,” the release notes.

Concrete Education Targeting Industry Needs

According to Heather J. Brown, director and associate professor of the CIM Program at MTSU, nearly every project they undertake has an industry contact and purpose. MTSU even offers a course – identified as CIM 4200 – that focuses  on student research, writing technical reports, and developing research presentations.

As one who comes into contact with both industry and academia, let me tell you that that’s a good course to have.

How are the research projects selected?

“We choose to do projects that are needed by the industry in the short-term because we can get fast turn-around and utilize undergraduates that we only have for only four to six months at a time,” Brown noted.

She adds, “We feel that the ability to write technical reports, work in a lab environment, be introduced to high tech equipment, work both in teams and solo, and being able to convey results and recommendations to the industry is a powerful tool that will serve the students well in their career.”

Great Response From Students

Is this decidedly practical approach to things academic working out? According to students like Michael Nelson, a CIM graduate and a current MBA graduate student, the answer is “yes.”

“Doing research with the CIM program provides me an opportunity to get valuable ‘hands on’ experience through experimenting with new ideas that will pave the way for future concrete projects,” he said.

It’s encouraging to see that these students are aware of upcoming needs within the industry – and it’s equally encouraging to note that they understand how such projects may ultimately benefit everyone involved.

 “I’m happy to have contributed to research which will benefit the development of standards that affect the concrete industry,” noted Elijah Floyd, a senior in the CIM program, “as I hope to work in concrete management in the near future.”

The CIM Program

Recognizing the need for people with enhanced technical, communication and management skills, the CIM program was developed in 1996. According to the school, “The individuals graduating from this program will have the skill set necessary to meet the growing demands of the progressively changing concrete industry of the 21^st century. It is a business intensive program, providing solid management skills that can be used in any industry, but has been developed specifically for the concrete industry.

The school adds that the program’s goal is “to produce broadly educated, articulate graduates” who are “grounded in basic business management, who are knowledgeable of concrete technology and techniques and are able to manage people and systems as well as promote products or services related to the concrete industry.”

To learn more about the program, visit www.concretedegree.com.

Posted by Steve Hudson on September 26, 2008 | Comments (0)