Current Events

Concrete Industry Management 2005-2006 Academic Calendar

Director's News

The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program is reaching a critical stage in its development. Growing from an idea to a premier Program with national recognition for industry/academic partnership success, CIM at MTSU has expanded to nearly 300 students. Three part-time and temporary faculty have joined CIM this semester to enhance the Program’s ability to serve students and ensure academic quality in the courses (see Temporary Help, Permanent Impact). A departmental committee is also in the midst of a search for two new permanent, tenure-track faculty for Fall, 2004, and the candidates are impressive. Of course, the CIM Patrons are actively engaged in the hiring process to ensure industry input is considered. Now, more than ever, your involvement is crucial to the Program’s success.

As a result of continued industry support, the Program has advanced from a concentration to a major. Finishing touches were placed on a proposal for a new concentration in Concrete Contracting (CC) to go along with our existing program focused on Production, Sales and Service (PSS). Approval is expected to begin offering new contracting courses this fall, and excitement is building in the concrete contractor community. Many thanks go to the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) and several local contractors for making this effort successful. In addition, a technical cognate for the PSS concentration is being considered. The three new courses in this cognate will likely focus on: mix designs for high performance concrete, masonry, precast products, and specialty concrete; concrete repair and rehabilitation methods for structures and heavy construction; and advanced production principles for ready mix, precast, and masonry. One additional curricular item of interest is the planned development of correspondence courses for all freshman and sophomore CIM courses by Fall, 2004. These correspondence courses will allow a student to get substantial coursework completed at a local college or university and finish on-site coursework in one year with university level transfer courses or two years with community college level transfer courses.

The National Steering Committee (NSC) is continuing to focus on several initiatives, including Program expansion to other locations across the United States and discussion of requirements for graduate coursework in CIM. Efforts are under way within the University to procure grant funding through the National Science Foundation to support the Program expansion project.

The CIM Patrons have introduced a major fundraising campaign to raise money to support the construction of a facility to house the Program. This effort is paramount if the CIM program is to gain the recognition deserving of the effort that has been expended producing our success. But without the combined efforts of many contributors throughout all facets of the concrete industry, CIM would not be in a position to begin acquiring financial support for a building. In honor of those companies and individuals who have brought the Program this far, a list of donors can be found on the Contributors page.

The CIM Program has made tremendous strides in advancing the cause of the concrete industry, producing qualified new technical managers and salespeople, as well as providing positive press to enhance the image within the general public. To build upon these accomplishments, the concrete industry must continue to work together in a way that is unprecedented, with every segment of the industry meeting on a level playing field for the betterment of all. Through a synergistic effort, combining a broad coalition of industry partners and an excellent Program staff, the total will be greater than the sum of its parts, and CIM will proceed down the path toward ultimate success.

News Links

During the spring of 2002 the CIM program received some magnificent free publicity. Marta W. Aldrich with the Associated Press came to MTSU to find out what the Concrete Industry Management program is all about. By interviewing Austin Cheney, numerous students and concrete industry professionals, Ms. Aldrich presented the past, present and future of the concrete industry. The article was picked up by newspapers as far west as Hawaii and as far north as Maine. Along with local newspapers around the country, CNN highlighted the article on their website. Under the education heading, people from all over the world could read about the strides the concrete industry is taking to empower the future through the CIM program at MTSU. You can still access the CNN.com article at http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/05/21/cement.degree.ap/index.html.

Concrete Industry Management Program
MTSU Box 19
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
(615) 904-8599