The Department of the Built Environment supports the UMES Land Grant mission by offering two unique undergraduate programs that are available at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. They are: (1) Construction Management Technology (2) Technology and Engineering Education. A graduate program approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (also unique in the University System) offers the M.Ed. degree in Career and Technology Education. Graduates qualify for professional/ technical employment in industry with construction management firms, manufacturing firms, and in public education. Employment and career opportunities for students in each major are excellent.
Located in the 50,000 sq. ft. Arts and Technologies Center, the department has several full-time faculty and approximately 75 full-time undergraduate students. About 75 part-time students take courses at the Maryland Center for Career and Technology Education Studies located at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. 25 students are enrolled in the graduate program. The department also offers Construction Management Technology at the Universities at Shady Grove as an upper division part-time program where approximately 30 students are enrolled. Several adjunct faculty are employed as needed each semester to teach courses on campus and at off-campus sites. Enrollment has been increasing at the rate of approximately 5 to 10 percent per year over the past five years. The growth rate in Engineering Technology and Construction Management Technology has increased.
Partnerships have been established with construction and manufacturing industries throughout the state via industry advisory councils, student internships, field trips, and scholarship support. Partnerships have also been established with local educational agencies and the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning.
Future plans for the undergraduate program in Construction Management Technology include strengthening the Student Chapter of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Program enhancement funding to support student recruitment and program growth was received from NAHB last year. In addition, the Construction Management Technology Program is accredited by The American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). Initial accreditation was granted by ACCE in 1991. The primary goal of ACCE is the promotion and continued improvement of construction education programs in colleges and universities by ensuring they meet a stringent set of academic and professional standards. The UMES Construction Management Technology Program was the first ACCE accredited program at a Historically Black Institution in the United States.
The Technology Education program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation in Teacher Education (NCATE). The specialty area report for reaffirmation of accreditation was recently approved by NCATE. Several new initiatives are being planned for Technology Education to increase enrollment and to enhance the curriculum including a new faculty member, new recruitment strategies, and on-line course offerings.
The department continues to receive grants and scholarship support from public and private sources. During the past two years, The Whiting Turner Contracting Company of Baltimore, Maryland, Essex Construction of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Winchester Homes of Bethesda, Maryland and The Associated Builders and Contractors of the Eastern Shore have established endowments for the Construction Management Program. Endowed scholarships are also available for Technology Education. During the academic year faculty will devote more energy to outreach efforts to improve partnerships with government and industry.
The Department of the Built Environment is committed to providing the most up-to-date instruction for students with emphasis on technical applications, systems operation, educational services, and management in the fields of construction and technical education. Faculty are also engaged in service to the university and local community and scholarly pursuits including: research and publication in recognized professional journals, attending and presenting papers at professional meetings, and grant proposal writing projects. Given the strong and continuing support from internal and external sources, the future for the Department appears to be very bright.
