Construction Management Program Receives $500,000 Gift From Longtime Colorado State Supporter
Friday, November 15, 1996
FORT COLLINS--A longtime supporter of Colorado State
University and leader in the construction industry gave $500,000
today to the construction management program as part of a
campaign celebrating the program's 50th anniversary.
The gift from Joseph Phelps, a construction management
graduate involved in two Greeley-based construction companies
before he created Joseph Phelps Vineyards in California's Napa
Valley, will be used to establish a required industry internship
program for students.
Additional campaign funds will help increase the use of
advanced technology in classrooms and fund applied research to
benefit the construction industry. The gift from Phelps becomes
the cornerstone of a $1.5 million fund-raising campaign aimed at
preparing students and industry for the 21st century.
Phelps said the gift is designed to build on the existing
strength of Colorado State's construction management program,
recognized as one of the top five construction management
programs in the United States.
"The appreciation of and demand for construction management
graduates in the construction industry has grown dramatically in
recent decades," Phelps said. "This growth has developed in
direct proportion to the strengthening of the curriculum and
criteria for graduates. Of these criteria, industry internships
deserve the new focus they will receive at Colorado State.
"I could not miss out on the opportunity to help our
construction management program and the construction industry,
both of which have done so much for me."
The Phelps gift will be used to create an endowment fund to
support the internship program, which will be named the Phelps
Internship Placement Program in honor of the donor.
"This new internship program will require that all students
in the construction management program gain direct and sustained
working experience in construction businesses across the
country," said Nancy Hartley, dean of the College of Applied
Human Sciences. "The internships will be expanded beyond the
traditional, entry-level positions to give students ample time
and opportunity to really understand industry operations and
learn new skills."
A full-time coordinator will help place students in
internships with companies that match their interests and enhance
their skills, Hartley said.
"Our students recognize the value of having a required
internship as part of their education here at Colorado State,"
she said. "The knowledge and skills gained from good internships
help train the kind of competent and competitive professionals
demanded by the construction industry."
In addition to the Phelps gift, the construction management
campaign received a $100,000 gift from Hensel Phelps Construction
Co. and $100,000 from Phelps-Tointon Inc., both based in Greeley,
Colo.
The $500,000 gift from Phelps brings the fund-raising
campaign for the construction management program close to $1
million. Program fund-raisers, industry supporters and alumni are
working toward a $1.5 million goal.
Additional money raised will be used to upgrade classrooms
in Guggenheim Hall and integrate state-of-the-art technology
throughout the curriculum. Also planned is the creation of an
applied research program to help the nation's construction
companies investigate specific problems and create solutions that
benefit the entire industry.
For example, in the applied research program, graduate
students could create quality improvement programs for specific
companies or work on computer software applications that help
streamline projects and enhance communication between architects
and contractors. Other studies could explore the reasons behind
field employee shortages or discover ways to shorten project
delivery schedules to make construction companies more
competitive.
In addition to bolstering the construction management
program, the Phelps gift and others put Colorado State's overall
fund-raising efforts $4 million ahead of last year.
"We at Colorado State are building a continuing record of
success due to the support of friends like Joe Phelps," said
Colorado State President Albert C. Yates. "As we continue to move
forward to meet the goals we set for our students, our academic
programs and for the university as a whole, supporters like Joe
are increasingly important."
Using the funds to improve the construction management
program is key to helping students stay ahead of the construction
industry's needs as it heads into the 21st century, said Bill
Yearsley, co-chairman of the Construction Management 50th
Anniversary Leadership Committee and president and chief
executive officer of Redland Aggregates Inc.
"This fund-raising campaign is a symbol of the industry's
commitment to Colorado State's construction management program,"
Yearsley said. "Following the generous lead of Mr. Phelps, fellow
members of the industry are anxious and willing to assist
Colorado State in educating tomorrow's industry leaders."
"These funds will be directed to new leading-edge programs
the Colorado construction industry has identified as priorities,
and demonstrate the department's responsiveness to changing
industry needs. The student/education/industry partnership is
alive and strong in the construction management department."
Since its inception in 1946, more than 2,200 students have
graduated from the construction management program. Hartley said
about half of those alumni work in Colorado's construction
industry, many as presidents and chief executive officers of
major construction companies. Nearly 100 percent of all graduates
find employment in the construction industry after graduation,
which Hartley said is an indication of the program's reputation
nationwide.
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