Universal Model A Partnership For An Accelerated Civil Engineering Program

Currently there is an initiative in progress to develop a (three semester) year round program of study that will allow students to complete their Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) degrees in a shorter time frame. This initiative is requiring the integration of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) course offerings with those at the University of Utah (UoU). The large majority of the students attending the two institutions must work part-time during the academic year, and therefore are limited on the number of course hours they can take. Student acceptance of this initiative has been very positive, and we expect that “year round” students will become the norm for our students. Exceptional students that enter SLCC or the UoU with prior credits from concurrent high school programs or Advanced Placement classes are able to move through Masters Degree Programs in the traditional time frame of BSCE degrees. The challenges of preparing a community college student for success at the university (a level I Research institution) are examined. The roles of the community college and the University of Utah in facilitating the transition from the two year environment to a research university environment are examined. Successes and challenges are evaluated, and future areas of collaboration are described in this study. The positives and negatives for starting in the Civil Engineering program at the UoU versus starting at the Civil Engineering program at SLCC are compared and discussed.