AIC leadership turned out in strength at this year’s ACCE Annual Conference and their participation reflects a commitment AIC has held for decades: staying engaged with the people and institutions shaping the future of construction education.

The ACCE Annual Conference brings together educators, accreditors, and industry representatives from across the country. For AIC, it’s one of the clearest chances each year to put that commitment into action. 

AIC’s Role at This Year’s ACCE Annual Conference

AIC members serve across many ACCE committees, and several also sit on Visiting Teams that travel to individual universities for accreditation and reaccreditation reviews. Much of that work happens throughout the year behind the scenes. The ACCE Annual Conference is where it comes together in person.

Several AIC members currently serve on the ACCE Board of Trustees, including:

• Hugh Cronin FAIC, CPC, LEED AP, PMP
• Paul Mattingly FAIC, CPC
• Ryan Penlerick MA, AIC, CPC
• Chuck Berryman Ph.D., FAIC, CPC
• Geno Hogan FAIC, CPC

Many of AIC’s university partners were also on-site, providing an opportunity to continue the conversations that keep our certifications grounded in what’s actually happening in construction management classrooms.

Time Together: Dinner and Conversations Beyond the Sessions

Representatives came together for dinner on Thursday evening to catch up, compare notes on committee work, and talk through what they were seeing across the conference.

Conversations like these are often where the real alignment happens between our certification standards and the day-to-day realities of construction education.

Recognizing Excellence: The Dennis Bausman Award

One highlight of the conference came during Friday’s Awards Lunch. Andy Wasiniak represented the AIC Education Foundation in presenting the Dennis Bausman award and stipend to Roger Williams University.

The Dennis Bausman award recognizes meaningful contributions to construction education, and the AICEF values the chance to help honor that work each year. Read more about this year’s award. 

What the Sessions Covered

This year’s schedule centered on Autodesk sessions held Wednesday and Thursday, along with ACCE training activities and committee meetings focused on the organization’s ongoing accreditation work. There were no major announcements, but instead, the conference focused on the steady, structural work that keeps construction management programs accredited and aligned with industry expectations.

That kind of work is where AIC members show up consistently. AIC’s CAC certification exams serve as a valid, reliable, third-party measure of a school’s performance against specific student learning objectives, the same kind of measure ACCE requires for its own accreditation standards. Working closely with ACCE lets AIC support universities directly in that ongoing accreditation work.

Looking Ahead: TCI Global Conference in Argentina

AIC’s involvement will extend internationally later this year. Hugh Cronin and Canda Mueller will represent AIC at the TCI Global Conference in Argentina, alongside Jorge Meza of the Chihuahua Cluster and Steve Nellis of ACCE, continuing the conversation about construction education standards on a global scale.

Why This Conference Matters to AIC

This conference is AIC’s chance to grow globally. It puts AIC’s work in front of employers and universities across numerous countries, and not just new schools in places AIC already reaches. This year, the work that’s happening in Chihuahua gets introduced to a much bigger audience, including a scheduled session with AIC’s Canda Mueller alongside Jorge Meza and Steve Nellis. Committee meetings, training sessions, and informal dinners all point in the same direction: keeping AIC’s certifications aligned with what universities teach and what the industry needs from new constructors, no matter which market AIC is entering. 

Get Involved

AIC’s presence at events like the ACCE Annual Conference depends on members who volunteer their time on committees and Visiting Teams. If you’re interested in contributing, whether through a committee, a Visiting Team, or another area of involvement, we’d like to hear from you. Contact [email protected] to learn more about current opportunities, or explore AIC Corporate Sponsorship if your organization wants a deeper partnership.