In 1997 the Construction Club was established to serve the needs of students in the Construction Engineering and Management program. The primary goal of the Construction Club is to foster contacts between UW engineering students and the design and construction industry. The Construction Club is an umbrella organization for student chapters of AGC (Associated General Contractors), NECA (The National Electrical Contractors Association), and MCAA (The Mechanical Contractors Association of America). Other goals of the club include:

• inviting industry representatives to speak to student classes or groups;
• assisting in arranging summer internship and coop opportunities for students;
• facilitating student visits to construction sites; and
• encouraging and helping students attend national industry conferences.

In its three-year existence the club has grown remarkably; currently a large number of engineering students and industry leaders benefit from the Club's educational activities and programs. The Club seeks to bring students together with public and private owners, design engineers, contractors, specialty contractors, skilled laborers, equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, vendors, accountants, attorneys, lending institutions, risk managers, and governmental (federal, state, and local) agencies. Several contracting organizations have supported the club by sponsoring students to attend their national conventions. For example, six students attended the 1999 MCAA National Convention in Orlando, Florida with the support of MCAA Wisconsin-chapters. Two students also attended the 1999 NECA national convention with the support of two electrical contractors.

The keystone activity of the Construction Club is the annual Banquet with the Engineering/Construction Industry. In the 1998, the first year, attendance was approximately 210 in the with over 40 participating organizations. In 1999 attendance was approximately 375 with over 70 participating organizations. The third annual banquet as in April of 2000 and reached an attendance of nearly 600. This banquet promotes industry and academic relations and seeks to recognize significant persons in the construction field who have contributed to the professional and academic components of the industry.

At each annual banquet several industry professionals are presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is designed to honor an individual in the engineering/construction industry who has most effectively combined excellence in engineering and construction with an interest in the development of students pursuing an education in construction engineering. The award recognizes those outstanding individuals who have positively affected the engineering/ construction field and the University of Wisconsin. The award recipients are selected by the student awards committee in consultation with the CEM faculty.

During the 1998-99 academic year the club invited many industry leaders to speak in club meetings. These speakers included Steve Wittman and Randy Birchfield from RMT, Bill Fehling and Scott Pedretti from Air Products and Chemical, Chris Lloyd-Jones from Union Carbide/Bechtel Association, Dave Cullen from J.P. Cullen, and Greg Thomas from the General Council of Fisk Electric. The club has also organized several visits to active construction sites including Miller Park, the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Building, and a Marriot Hotel.