RIPON, Wis. – Ripon College was recently notified of its acceptance in the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education beginning this summer. Twenty-seven colleges and universities from across the United States are part of this year’s study, 26 of which participated in the first two rounds of the study based at the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.

The Wabash National Study focuses on understanding the conditions and practices that promote the development of seven liberal arts outcomes: Effective reasoning and problem solving, inclination to inquire and lifelong learning, integration of learning, intercultural effectiveness, leadership, moral reasoning, and well-being.

Dr. Gerald Seaman, vice president and dean of faculty at Ripon College, said that participation in the Wabash National Study “builds on current efforts at the College to assess student learning and understand how the curriculum and programs affect students’ skill development, critical thinking, and attitudes towards lifelong learning. As a liberal arts college, we want to know that an education here helps students develop both a robust knowledge base and curiosity about the world.”

The Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education is a longitudinal investigation that follows a group of students for at least four years. The instruments used in the study are designed to look at where students start, take into account what they bring with them to college, and gauge how much they change through their college experiences. Students complete a set of assessments at the beginning and end of their first year of college, and again at the end of their fourth year. Unlike other research studies, the Wabash National Study tracks individual student development and tries to identify the particular college experiences that support learning and growth.

To prepare for Ripon College’s participation in the Wabash National Study, a team of three people will attend a conference at Wabash College in August. Jeanne Williams, professor of Education and assistant dean of faculty, will serve as the on-campus coordinator for the study.

The Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education is led by the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College under the direction of Dr. Charles F. Blaich, and in collaboration with a research team from the University of Iowa led by Dr. Ernest T. Pascarella. ACT, Inc., under the direction of Dr. Michael J. Valiga, is assisting with quantitative data collection and reporting. Funding from the Teagle Foundation will support Ripon College’s participation in the study.

About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has consistently been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 366 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, a “Best Liberal-Arts College” by Washington Monthly, and is listed among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction.