Ripon College is launching new engineering program

Ripon College is launching its first engineering program to coincide with the opening of the new Franzen Science Center in 2024. This curricular addition comes after the recent announcement of two new campus infrastructure projects: the Science Center and Hopp Stadium.

“Ripon College isn’t just growing campus spaces,” said John Sisko, Ripon College vice president and dean of faculty. “We are making curricular expansions to meet the educational needs of current and future STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) students. The physical needs of the engineering program as well as state-of-the-art facilities for all of our science programs were integral considerations throughout the entire design process for the new building.”

Ripon’s new engineering program will provide a strong technical engineering foundation while continuing to deliver valuable liberal arts skills through the College’s award-winning Catalyst curriculum. Students can major or minor in another field for additional diversification while also engaging in varsity sports, theatre and music ensembles, student activities and Ripon’s Summer Opportunities for Advanced Research (SOAR). Through Ripon’s graduation guarantee program, students can accomplish all of this and still graduate in four years.

As part of the engineering program, the College also is establishing an Engineering Advisory Board, comprising regional industry partners. This advisory board will help optimize Ripon’s engineering program to best suit the technical needs of the region, offer internships and co-op programs to students and ultimately help create a path to employment for graduates.

Ripon College’s Bachelor of Science in engineering program has been designed to meet the requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The program will become eligible for ABET accreditation after the first students have graduated from the program. Ripon College will begin accepting students to their engineering program with a fall 2024 start date.

The Franzen Science Center, scheduled to open in conjunction with the program launch, will have more than 5,000 square feet dedicated to the engineering program, including computer facilities, fabrication and electronic design spaces for prototyping, a makerspace, senior design studio and an additional 2,000-3,000 square feet of collaboration space. Also included in the newly renovated science center will be expanded lab spaces that enable new curricular offerings in biomedical science and biochemistry.

“Ensuring the success of our students as well as the institution is paramount,” says Victoria N. Folse, Ripon College’s 14th president. “We will continue to evaluate and adapt our curriculum to meet the needs of the region and the changing landscape of higher education, and embrace innovation in all fields. Engineers with a strong liberal arts and science foundation will be prepared to serve in leadership roles in the region. Launching our undergraduate engineering program is one way to achieve this goal.”

Posted June 1, 2023 in Academics.

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