A N N U A L
R E P O R T
2 0 1 4 - 1 5
FOR THE LOVE OF TEACHING Unlike most college presidents, I am proud to be in the classroom doing what I love the most: teaching students. In my three years at Ripon, I have taught courses, team-taught courses and twice co-led a course on Italy that has taken more than 40 students to Rome during the May/June Liberal Arts In Focus session where I have given a crash course on conversational Italian. This fall, I am co-teaching a course at 8 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and I love it. I also am proud of a special initiative we launched last year — The President’s Leadership Program. Students entering their sophomore year compete to join the program based on their GPA, faculty recommendations and a short essay about their postgraduate aspirations. The group meets a couple of times each month for meals, discussions on big topics and special events. We have regular book club-style discussions (our first two books this year: Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, and Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery, by Henry Marsh). We also have small dinners with special guests for salonstyle conversations. In November, Mark Porubcansky ’77, former foreign editor of the Los Angeles Times, will sit down with us to talk about international news. Students get to rub shoulders with the distinguished members of our Board of Trustees and hold candid conversations with the vice presidents of the College. Last spring, the group experimented with Fitbits to test if we could improve
our eating, moving and sleeping habits. The yearlong program concluded in April with individual sitdowns to talk about competing for national scholarships such Zach P. Messitte as the Rhodes, President Fulbright and Goldwater; graduate school strategies; jobs and internship opportunities. Even though Ripon is widely known for its commitment to teaching students, we also are proud of our colleagues who secure grants to support research and special initiatives. We celebrate our colleagues who publish peerreviewed articles and books, show their work in prestigious galleries or raise the College’s profile by writing for popular publications. And we toast our faculty and staff who serve the institution in ways that make us all stronger — from organizing public debates on campus to serving on curriculum committees to helping to make the Ripon community a better place to live. As we present to you our Annual Report, I remain honored to be part of the Ripon College family that honors its traditions and is thinking about tomorrow.
IMAGINE TOMORROW CONCLUDES The Imagine Tomorrow comprehensive campaign ended June 30, 2015, with a record-breaking total of $67.3 million. Alumni and friends of Ripon College responded strongly when the fiveyear endowment-building campaign was launched in the spring of 2010. When the initial goal of $50 million was reached, a new goal of $60 million was established. That, too, was surpassed. A total of 6,660 donors have helped to secure gifts, pledges and deferred commitments to fund: n
50 new scholarships
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Four faculty chairs and professorships
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105 new funds
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The Career Discovery Tour, connecting students with successful alumni in major U.S. cities The Center for Politics and the People, promoting constructive political debate and engagement of citizens and their government The Center for Social Responsibility, bridging the gap between academics and the real world by promoting leadership beyond a standard curriculum
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Capital projects, including updates to the S.N. Pickard Commons and Lane Library Start-up funds to renovate and expand our athletics, health and wellness facilities 135 new Partners in the Legacy
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Victoria L. Bleise ’73 Endowed Fund for Student Health and Well-Being
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A new President’s Leadership Grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Ripon’s endowment has grown from $55 million to a record-high $85 million. During the same period, Ripon’s planned giving pipeline increased from $22 million to $55 million. Health and wellness campaign Our focus now has shifted to a campaign to renovate and expand the 48-yearold J.M. Storzer Athletic Center into a state-of-the-art health and wellness facility for the 21st century. For more information, including how you can contribute, please visit ripon.edu/revitalize
Imagine Tomorrow
Percentage of total gifts by type
Cash Received: Cash Pledges Outstanding: Deferred Commitments: GRAND TOTAL:
Cash Pledges Outstanding 6%
$ 31,103,634 $ 4,063,423 $ 32,155,114 $ 67,322,171
Cash Received 46%
Deferred Commitments 48%
A lead gift to fund the Center for Politics and the People was given as part of the Imagine Tomorrow campaign by Trustee William MacLeod ’73 of Washington, D.C. Since its founding in the spring of 2014, the center has hosted a number of local and national politicians, government officials and campaign operatives, including retired U.S. Congressman Tom Petri, who reflected on his 35-year career during a talk Nov. 24, 2014.
GIFTS AND GRANTS TO RIPON COLLEGE Gifts to Ripon College during FY’15 included $2.435 million in unrestricted funds, ahead of our target of $2.36 million. $4.499 million in restricted funds also was received, for a combined total of $6,934,364.50. Eighty-five percent of the Class of 2015 raised $2,110.45 for the senior class gift to the Annual Fund and Senior Class Scholarship. Because the class eclipsed 80 percent participation, the Alumni Board participation match drove the senior class gift to $2,300.30. This year’s reunion classes gave a combined total of $684,349 to Ripon College. The Class of 1965, celebrating their golden reunion, came out on top with the highest attendance at 40 percent and the highest gift participation at 72 percent. The Class of 1970 had the largest reunion class gift of $220,816, and the largest fiveyear class gift (since the last reunion) of $767,427.
more during the fiscal year, and young alumni (up to 10 years out) who give an equivalent of $100 for each year since graduation. Nineteen new households joined the Partners in the Legacy by notifying us of estate plans which include Ripon College.
FUNDING PROPOSALS Twenty-two grant proposals with a total value of $2,063,419 were submitted on behalf of Ripon College or individual faculty members; 10 proposals were funded as of June 30, 2015, totaling $1,576,935. Examples include: n
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1851 CLUB AND PARTNERS Now in its fifth year of existence, the 1851 Club welcomed 89 new members for a total of 572 members by household in FY’15. This special society recognizes the value of annual giving in the life of the College. Members include donors who give $50,000 or more to the College during their lifetime, donors who give $1,000 or
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$100,000, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Collaborative Planning Project with Lawrence University $120,000, Suzanne & Richard Pieper Family Foundation, Pieper Chair in Servant Leadership $50,000, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, to support presidential initiatives/curriculum review $1,221,285, U.S. Department of Education-TRIO, Student Support Services (five-year program) $50,400, National Endowment for the Humanities, Fellowship Program to support the writing of a book by Associate Professor of History Brian Bockelman
To view the online Honor Roll of Donors, visit ripon.edu/donors15.
Restricted Funds in millions
Non-Bequest Bequest
Unrestricted Funds in millions
Bequest
Total Restricted Gifts
FY14 FY15
$3M $3.3M
FY14 FY15
$2.1M $1.2M
$5.1M $4.5M
0
$0.1M $0.3M
Total Unrestricted Gifts
Total Restricted Gifts FY14 FY15
$2.1M $2.2M
Bequest Gifts
Bequest Gifts FY14 FY15
Total Unrestricted Gifts
Non-Bequest Gifts
Non-Bequest Gifts FY14 FY15
Non-Bequest
$1M $2M $3M $4M $5M $6M $7M
FY14
$2.2M $2.4M
FY15
0
$1M $2M $3M $4M $5M $6M $7M
Raymond Allen ’15 of Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, gets coursework assistance from Jadee Kellogg ’16 of Benton, Wisconsin. They were participants in the peer tutoring program offered by Student Support Services and funded by the U.S. Department of Education-TRIO. During the spring of 2015, there were 61 active student-tutors and 93 tutees. More than 300 contracts were activated throughout the year, representing about a third of enrolled students.
REVENUE AND EXPENSES Continued strong progress of the Imagine Tomorrow campaign boosted Ripon College’s financial picture during FY’15. Financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2015, reflect an increase to net assets of $2,452,778. The majority of expenses during FY’15 were related to student support, costs associated with academic instruction and upgrades to facilities.
The College provided more than $14,169,263 in financial assistance to 98 percent of its students during the 201415 academic year. The endowment value as of June 30, 2015, was $84,761,923. This reflects a decrease of $87,056. The average endowment investment returns for 1, 3 and 5 years was 0.5 percent, 10.7 percent and 10.3 percent.
Market Value of the Endowment $100M
$80M
$60M
$40M
$20M
$0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Revenues: $31,502,350 Investments 2%
Contributions 33.4%
Other Income 5%
Student Tuition & Fees 38.6% Auxiliary Enterprises 21%
Expenses: $29,049,572 Academic Support 3.5%
Public Services 2.3%
Student Services 15.9% Auxiliary Enterprises 16.5%
Instruction 41.4%
Institutional Support 20.4%
The Wisconsin Association of School Councils held its annual Leadership Camps for the seventh time on the Ripon College campus during the summer of 2015. There were separate camps for junior and middle school students and for high school students. Some 614 students and counselors participated in one of the camps over a 14-day period.
ENROLLMENT/OUTCOMES Ripon College received a record number of 1,874 applications for firsttime, first-year admission for the fall of 2015; 1,240 were offered admission, and 219 enrolled. Fourteen transfer students also enrolled. The Class of 2019 includes 32 legacies, whose brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents or great-grandparents attended Ripon. Our first-year retention rate was 85 percent of first-year students who returned to college sophomore year.
FINANCIAL AID We offer competitive packaging that brings a transformational college experience within the reach of most families. Ninety-eight percent of
students received some form of financial assistance, including grants, scholarships, loans and student jobs.
OUTCOMES
Graduates
A total of 196 students earned degrees in 2015. Of those, 12 earned Phi Beta Kappa honors; 11 graduated summa cum laude, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or higher; 25 magna cum laude (3.70 or higher); and 36 cum laude, (3.40 or higher). The most popular majors were business management, biology, English, psychology and exercise science.
Jobs and Graduate School 96 percent of 2015 graduates were employed, student-teaching or in graduate school within six months of graduation.
NATIONAL RANKINGS The Princeton Review ranks Ripon a “Best 380 College” and lists Ripon among the Top 20 in the nation for great professors (#17) and community relations (#14). U.S. News & World Report ranks Ripon a Tier 1 liberal arts school and among “Great Schools, Great Prices.” Washington Monthly ranks Ripon a “Best Bang for the Buck” college for value. Ripon also is recognized on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
Samantha Petroski ’15 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has been accepted into the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. At Ripon, she majored in biology and German and minored in chemistry. Christian Yvonne Krueger ’15 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She had majors in history and studio art, and graduated with honors in both. She also had minors in Spanish and museum studies. During the 2015-16 academic year, she is studying for her master’s degree in medieval studies at the Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University. There, she has a full assistantship with Medieval Institute Publications.
STUDENT LIFE Because Ripon is a residential campus, 91 percent of students live on campus. Our comprehensive offering of activities, programs and services is continuously evolving to ensure students find their time here fun, interesting, safe and valuable.
DIVERSITY MLK Lounge was renovated and a new Center for Diversity and Inclusion was created in the lower level of Bartlett
1,740
Student visits to Health Services during 2014-15. There also were 237 student visits for counseling. Usage has increased with expanded women’s health initiatives. Special programs included breast cancer awareness, walking the trails of Ripon, Wisconsin, blood pressure screenings and HIV testing.
Hall. A new student group, La Unida, focuses on Hispanic/Latino topics.
ORGANIZATIONS/ACTIVITIES Other new groups included: RPN-TV, RC Feminists, League of Legends, Chess Club, Francophone and Ducks Unlimited. There are more than 80 clubs and organizations; 18 intramural sports; and 21 NCAA Division III varsity athletic teams. Seventy-seven percent of students played club, intramural or recreational sports, and 37 percent participated in intercollegiate athletics.
our community. All-area events focused on academic success, financial literacy and alcohol awareness. All-campus programs, most part of Ripon After Dark, saw more than 100 participants each at events such as Glow in the Dark Volleyball and Yule Ball.
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Prevention of sexual assault continues as a major focus. Take Back the Night, a walk aimed at ending all forms of
Twenty-nine percent of students
sexual abuse, had a huge turnout of
belonged to a Greek organization.
about 150 participants. The “Walk in Her
Resident Assistant events numbered
Shoes” event through the counseling
294, including individual programs on
office also addressed sexual assault
each floor about elections/voting, Red
awareness. New procedures were
Hawks spirit, stereotypes and respecting
implemented to meet Title IX guidelines
STUDENTS GIVING BACK Eighty-one percent of Ripon College students donated 5,441 hours of service during FY’15. Ripon was recognized on the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Service-learning projects involved 136 students in community placements for sociology, religion and philosophy classes. Service projects, involving 383 students, included Storybook Project with Green Lake County Correctional Facility, STRIVE, blood drives, Speakers Bureau and help campus students and staff
for at-risk and/or low-income youths
feel safer, more secure and able to get
and prisoners, Think College Early, and
help if needed.
numerous single events.
Special programs included backpack weight awareness and National Depression Screening Day; as well as postings of healthy eating options.
HOME ENVIRONMENT WI-FI was installed campus wide, including residence halls. Original and outdated student room furniture was replaced in Johnson Hall. A new one-card system started to be implemented late in the spring.
FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS Ripon College professors regularly receive honors and recognition that demonstrate the high level of their work as active scholars and leaders in their disciplines. Their rich real-world experience offers unique educational, mentoring and collaborative research opportunities for our students. Brian Bockelman, associate professor of history, received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support his research on the history of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also received a 2014 Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society and took part in a five-week NEH Summer Institute. Megan Gannon, assistant professor of English, published her first novel, Cumberland, and first full-length book of poetry, White Nightgown. She also serves as Ripon College’s reading series coordinator, and during FY’15, she arranged appearances by authors V.V. Ganeshananthan and Rebecca Rotert. Travis Nygard, assistant professor of art, co-wrote a book chapter, “The Shifting Spatial Nexus of an Urban Maya Landscape: A Case Study of Architecture,
Sculpture, and Ceramics at Yo’okop,” for Maya Imagery, Architecture, and Activity: Space and Spatial Analysis in Art History.
FACULTY AWARDS Robert Amsden, professor of theatre and Doreen L. ’73 and David I. Chemerow Chair in Theatre, Severy Award John Dinegan, associate professor of exercise science and athletic administrator, Senior Class Award Mark Kainz, associate professor of biology, Severy Award Kristine Kovack-Lesh, associate professor of psychology, Severy Award Michael Mahoney, associate professor of global studies and co-chair of the Department of Global Studies and Languages, Faculty/Staff Service Learning Award Jody Roy, professor of communication, Victor and Carrie Palmer Endowed Chair for Leadership Values, and associate dean of faculty development, Faculty/ Staff Mentor Award Henrik Schatzinger, associate professor of politics and government, Severy Award Robert Wallace, professor of biology and Patricia and Philip McCullough 1969 Professor in Biology, James Underkofler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
In October 2014, David William Scott, Pieper Chair in Servant Leadership and assistant professor of religion, was among 33 international scholars and church leaders invited to participate in a consultation in South Africa of the World Council of Churches, the largest ecumenical body for Protestants and Orthodox Christians in the world.
Bob Wallace, biology, was part of a six-person group who ran a workshop for international professionals hosted by the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. It was funded, in part, by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Mollie Oblinger, art, showed work in California and Iowa, and was awarded a four-week residency at Playa in Summer Lake, Oregon.
Martin F. Farrell, politics and government, received the Dick Ringler Distinguished Peace Educator Award for the state of Wisconsin.
Patrick Willoughby, chemistry, received a $55,000 grant from American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Foundation.
Jacqueline Clark, sociology, received the Hans O. Mauksch Outstanding Teaching Award from the Wisconsin Sociological Association.
Lamont Colucci, politics and government, received Sigma Chi fraternity’s Significant Sig Award.
Lorna Sopcak, German, was one of 26 invitees to a faculty seminar at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Ed Wingenbach, formerly of the University of Redlands in California, was selected as the new vice president and dean of faculty.
More than 650 visitors attended this year’s Alumni Weekend.
ENGAGEMENT FY ’15 was the first year for the new
The first combined Homecoming and
Office of Constituent Engagement &
Family Weekend festivities included
Career Services, combining services
more than 15 events for students,
for our current students and our 10,000
faculty, staff, parents and alumni, with
alumni. Ripon’s tradition of strong
more than 300 attendees on game
alumni relations continues under this
day.
new collaborative model, enhancing and building our long-term meaningful relationships between the College and our alumni.
ALUMNI WEEKEND More than 650 alumni and friends enjoyed more than 30 events at Alumni Weekend June 25-28. The seventh
The office offered consultations about
annual Red Hawks Golf Scramble
résumés, cover letters, job applications
raised more than $20,000 for the
and alumni outreach. Thirty-two events
Athletic Department.
specific to Career Services were held, including recruiting, career workshops and Alumni Career Days. Many events were accomplished through collaborations with faculty and the Center for Social Responsibility. Sixty on- and off-campus engagement events were held for alumni, parents and friends of the College in 17 areas with 1,500 attendees.
CAREER DISCOVERY TOUR The Career Discovery Tour initiative expands student-alumni career networking opportunities. The fall tour was to Chicago, and the spring tour was to Washington, D.C. Twenty-eight students participated, and 22 site visits were hosted by alumni, parents and friends of the College. Receptions in each tour city allowed students further networking with a multitude of alumni in a wide variety of careers. The tours are offered through the Office of Constituent Engagement and Career Services with funding from the Alumni Board of Directors.
Board of Trustees Chair Ron Peterson ’70 of Chicago, Illinois, teases Sydney Church ’15 during the fall 2014 Career Discovery Tour in Chicago. Peterson is an attorney/ partner at Jenner & Block and spoke about his Ripon experience and the value of a liberal arts and sciences education.
BREAKOUT ACHIEVEMENTS ■ Punter Marshall Zahn ’15 of Oneida,
ATHLETICS
Wisconsin, was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Football Team. ■ Cycling won its sixth consecutive Division 2 conference championship. ■ Ty Sabin ’17 of New Berlin, Wisconsin, finished the 2014-15 men’s basketball season ranked second across all divisions of the NCAA in scoring average (27.9 ppg). He has the highest career scoring average of any active player in the NCAA (23.8 ppg). ■ For the fourth time in its 11-year history as a varsity sport, the dance team earned a national title when ■ Women’s Soccer had its most successful season ever, with a 13-7 record and its first appearance in the Midwest Conference (MWC) Tournament. Kaylee Tadych ’16 of Menasha, Wisconsin, broke the MWC singleseason assist record with 20; Brandi Peltier ’15 of Neosho, Wisconsin, finished her career with school records for goals (82), points (186) and hat tricks (6); and goal keeper Sidney Blodgett ’16 of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, set a new school record for career shutouts (20).
it earned championships in both pom and jazz divisions at the 2015 Wow! Factor Sports Cheer & Dance Nationals. ■ Baseball won its 21st MWC championship. Michael Polcyn ’16 of Ripon, Wisconsin, earned a spot on the Division-III All-American team for the second consecutive season, and was named to the All-Midwest Region Tournament Team. He finished the season with 12 home runs in Ripon’s final 14 games, including four in Ripon’s three regional tournament games.
SPEAKERS
STUDENTS
Rhodes Scholar, Lt. Colonel and
■ Logan Soich ’15 of Franklin, Wisconsin,
President of Hampden-Sydney College
along with mathematical sciences
Dr. Christopher Howard delivered the
faculty, created an interactive
Commencement address in May 2015.
applet to help students visualize
Other speakers included:
different probability distributions, and
■ Newt Gingrich, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999, and former presidential candidate ■ Legendary musician Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary ■ PBS NewsHour commentator Mark Shields ■ Justice Michael Gableman ’88, a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court ■ Distinguished poet Alison Joseph ■ Outgoing Congressman Tom Petri ■ Fiction author V.V. Ganeshananthan
designed a probability textbook and solution manual. • Jordan Buhle ’15 of Milton, Wisconsin, had a communication published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society from her work during the summer of 2014 with Dr. Steve Kass at the University of Minnesota. • The Ripon College Ethics Bowl Team earned the title of Upper Midwest Regional Champion for the third consecutive year. • Cody R. Messerschmidt ’15 of Weston, Wisconsin, won second place in posters at the 2014 UTEP Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives symposium.
Nicholas Luedtke ’16 of Appleton, Wisconsin, was accepted into a two-year research program through Princeton University focused on molecular biophysics. In the summer of 2015, the group worked at the Institute of Nanobiology and Structural Biology in the Czech Republic.
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