ripon college Strategic Framework
OVERVIEW
To prepare Ripon College for the celebration of our 175th anniversary, adapt to an evolving higher education landscape and ensure a Ripon degree is relevant for generations to come, a comprehensive and inclusive strategic planning process commenced in October 2022. For the first time in more than a decade, Ripon College faculty, staff, students, Trustees and alumni coalesced around the development of a plan that would serve as a confirmation of Ripon College’s mission, vision and values (see Appendix I) while communicating an actionable roadmap to ensure Ripon’s success.
Phase 1
Over the course of the past six months, the Strategic Planning Working Group (SPWG) (see Appendix II) engaged the entire campus community through numerous town hall planning sessions, SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analyses and an all-campus planning retreat. The results of this comprehensive approach identified five core strategic pillars to serve as the thematic bases of the plan. Embedded in the pillars are high-level strategic imperatives, completing the first phase of the strategic planning process.
Phase 2
While prioritized pillars and imperatives have been thoroughly vetted and organized, the SPWG has critical work ahead to formalize and complete the strategic plan through the development of strategic objectives. Over the course of the next several months, the SPWG will facilitate a second planning phase that incorporates appropriate market context, detailed objectives and a clear set of metrics vetted by the appropriate campus departments and constituents. It is the goal of the SPWG to communicate the final strategic plan ahead of the 2023-2024 academic year.
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INNOVATE
Core Strategic Pillars STEWARD FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
CURRICULAR PROGRAMMING
AMPLIFY MEANINGFUL STUDENT EXPERIENCES FOSTER STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
ELEVATE ADMISSION & ENROLLMENT STRATEGIES
Steward Fiscal Responsibility
BACKGROUND
While Ripon College has recently enjoyed record-setting fundraising years, endowment growth and a bolstering of cash reserves, there are significant and impending challenges that will further strain an already competitive landscape of higher education.
Ripon’s core financial model is consistent with many peer and peer-aspirant institutions. Structurally, we garner the majority of our revenue from tuition, which drives 70% of our operating budget. Our high tuition, high discount model has applied significant pressure on financial aid practices, creating tension between revenue and academic rigor and quality. The impending demographic shifts and decline of college-age students beginning in 2026 are key indicators that Ripon needs to further invest in an inclusive and dynamic campus and workforce that supports the success of a changing population of students. These variables, along with growing external economic uncertainty, pose threats to both Ripon’s value proposition and continued success in fundraising and revenue generation.
STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES
Ripon College must develop strategies that effectively address structural and market condition challenges to ensure financial stability and viability in the near term and long term.
1 Create and maintain a multi-year financial model that annually reduces the structural deficit and balances the operating budget by no later than 2029.
2 Conduct a campuswide compensation study and develop a plan to support the successful attraction and retention of quality faculty and staff.
3 Successfully launch and complete the public phase of the Forever Ripon campaign with an initial goal of $75 million to grow the endowment, enhance facilities and sustain operations through the Ripon Fund.
4 Build a multi-year, data-driven enrollment strategy that addresses pricing strategies in response to Ripon’s competitive set and market demands.
5 Implement curricular program development that relies on and requires both market and cost analysis.
Elevate Admission and Enrollment Strategies
BACKGROUND
Ripon College strives to create an intentionally sized, diverse, intellectually vibrant and civic-minded college community. To sustain an intellectually vibrant community, the student body must be large enough to represent a diversity of perspective, experience, background and heritage. Furthermore, as a tuition-dependent institution, the College must sustain enrollment so that it can fulfill its mission.
While the College continually strives to increase its first-year enrollment beyond the 225 student average, it remains challenged by a variety of outside forces. These challenges include: a cultural shift that undervalues a liberal arts education, an economy recovering from the effects of a pandemic, and a decline in college-age students beginning in 2026.
STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES
Ripon College will develop a clear understanding of who we want to attract and how best to serve their needs, now and in the future. We will utilize this knowledge to attract and retain a vibrant, diverse student body now and in the future.
1 Recruit and support a diverse student body.
2 Develop Ripon College’s brand awareness and identity to market and communicate consistently to all stakeholders.
3 Broaden our current student recruiting pool to address future demographic declines.
4 Engage all Ripon College stakeholders in the recruitment process.
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Innovate Curricular Programming
BACKGROUND
The curriculum is the lifeblood of any learning institution. Ripon College has a longstanding tradition of offering students learning experiences that impact multiple dimensions of their post-college lives and career. To best accommodate the needs of future students, attention to curricular programming must remain a strategic priority.
STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES
Ripon College will revitalize our curriculum to reflect advances in academic disciplines, respond to students’ changing priorities and meet the demands of a rapidly evolving marketplace.
1 Attract and retain quality and diverse faculty who contribute to a revitalized curriculum.
2 Advance and modify the general education curriculum, exploring new opportunities to emphasize cultural competency and further strengthen fruitful engagement with first-year students.
3 Promote, strengthen and expand experiential opportunities to enhance student learning outside of the classroom, with particular focus on undergraduate research, offcampus study and internships.
4 Introduce new programs that serve the interests and aspirations of a changing student demographic and positively contribute to society’s most important challenges.
5 Bolster our identity as a liberal arts college by exploring a comprehensive range of curricular offerings and encouraging students to enroll in courses from a breadth of disciplines and programs.
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Amplify Meaningful Student Experiences
BACKGROUND
Meaningful relationships are a trademark of Ripon College. We are committed to maintaining a diverse community in which our students can grow intellectually and socially, as well as an environment that nurtures their mental and physical wellbeing. We will help our students discover new opportunities to learn and develop skills, feeding their intellectual curiosity, supporting their career goals and encouraging their desire to play a positive role in the world.
STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES
Ripon College will enhance the vibrancy and impact of the student experience by providing students with engaging and meaningful activities that foster inclusiveness, friendships and a sense of responsibility .
1 Assess and upgrade living and learning communities to make the residential campus more welcoming and more accessible.
2 Create additional avenues to support the mental health and academic success of all of our students.
3 Develop an infrastructure to ensure the retention of a diverse student population.
4 Enhance co-curricular and extracurricular programming.
5 Foster effective communication between all Ripon College constituents.
Foster Stakeholder Engagement
BACKGROUND
The ultimate success of a college depends heavily on the quality of engagement of all stakeholders. It is particularly important for a small college to avoid the creation of silos across the various groups. Engagement becomes a critical virtuous cycle for Ripon: engaged faculty and staff inspire students to become engaged, leading to a pleasant environment and high morale. Engaged students become engaged alumni who support the institution. An engaged community does much to help the college shine in the surrounding environment.
STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES
Ripon College will create, strengthen and maintain an environment that values and encourages full stakeholder engagement with each other and across the institution.
1 Attract and retain quality and diverse faculty and staff who engage with stakeholders.
2 Assess stakeholder values to supplement the campuswide compensation study, broadening the definition of compensation beyond salary considerations.
3 Create and maintain a workplace environment in which all stakeholders feel valued and supported.
4 Foster deeper connections and collaboration among all stakeholders, both on and off campus.
5 Actively seek opportunities to enhance communication and trust within the campus community.
Mission
Ripon College prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Our liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education.
Vision
Ripon envisions itself as a venerable, prosperous and widely respected liberal arts college that is proud of its history and confident about the future. An intense engagement with and concern for academic, artistic and personal development of students have defined Ripon since its founding on the Wisconsin frontier and will always be enduring characteristics of the College. Vigorous and healthy growth will place Ripon in a distinctive class of intentionally sized, intellectually vibrant and civic-minded colleges. Ripon will attract students, faculty and staff of excellent character, great potential and high quality, and the College will be increasingly appealing to its alumni. Ripon will interact conscientiously with the local community and will extend its reach to the nation and the world at large. Ripon College will command broad interest, recognition, support and respect. A burgeoning spirit of optimism and opportunity, accessibility and possibility will emanate from the College and will inspire it to imagine –and to do – great things.
Core Values
We are committed to:
SERIOUS INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY
A standard of academic excellence fosters scholarly and artistic achievement and promotes lifelong learning.
INTEGRITY
Ethical conduct guides the College. Decisions and actions reflect the principles of honesty, fairness, candor, respect, responsibility, trust, inclusiveness and openness.
DIVERSE COMMUNITY
Differences of perspective, experience, background and heritage enrich the College. Relationships are sincere, friendly, welcoming and supportive.
STEWARDSHIP
Ripon College is a responsible steward of its mission, traditions and resources.
Strategic Planning Working Group Roster
FACULTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SPWG LEADERSHIP)
• Patrick Willoughby, chair of FAC, associate professor of chemistry
• Memuna Khan, professor of biology, chair of the Department of Biology
• David Scott, associate professor of mathematics, chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences
• Dominique Poncelet, professor of French and Francophone studies
• Ex Officio Committee Members
• Vickie Folse, president
• John Sisko, vice president and dean of faculty
• Michele Wittler ’76, associate dean of faculty, registrar and Title IX coordinator
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES
• Benjamin Grady, assistant professor of biology
• Rebecca Matzke, associate dean of academic affairs, Ralph Hale Ruppert Distinguished Professor of History
ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES
• Shawn Karsten ’09, vice president for advancement, marketing and communications and chief of staff
• Jenn Machacek, vice president for enrollment
STAFF REPRESENTATIVES
• Hannah Erdman ’14, assistant director of admission/transfer and international coordinator
• Steve Wammer, head softball coach, associate director of athletics
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES
• Isaac Tomaschefsky ’24
• Braeden Krueger ’25
BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPRESENTATIVES
• Blaine Gibson ’81, vice president - financial advisor at RBC Wealth Management
SERVICE Service within and beyond the campus enables effective governance, encourages community engagement and creates leadership opportunities.
• Lisa Wollan ’78, retired, head of consumer insights and brand strategy at Wawa Inc.
ALUMNI BOARD REPRESENTATIVES
• Brandon Parrott-Sheffer ’08, head of polycultural research, Ethos at Deloitte Digital
• Mike Tracy ’79, founder, advisor and senior consultant at OMNI Human Resource Management
appendix i appendix ii