Ripon College/Marian University To Explore Collaborative Efforts

Ripon College and Marian University have announced that they are creating a joint working group to examine the possibility of a more collaborative arrangement between the two Wisconsin schools.

The working group – which includes administrators, faculty, staff, trustees and students from both institutions – will explore the potential benefits of establishing a closer partnership around administrative, academic and co-curricular activities.

“We’re two different schools with two distinct histories and cultures, but we’re not looking to merge – rather, find some ways to cooperate,” said Zach Messitte, President of Ripon College. “We each care deeply for our students, and we each want to provide them with a comprehensive and quality education that is affordable and enriching. I’m hopeful that the joint group will find areas where, by working together, we might be able to enhance our respective institutions.”

Founded in 1851, Ripon College offers a liberal arts curriculum for 800 students on its 250-acre campus, located 20 miles west of Fond du Lac, where Marian University was established in 1936 by the Congregation of Sister of St. Agnes. Marian is a co-educational, Catholic University of about 1,200 students that inspires personal and professional success through its educational program. Both schools emphasize small class sizes and the value of integrating the traditional classroom experience with practical work and internships.

“The possibility of a collaborative relationship with Ripon College that focuses on how both institutions can better serve students is another prime example of how beneficial forging new partnerships in higher education can be for everyone involved,” said Michelle Majewski, President of Marian University.  “The potential of this proposed collaboration has yet to be determined, but it’s exciting for both Marian University and Ripon College to have this dialogue and think about what a partnership could look like.”

The joint group is expected to begin its work immediately and will thoroughly examine all areas for possible collaboration. The group will issue a report containing its recommendations by Summer 2021. 

Marian University was founded in 1936 by the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes in Fond du Lac, Wis. The institution has one of the lowest student-faculty ratios in the state and strives to live its core values as a community committed to learning, dedicated to service and social justice and joined together by spiritual traditions. Marian offers undergraduate, adult, master’s and doctoral degree programs at its main campus and online.

Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts and sciences curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. In recognition of its academic excellence, the college was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1953, placing it among a select group of the nation’s top colleges. Ripon is a tier 1 national liberal arts school in U.S. News & World Report and its “Best Value Schools” list; is consistently recognized as a “Best Value” and “Best 386 College” by The Princeton Review; listing; No. 2 in Wisconsin by College Choice; first among all private liberal arts colleges, 9th among all colleges and universities and third among all private colleges in Wisconsin, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal;  and second in Wisconsin and 21st in the Midwest for “Best Bang for the Buck” by Washington Monthly.