Insight on Business

October 2012 Insight on Business

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INSIGHT ON HIGHER EDUC ATION By Amy Spreeman A home of its own "1655" inspires engineering innovation and growth at UW-Fox Valley W many schools are making their programs more attractive to keep their enrollment numbers level. At the University of Wisconsin- Fox Valley, enrollment is holding steady at around 1,700 students, but the opening of a new engineering building on campus could boost those numbers and energize the local job market. Introducing "Building 1655," school graduates in Wisconsin, UWFox's new Engineering Center. The innovative facility opened its doors Sept. 4 as the school year began, and is a much-anticipated and welcomed addition for local engineering students who are "placebound" (not able to leave the Fox Cities to finish their junior- and senior-level classes at UW- Platteville, UW-Madison or Milwaukee School of Engineering). The number of mechanical and electrical engineering students has grown from 30 to 200 in the past decade, and many students, especially those who already have jobs at companies like Miller Electric, Kimberly-Clark, Plexus or Oshkosh Corporation, prefer to complete their four-year program close to home. "We recognize that many of our college-age high ith a shrinking number of UWFox opened its Engineering Center in the former Advanced Tooling Equities building in September. executive officer and dean of UWFox. "We're already seeing other UW campuses explore this unique concept and consider a similar model. Rudd says the engineering " students are already working and raising families in the Fox Cities, and we believe this will attract more engineering students to our program," says Dr. Martin Rudd, campus 42 | INSIGHT • October 2012 program had been in desperate need of more classroom and office space, staff and equipment. The expanded space fills that need, offering two state-of-the-art labs for each of the mechanical and electrical programs, plus an elevator and additional parking. An engineering program advisor and three new full-time instructors from UW-Platteville are also based locally; working alongside UWFox's engineering instructors. "This expansion is critical to providing growth opportunities not just for engineering students but for our entire community, "By becoming an institution of access, we're enabling local engineering corporations who can ultimately create new job opportunities in our Fox Cities communities. " Rudd says. owned by Advanced Tooling Equities until 2007. Winnebago and Outagamie counties provided the $895,000 funding to purchase the building, plus the cost to make extensive renovations. The building has about 20,000 square feet of space and is on about two acres of property. Additional state money was provided for equipment. The 42-year-old building was " www. insightonbusiness.com COURTESY OF UW-FOX VALLEY

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