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Involvement keys top ranking
It will come as no surprise to our Echoes readers that I am proud of Rose-Hulman’s
second consecutive ranking as the top undergraduate engineering and science college in
U.S. News & World Report’s college survey. Not only did our peer institutions
rank us number one overall, but they also rated our engineering departments as tops in
their respective fields.
As impressive as our showing is, I am more touched by why we were able to achieve that
rating. Put aside the charts and the percentages. Leave the survey instruments in the file
cabinet. It all comes down to one trait that threads its way throughout the Rose-Hulman
community — involvement. No matter what area of Rose-Hulman you observe, you will
find people who are involved.
I looked up the word involvement in the dictionary and I found a description of
Rose-Hulman. The definition included words such as commit, participate, relate closely,
connect and include. I see that character thriving daily at 5500 Wabash Avenue and in the
lives of our friends, parents and alumni. Our number-one ranking is a great tribute to the
entire Rose-Hulman family.
The involvement starts with our students and faculty. We recruit some of the most
academically talented students in the country. Their credentials stack up against those of
students from other top colleges in a variety of areas. More than 90 percent of the
incoming freshmen ranked in the top fifth of their graduating classes, and our freshmen
continually score among the tops in college entrance exams. Once here, that academic
achievement continues in the Rose-Hulman classrooms and labs. A special part of their
education requires participation in real-world engineering and science projects. Our
students learn through such involvement while business and industry learn more about the
quality of Rose-Hulman.
Involvement goes beyond the classroom for our students. They excel in competitions and
other extracurricular activities. Our Solar Phantom solar car team finished first in a
national competition last spring, and our aerial robotics club continues to improve its
showing in international competitions. Our students also place high in national, regional
and state competitions involving mathematics, computer modeling and civil engineering,
just to name a few. Of course, our students are always at the front of the line when it
comes to service projects with the area social service agencies.
Our students could not enjoy such success without faculty and staff involved in their
lives. As I have opined in this space before, student-faculty interaction is at the heart
of the Rose-Hulman education. Our faculty do more than just lecture and give tests. They
become involved in the lives of our students. The one-on-one interchange that thrives at
Rose-Hulman provides the margin of excellence in our education.
Faculty also become involved in research and professional development to hone their
teaching skills. In recent years, many have written textbooks that educate and help spread
the Rose-Hulman name. Others are asked on a regular basis to present at engineering,
science and mathematics educational conferences. They take leadership roles in conferences
sponsored by the American Society of Engineering Education and Frontiers in Education.
Their names surface in the programs of many other national organization workshops and
educational forums. Again, the Rose-Hulman reputation goes forth.
Sometimes, the reputation grows because of faculty from other colleges coming to our
campus. For the past three years, we have sponsored the national “Best Assessment
Processes in Engineering Education” conference. More than 1,000 faculty members from
other schools have had a chance to sample the Rose-Hulman experience. Not only do they
interact with our faculty, but they also have an opportunity to note our excellent
facilities and beautiful grounds. You cannot be on campus too long without gaining a sense
of our commitment to undergraduate education.
I would be remiss if I did not mention our staff who are equally involved in the lives of
our students. Through their jobs and roles as advisers, they provide a large impact in the
lives of our students, and the overall quality of the Rose-Hulman education.
Beyond the stone gates of 5500 Wabash Avenue, Rose-Hulman alumni carry the Rose-Hulman
banner. Our alumni are success stories wherever they go, and through their accomplishments
the knowledge level about Rose-Hulman grows. They are the true measure of the quality of
the Rose-Hulman experience. The men and women who hang Rose-Hulman/Rose Poly diplomas on
their walls have put their Rose-Hulman educations to work in diverse ways around the world
during the latter part of the 20th century. Their impact does not end at the workplace.
They are involved in their communities helping with activities ranging from coaching youth
soccer to serving on church boards. Each success they harvest in their lives cultivates
more growth for the Rose-Hulman reputation.
Parents and friends are also part of the reputation equation. Their involvement and
encouragement enable us to meet our educational mission on a variety of fronts. We also
have more exposure through increased national media coverage, the World Wide Web, our
admissions publications and the publication you hold in your hands, which goes to 20,000
readers around the world.
I could fill another page with examples of why Rose-Hulman was picked as a number-one
college, and each phrase would focus on involvement. I am pleased and proud Rose-Hulman is
listed at the top with many other great colleges, but I am not naïve enough to believe we
will stay there forever. No matter where we rank in future surveys, as long as we all
embrace the spirit of involvement, this will be a great college that provides a number-one
education.
 
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