Ripon College Days

Media Credit: Photo courtesy President's Office Residential college. The above is a preliminary drawing of what the college's new apartment-style residence hall could look like. In addition to putting in a new residence hall, the nearly $20 million renovations will build a new Physical Plant b [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Photo courtesy President's Office Beautifying Todd Wehr. Above is a sketch of what the proposed Todd Wehr renovations will look like. Primary changes involve glassing in the breezeway and adding classrooms. [Click to enlarge]

At their last meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a request to seek bonding for up to $20 million to finance vital repairs, aesthetic enhancement and new additions for the college. "We could get the dollars as early as this summer," says Ripon College President David Joyce. "Then we'd be able to start on what we can in the fall."

These dollars will be used within three years of lender approval to improve the college's facilities including Brockway and Bovay, Todd Wehr Hall, the commons, the Union and eventually to install a senior apartment complex.

Residence Halls

While many factors, including coordinating timing and student displacement, are variables in what construction can take place first, student housing remains a primary goal.

"One of the hallmarks of this campus is its residence life program," says Joyce. He goes on to note that according to recent studies, senior college students need to have the opportunity for independent housing options. Thus, the idea for senior apartments.

The complex is to be built at the corner of Thorne and Woodside in the Tri-Dorms parking lot.

Each apartment will ideally house four bedrooms, a three-person bathroom, a kitchen and a living room.

In an attempt to offer this housing to approximately 20 to 30 percent of the senior population, a rough estimate is that room for 40 to 50 beds will be built in the complex.

An estimated $4 million is being allocated for the construction of the complex, and this steep cost may parallel the cost of living in the building when it's completed.

Attaining housing in the apartment building will more than likely be more expensive than the cost of a double-single room in the dorms.

New meal plans are also being explored for residents of these apartments to accommodate for their fully equipped kitchen. Included in meal plan investigations are ways to continue to encourage interaction between seniors and underclassmen through eating some meals in the commons.

Although its management is yet undetermined, space has been drawn into the construction plans that allows for a resident director within the complex.

Unlike completing renovations to Brockway and Bovay, which can only take place in the summertime as to not displace students, construction of the new apartment complex could occur while classes are in session.

The construction would, however, limit parking.

The lot will be reconfigured to allow for mandated per resident parking availability, and while some funds will be put aside for extra lot construction, most of the parking will remain in the current lot.

"We don't want to let parking drive the train," says Joyce. "We don't want to design [the apartments] around parking, we want to design parking around [the apartments]."

Todd Wehr and the Union

In addition to student housing improvements, vital repairs and upgrades include adding classrooms in the breezeway of Todd Wehr, breaking down the first floor of Harwood Memorial Union beneath Great Hall into a large student area and creating office and meeting space in Pickard Commons for student organizations.

The area beneath the commons, which is currently occupied by Physical Plant will be remodeled to make student organization offices and a larger lounge-type area around Starbucks. The thematic style of the area will resemble the Terrace.

Physical Plant will relocate to a new building to be constructed behind Rodman, just off Congress Street.

Todd Wehr renovations will involve removing the giant window grates, enclosing the breezeway, creating additional classroom space and other interior and exterior upgrades.

In the Union, the mailroom will be relocated behind what is now the Rec Center. Then, the space that's currently the mailroom, Pub dining area and rec room will be opened up to create a larger student recreational and social area.

Other campus-wide improvements include an estimated $3 million in lighting and wiring repairs and about $750,000 to equip the campus' classrooms with appropriate technological advances.

The Bonding Process

Now that the Board of Trustees has approved bonding up to $20 million, the next step in pursuing these funds is to establish Ripon College's debt-worthiness. As one of the least leveraged schools in the state, the college has significant debt capacity.

Once that capacity is accurately determined, lenders will bid on the college's business and therefore establish a letter of credit that guarantees the debt, or borrowed funds.

Legal documents will then be drawn to issue the bond that comes with regulations. Included in these is a time frame of three years in which to spend the funds and restrictions stating any funds gained through investment interest must be used to further capital, or physical improvements.

As a non-profit organization, Ripon College is eligible to receive tax-exempt bonds that bind the fund's usage to capital, or physical, improvements on campus.

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