Be Our Guest / Daniel Elsener

New engineering school at Marian to help expand university’s vision

Rooted in the charism given to us by the Sisters of St. Francis in Oldenburg, Marian University in Indianapolis will never relent in its quest to increase its impact on our community and be a positive force in the world of Catholic higher education.

To these ends, we have taken Marian in directions that both broaden our scope of offerings to students and reinforce our standing as one of America’s premiere Catholic universities. Our willingness to also consider new and innovative approaches is why Marian recently was ranked as the third most innovative university in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report.

A few weeks ago, we announced the creation of the E. S. Witchger School of Engineering. Marian was able to make this watershed announcement in part because we secured $25 million in startup donations. In the current economy, this amount stands as a significant vote of confidence in our university.

Through these generous contributions, Marian University will expand in its vision as a Catholic, Franciscan university to offer engineering degrees that are rooted in the liberal arts tradition with the goal of graduating a diverse pipeline of talented leaders in service to the world.

The Marian University community sees the creation of an innovative engineering school as essential to our unflagging commitment to building a great Catholic university in this great American city, important to the future of Indianapolis, the Church, and critical to the dedication we have to our students’ best interests.

The E.S. Witchger School of Engineering will address the need for more engineering leaders who possess strong liberal arts competencies and a deep faith commitment. To meet the changing needs of the economy, leaders in the engineering field must understand the technical side of the practice, but also be able to communicate, problem solve, collaborate and serve others.

Additionally, in the Witchger family we found the ideal partners with the work ethic, dedication to excellence and their faith, and a strong commitment to innovation.

As with other university programs, a top priority of our engineering school will be to attract a diverse student population who graduate and serve as leaders in the engineering field. Our Indianapolis location provides students with exceptional opportunities to participate in internships and experiential learning opportunities while receiving high-quality instruction.

A top priority for the E.S. Witchger School of Engineering is to offer competitive scholarships to attract the diverse population needed for future engineers, and graduate these students into high-need positions. Marian has experienced a 40% growth during the past four years in STEHM programs—Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, Exercise and Sports Science—while doubling the growth in our Dual-Degree Engineering program with Purdue University.

Pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission, the degree offerings will concentrate in electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering. Marian University will continue to recruit students into the dual-degree program with Purdue University for the fall of 2021. The inaugural class for the E.S. Witchger School of Engineering will enter Marian in the fall of 2022. Students interested in enrolling in the E. S. Witchger Engineering School at Marian University may apply at marian.edu.

In the ever-changing world of higher education, Marian will continue to be a place for innovation while remaining a bedrock Catholic, Franciscan, liberal arts university.
 

(Daniel Elsener is the president of Marian University in Indianapolis.) †