By Mandy Barlow in Campus News, College Days, Student Life on February 9, 2023
Significant structural changes on the Ripon College campus will break ground in 2023
Sadoff Field, where the new football stadium will be built. Photo courtesy of Bryson Patterson.
Ripon College will see several big and long-awaited structural changes in the next few years In light of the $35 million strategic infrastructure plan that was officially announced on Dec. 1, 2022. The official announcement released via email by Ripon College President Victoria N. Folse detailed plans to build a new on-campus stadium, renovate and expand Farr Hall of Science and upgrade the residence halls.
Part of the first phase of the strategic infrastructure plan, Folse said in the email, is to implement a 157,000-square-foot on-campus stadium located on lower Sadoff Field. The new stadium is projected to open in fall 2023.
The new stadium will host games for the Ripon College football and soccer teams and will feature a 2,000-seat grandstand and pressbox, viewing opportunities on Sadoff Hill, and lighting for evening events. In addition to sporting events, the stadium will be used for student and community activities.
Implementation of this stadium also means that the Ripon College football team will no longer share a field with Ripon High School and will also not have to travel off campus for their games and practices.
According to head football coach and offensive coordinator Jake Marshall, the new location will improve the student-athlete experience and “allow our students and fans to make the Red Hawks gameday atmosphere one of the best in the region.”
A student in a lab uses a microscope in a Farr lab room. Photo courtesy of Bryson Patterson.
The second part of the first phase of the strategic infrastructure plan is to renovate and expand Farr Hall. According to Folse, this aspect of the project will break ground this year and is projected to be completed in fall 2024.
The renovation of Farr Hall will feature more than 19,000 square feet of new construction, new laboratory and classroom spaces, instrumentation upgrades, and energy-efficient windows and lighting.
According to Colleen Byron, chair of the chemistry department at Ripon College, the expansion and renovation of Farr Hall is very necessary. The building currently has poor ventilation throughout, and the teaching laboratories cannot accommodate modern equipment and lab procedures.
As a result of the expansion of Farr Hall and the implementation of new, more accommodating laboratories, Byron said, Ripon College will also be able to create an engineering major.
A student participating in a lab in a Farr lab room. Photo courtesy of Bryson Patterson.
“The science building will be about twice the size of the current building, so our creativity in creating positive undergraduate experiences will also expand,” she said.
In addition to building a new stadium and completely renovating Farr Hall, the strategic infrastructure plan also includes updating the residence halls. The plans for the residence halls are not yet finalized, but Folse said the college hopes to do so within the next year.
According to a post on Ripon College’s Instagram, the college hopes that the impending changes will “enhance campus vitality” and “improve the overall student experience.”
“We are excited about continuing to enhance the campus vibrancy and vitality – we hope you share in our enthusiasm,” Folse said.