UJletters2Jamestown (CSI)  University of Jamestown President, Robert Badal has announced a search for the inaugural chair of a new Department of Engineering and Mathematics. A mechanical engineering program is included in the University’s strategic plan, and preparations are now underway. From a state and national perspective the timing is right to pursue development of the program due to high demand and interest from students. The University is initiating a national search for a director of the engineering program to prepare for students entering into the program in the fall of 2016.

The University of Jamestown’s size and mission make it a unique setting in the upper Midwest for this type of program. At the University of Jamestown, students can be part of a liberal arts campus where they can get to know faculty and staff on a personal level and at the same time gain a world-class education in engineering. The University of Jamestown will produce engineers who are products of a whole person educational approach which UJ is known for.

The University of Jamestown has a long-standing tradition of integrating the liberal arts and the professions. Steve Jobs of Apple computer made a statement which resonates with the University’s goal: “Technology married with the liberal arts, married with humanities; that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.”

The market demand is currently very strong for high school graduates seeking mechanical engineering degrees. A focus group was on campus last summer to gain insight and perspective of area and national firms.

UJ Vice President of Enrollment, Scott Goplin says, “I fully expect that a four year engineering degree program will have a significant impact on the University of Jamestown’s enrollment. We have the appeal of an exceptional private university offering small classes and personal attention from highly specialized faculty. Add to that an engineering field with exceptionally high starting salaries and employment opportunities and the program will encourage even more students to consider a UJ education.”

Paul Olson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, adds, “The University of Jamestown’s mission statement highlights our commitment to balancing the ideals of a liberal arts education and sound professional preparation, and that is exactly what we will do with our new bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Our students will acquire all of the technical knowledge required to be an outstanding engineer, but just as importantly, they will also benefit from our emphasis on communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills, ethics and spirituality, and our shared social and cultural heritage. The graduates from this program will be well-rounded engineers ready to play an important role in the region’s economy.”

The engineering program will be offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. The university plans to seek specialized programmatic accreditation. Currently, there is space in the university’s Sorkness Center for offices, labs and classrooms with plans for new construction being considered.

The University of Jamestown was established in 1883 and is ranked as a top tier regional school in US News and World Report and a top Midwestern school in The Princeton Review. The school features development of the whole person through its distinctive Journey to Success experience.