Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (or RHIT) is a private non-sectarian college which specializes in teaching engineering, science, and mathematics. The school is highly regarded for its undergraduate engineering program, which has been ranked #1 in its category (universities whose highest degree offered is a Master's) by U.S. News and World Report for six consecutive years (2000-2005). It is primarily an undergraduate institution, although Master's degrees in certain disciplines are also granted. There are no Doctoral programs. Its 200 acre (0.8 km²) campus is located in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
|
| Motto: Labor et Scientia |
| President |
John J. Midgley |
| School type |
Private |
| Religious affiliation |
None |
| Founded |
1874
|
| Location |
Terre Haute, Indiana
|
| Enrollment |
1840 undergraduate
130 graduate |
| Faculty |
130 |
| Endowment |
$153,658,000 [1]
|
| Campus surroundings |
Small city |
| Campus size |
200 acres (0.8 km²) |
| Mascot |
Fighting Engineers |
Campus
The campus is compact, made more so with a recent boom of construction. In addition to academic and residence halls, the campus has many special-use facilities, including:
- Hatfield Hall (fine arts and auditorium)
- Oakley Observatory
- Sports and Recreation Center
- White Chapel
Organization
Departments
The school's academic structure is organized into departments:
- Applied Biology & Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Science & Software Engineering
- Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Physics and Optical Engineering
Degrees
Rose-Hulman currently offers the B.S. degree in the following disciplines: Applied Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, and Software Engineering.
The M.S. degree is offered in: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Optical Engineering
From 1900 to 1935, the college also awarded degrees in Architecture [2].
Students
The student body tends to come mostly from the Midwest United States, though as the school has gained prominence it has gradually attracted a more geographically and ethnically diverse applicant pool. A 2003 gift of $7 million from an alumnus was specifically established to increase geographic diversity. International students currently make up about 3% of the student body.
In 1995, the college admitted its first women students. Until that year, admission was available only to men.
Profile of 475-member Freshman Class for Fall Quarter, 2004:
- 92% ranked in the top fifth of their high school classes
- 23% ranked in the top three positions of their high school classes
- 267 students were members of honor societies
- 210 participated in music programs
- 157 participated on academic teams
- 270 played varsity sports
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The school also supports a weekly newspaper, The Thorn, focussing on campus news.
History
The college was founded in 1874 as Rose Polytechnic Institute by Chauncey Rose . It retained this name until 1971 when it became the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, paying honor to the Hulman family of Terre Haute, which donated its 123 acre (0.5 km²) farm for the college's use and provided financial support over the years.
The first class of 48 students entered in 1883, chosen from 58 applicants. All but four students chose to major in Mechanical Engineering. Nearly half quit their studies before graduation for a number of reasons, including poor grades or conduct. Today, the classes are much larger, choosing about 450 students from several thousand applications. [4]
The college was a men's-only institution for most of its history. It voted to become coeducational in 1991, with the first women students starting in 1995.
Also in 1995, the college required all incoming freshmen to purchase laptop computers, becoming one of the first schools to do so. Ever since, laptops have been required for all freshmen, and the curricula have heavily integrated computers into classroom instruction.
There have been 12 presidents in the college's history: [5]
- Charles Oliver Thompson , 1884-1885
-
Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, 1886-1889
- Henry Turner Eddy , 1891-1894
- Carl Leo Mees , 1895-1919
- Philip Bell Woodworth , 1921-1923
- Frank Casper Wagner , 1923-1928
- Donald B. Prentice , 1928-1931
- Ford Lee Wilkinson , 1949-1958
- Ralph Alexander Morgen , 1959-1961
-
John Alexander Logan, 1962-1976
- Samuel Foster Hulbert , 1976-2004
- John J. Midgley , 2004-
Noted alumni
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Contact address
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
5500 Wabash Avenue
Terre Haute, IN 47803
Tel: (812) 877 1511
