Our Mission

More than 20 years ago, Ron Ulseth (the founder of our program) was teaching at a community college and started asking questions. Questions like: Can we deliver a more well rounded engineer to industry? Why can't we teach engineering by doing engineering? Why do classrooms look the same since the mid 1900's when the engineering field has changed so intensely since then? Is there a way to create a program that is financially sustainable for the student and the institution?

These questions sparked a journey that eventually led to Iron Range Engineering. IRE was designed for community colleges across the country to be able to smoothly transfer in engineering students that wish to learn in a highly innovative learning model (based on research and science).

Our mission is to reshape engineering education to improve the learning experience for students and the hiring experience for industry across 3 main core parts of our curriculum which are technical, professional, and design skillsets. 

• Students at IRE get to choose their pathway to engineering excellence. 
• Empowering individuals to become engineers that will change the world and improve themselves is critical to our mission.
• ​An additional focus to develop a diverse workforce is why we work to be an incredibly inclusive, safe environment for all.

Today, we continue to ask questions surrounding the improvement of engineering education while including new voices and thought leaders, like yourself potentially, in the work we do. Thank you for being curious and learning more about us. 

Our Vision

1. Graduate students with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, focus of their choosing, with 2 years of real work experience on their resume.​
2. Implement student choice across the learning experience to allow the development of self direction and initiative. 
3. Provide a sustainable model to both students and the institution. 

Our Core Values

Inclusivity
All of us at IRE believe that by combining vastly different perspectives together, we can improve the way our profession solves problems. Inclusivity is at the top of our values list at all times. 

Life-Work Balance. 
Here at IRE, we work hard, but life is about more than the work we do. Our staff and students value a balance of play hard and work hard. What we mean by this is that we place high importance on experiencing important moments and people in our lives and the lives of our students. 

Support. 
Engineering mentorship is of the utmost importance to us. Our staff all are here to focus on guiding students at the times the student needs us most. We passionately help students learn about our profession in every way such as technical learning, interview skills, the do's and don't of industry, safety, negotiating, and more. 

Themes in our program

• Choice: Learning how to manage choices and own the ones we have made is a critical theme to our operations.
• Career: IRE is a co-op position and is treated as such. Student develop career relevant skills throughout.
• Leadership: IRE is a Place for Leaders that act inclusively and understand their relationship with stakeholders.
  Leaders pause between a stimulus and their response.
• Partnership: IRE is a partnership of Faculty, Staff, and Students. Your success is our success. 
• Balance: We are balanced, mindful, manage stress and emotions, and recognize life is more than school and work.
• Fundamental Principles: We understand Fundamental Principles, Science and Engineering, Professionalism, Engineering Design, and our Individual Learning
• Ownership: Students are Owners of their pathways to graduation and plan their learning.