Photos by Craig Schreiner | Written by Kristine Zaballos   <img alt="More students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County will soon be able to pursue engineering degrees thanks to a recommitment to a partnership and a commitment of resources to grow a longstanding program." class="img-responsive" width="800px" src="http://www.uww.edu/images/mmr/news/2019/120519CS_regents900.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle;" title="More students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County will soon be able to pursue engineering degrees thanks to a recommitment to a partnership and a commitment of resources to grow a longstanding program." />   More students at the <a href="https://www.uww.edu/rock">University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County</a> will soon be able to pursue engineering degrees thanks to a recommitment to a partnership and a commitment of resources to grow a longstanding program. The agreement, signed on Thursday, Dec. 5, will offer UW-Platteville Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering to more students in the region through <a href="https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/engineering-partnerships" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships</a>, and makes UW-Whitewater at Rock County an official UW-PEP Site. “UW-Whitewater is pleased to collaborate with our UW System colleagues to strengthen and expand this opportunity for our Rock County campus students,” said UW-Whitewater Chancellor Dwight C. Watson. “This partnership not only allows us to grow our Associate in Arts and Science degree program with students who are interested in earning an eventual engineering degree, it is a high-quality and cost-effective way to address the engineering needs in the region and the state.” “We have several area businesses and industry partners who can attest to the necessity, the popularity, and the success of the PEP program,” said UW-Platteville Chancellor Dennis Shields. “These collaborations happened because we listened to our advisory boards and industry partners. We have helped strengthen the Wisconsin workforce by working together with our friends at UW-Whitewater at Rock County. Through this agreement, we further the opportunities for local students to follow their dreams and make them a reality.” UW-Whitewater signed a memorandum of understanding between the university’s College of Integrated Studies on the Rock County campus and the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The reinvigorated program, which features an instructor/advisor to help students better navigate it, will debut in the spring 2020 semester. UW-Platteville first taught face-to-face mechanical and electrical engineering coursework at the college, then known as UW-Rock County, from 2006 to 2015. Formerly known as the Collaborative Engineering Program, the program primarily served working adults and place-bound students in the campus’s Engineering Center, which opened in 2007 and was funded by Forward Janesville, the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce and the college. The partnership outlined in the agreement allows UW-Platteville to extend the student population served at UW-Whitewater at Rock County to include traditional college students. UW-Whitewater at Rock County students will be able to access UW-Platteville engineering courses through synchronous or asynchronous classes streamed from the UW-Platteville campus or the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus. Those interested in the program can contact Tricia Clasen, Interim Dean, College of Integrated Studies, for more information at <a href="mailto:clasenp@uww.edu">clasenp@uww.edu</a>.