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Franklin University Switzerland

Coordinates: 45°59′51.36″N 8°56′20.4″E / 45.9976000°N 8.939000°E / 45.9976000; 8.939000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Franklin University Switzerland
TypePrivate university
Established1969
AccreditationMSCHE, AAQ
PresidentSamuel Martín Barbero
Academic staff
54[1]
Undergraduates386[1]
Location
Lugano
,
Canton of Ticino
,
Switzerland
ColorsRed and White
  
MascotFalcon
Websitewww.fus.edu

Franklin University Switzerland is a private university institute[2] in Lugano, Switzerland. Founded in 1969, Franklin offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees[3] accredited in both the United States[4] and Switzerland.[5]

History

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Formerly Fleming College, the university was founded in 1969, named after Benjamin Franklin. In 1986 it took residence in its permanent campus on Via Ponte Tresa in Sorengo. [6] In that same year it was accredited as a four-year college by the MSCHE.[4] In 2013 Franklin received full institutional accreditation from the Swiss University Conference[7] and became Franklin University Switzerland in 2014.[8]

Academics

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Franklin University Switzerland offers a liberal arts education, focused on international exposure and experiential learning in a culturally diverse environment.[9] The student body and faculty are international.[10] The average class size at Franklin is 16.[11] Four-year bachelor courses at Franklin cost between 117,000 and 220,000 Swiss francs.[3] About half of the around 400 students are American.[3]

In 2024, the Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper (NZZ) reported on deficiencies in Franklin's academic governance. It wrote that several of Franklin's professors had a weak academic record, with one having published nothing for 15 years.[3] Moreover, according to the NZZ, several professors reported being pressured by university leadership into giving unearned passing grades to students from wealthy families, often after an intervention by these families.[3] Franklin denied these allegations.[3]

Academic Travel Program

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The Academic Travel Program is an integrated part of the Franklin University Switzerland curriculum and is included in tuition, with supplemental fees required for a few destinations. Academic Travel is a credit-bearing degree requirement in which students study topics relevant to a particular place or places and then go with their class to study on location for two weeks.[12] Travel is led by faculty members and relates to the academic expertise of the individual professor and to his or her knowledge of a given country or area.[13]

Accreditation

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Switzerland

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Franklin is accredited in Switzerland by the Swiss Accreditation Council AAQ as a university institute.[5][14] In 2020, the Council rejected Franklin's request for accreditation as a university, and the Swiss Federal Administrative Court rejected Franklin's appeal against that decision in 2023.[3][15] The institution is required to change its name and branding accordingly by 2026.[3]

US

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Franklin is accredited in the United States by the MSCHE.[4] The institution is authorized to offer bachelor's and master's degrees through the State of Delaware.[16]

Campus

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Franklin University Switzerland, the main campus

The main campus (known as Kaletsch Campus), acquired in 1985, is composed of a private villa with attached library, auditorium, and classroom wing, surrounded by a wooded park. Also on this campus is a dining hall called the "Grotto". In 2005 the university acquired an additional campus nearby (known as North Campus), adding administrative, education, athletic, social and residential capacity. The current campus spans 2 hectares (5 acres). The Franklin campus is residential, and is on a hillside overlooking the town of Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, Switzerland.[17] The most recent building, called "McNeely Center of Ideas & Imagination", is a 6,270 sqm residential and educational space inaugurated in 2023 and designed by Flaviano Capriotti Architetti.[18][19] The building has won the DNA Paris Design Awards 2024[20] Architecture/Educational & Sports[21] and the Architecture Masterprize 2024[22] Educational Buildings[23]

Partnerships

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Franklin University Switzerland is a partner of the Global Science Film Festival,[24] organized by the Swiss Science Film Academy, which was founded by Swiss scientists and filmmakers.[25] Through this collaboration, Franklin hosts film screenings on campus, helping to raise awareness of the festival in Lugano. These films offer students the opportunity to engage with topics such as sustainability and science through a critical thinking approach.[26]

Athletics

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Franklin University Switzerland offers students a wide variety of sports and fitness programs, as well as activities to promote a healthy lifestyle. Some on-campus sports facilities include the Tone Athletic Center, two volleyball courts, a basketball court and a soccer field. Organized athletic activities include Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Basketball, and Lugano Street Dance. Students are also encouraged to start athletic programs. Student-led activities have included Field Hockey, Yoga, Cross-fit, and Self-Defense.[citation needed] Since 2000-2001 (with an exception of a bye year in 2001–2002) Franklin's men's soccer team has competed in the National Swiss Division (5th League).[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Basic Facts and Figures". Franklin University Switzerland Official Web Site. Franklin University Switzerland. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. ^ Swiss law distinguishes between universities and university institutes; the latter provide a more narrow range of studies or degrees than universities. See: Hochschultypologie: Unterscheidung Universitäten und universitäre Institute bzw. Fachhochschulen und Fachhochschulinstitute, Auslegungshilfe des Hochschulrats, Schweizerische Hochschulkonferenz, 2020
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h da Silva, Gioia (23 December 2024). "Franklin University Switzerland: Erschleichen sich wohlhabende Ausländer hier Uni-Diplome?". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Franklin University Switzerland". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Franklin University Switzerland Swiss Accreditation" (PDF).
  6. ^ "History". www.fus.edu. Franklin University Switzerland. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Sorengo: il Franklin diventa università". TicinoNews (in Italian). 7 May 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  8. ^ "University... made in Switzerland". Corriere del Ticino (in Italian). 13 April 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  9. ^ "About Franklin University Switzerland". Top Universities.
  10. ^ "Franklin University Switzerland". www.bachelorstudies.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Facts and figures about Franklin University Switzerland". www.fus.edu. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Franklin - A US College in Switzerland". Degree Abroad. GoAbroad. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  13. ^ "Academic Travel". www.fus.edu. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  14. ^ "Accredited Swiss Higher Education Institutions - swissuniversities". www.swissuniversities.ch. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  15. ^ Decision B-388/2022 of 11 August 2023
  16. ^ Education, Delaware Department of. "Approved Colleges and Institutions". Delaware Department of Education. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Franklin's Campus, Lugano". www.fus.edu. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  18. ^ "Projects | Flaviano Capriotti Architetti". www.flavianocapriotti.it. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  19. ^ "FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY SWITZERLAND". www.flavianocapriotti.it. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  20. ^ "The Award 2025". DNA Paris Design Awards. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  21. ^ "Franklin University Switzerland, New University Campus, Winner in Architecture/Educational & Sports". dna.paris. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  22. ^ "Submit your Designs for the Architecture MasterPrize (AMP)-Celebrating Global Design Excellence". Architecture MasterPrize / Architecture, Interior & Landscape Design Awards 2024 - Architecture Awards 2024 - Celebrating Excellence in Architecture, Interior & Landscape Design. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  23. ^ "Franklin University Switzerland - Mcneely Center Of Ideas & Imagination". architectureprize.com. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  24. ^ "Partners | Switzerland | Swiss Science Film Festival". Science Film Academy. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  25. ^ "Swiss Science Film Academy | Swiss Science Film Festival". Science Film Academy. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  26. ^ Pengue, Simone. "Il Global Science Film Festival: un mix di narrazione e impegno". Ticino Scienza (in Italian). Retrieved 26 February 2025.
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45°59′51.36″N 8°56′20.4″E / 45.9976000°N 8.939000°E / 45.9976000; 8.939000

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