Whitman College | United States

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Institution type	Private

About Whitman College

Interdisciplinary research opportunities. Small classes. Global connections forged under the guidance of dedicated faculty members. The support it takes to turn college into limitless opportunity. What Whitman College has, it shares.

As a small, residential liberal arts college in Eastern Washington's Walla Walla, Whitman has what it takes to provide an education that goes beyond the classroom. Whitties are scholars, but also explorers and scientists. They climb mountains, travel to far-off corners and advocate for social justice. They care about community and aim to become citizens of the world.

A Whitman education is rooted in the traditional liberal arts values like critical thought and academic rigor. With prestigious internships, off-campus study and civic engagement opportunities, it becomes more than the sum of its parts. The Whitman experience transforms, allowing students to turn education into life.

Campus information

Whitman offers students a classic, liberal arts campus that blends beauty with contemporary facilities, modern technologies, and historic buildings. Take a stroll along the well-groomed, beautifully landscaped paths of our campus and you'll find why students describe it as the perfect place to strike a balance between the academic, the professional, the social, and the personal. Among your first must-sees:

The Ethernet- and wireless-capable Allen Reading Room within the state-of-the-art Penrose Library, open 24/7, which exemplifies Whitman's dedication to learning and achievement.
Research laboratories in the recently remodeled Hall of Science, designed for collaboration between students and professors (don't miss the environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems, which exemplify Whitman's environmental ethic).
The Reid Campus Center, a gathering place for the entire Whitman community. Students may also rent sports equipment from the Outdoor Program rental office housed there, or sign up for community service opportunities through the Center for Community Service.
The centrally located Ankeny Field, home to the college's intramural sports competition, in which 75 percent of Whitman students participate. As a Whittie, you'll spend many sunny afternoons here, studying, sunbathing, playing Ultimate Frisbee, pick-up soccer, football, or volleyball, or simply hanging out with your friends.
Ideal venues for art and cultural events such as Harper Joy Theatre, Cordiner Hall concert auditorium, and Donald H. Sheehan Art Gallery.
Great spots for solitary reflection, quiet conversation, or socializing, such as the Cordiner Glen (Narnia), the Whitman Amphitheater, or Lakum Duckum.

Thirty years ago, only the denim part of that description would have applied. In the region, an agricultural powerhouse, it hadn’t yet dawned on farmers to grow grapes.

“Back in the ’80s, downtown was dying — truly falling apart,” said Mike Spring, a former fire chief who owns a brewpub, Chief Springs Fire and Irons Brewpub, in nearby Dayton. “The wine industry has brought Walla Walla back to life.”

Indeed, thanks to fine restaurants like Saffron and Whitehouse-Crawford, as well as charmingly off-kilter wineries such as Charles Smith and Sleight of Hand, Walla Walla has become a destination for gastronomes and oenophiles alike. But as a local brewer, Court Ruppenthal, puts it, “People drink wine all day and say, ‘Now what I really need is a beer.’ ” For that, pulled-pork pizza, hush puppies and an unexpected dollop of top-notch French cuisine, the Touchet Valley towns of Waitsburg and Dayton beckon.

Accommodation

Living on the Whitman campus is a rich and varied experience full of opportunities to learn more about yourself, get to know people whose backgrounds are different from your own, and grow intellectually.

Whether you live in a residence hall, a sorority section, or an interest house, you will be part of a close community that makes it easy to form lifelong friendships. The people you live with - your roommate, the talented guitarist down the hall, the student from China - will probably become your best friends. With them, you will share exciting ideas generated in the classroom, different points of view, social activities, and just plain fun.

Living in the College community is an essential part of a Whitman education. All single undergraduate students who are under 21 years of age at the start of each semester and have not yet lived on campus for four semesters are required to live on campus.

students in residence hallWhitman has eight residence halls and 11 special interest houses. All housing is coed with the exception of Prentiss Hall. Three national sorority chapters, and three sections of first-year women are housed in Prentiss Hall, which is reserved for women. If you join a Greek organization, you may live in one of the four fraternity houses or the sorority sections of Prentiss Hall after your first year. Wherever you live on campus, you will be close to academic buildings, extracurricular activities, and local shopping areas.

Each residence hall has its own hall council. Residence committees organize activities ranging from volleyball tournaments and progressive parties to trips to the College’s mountain cabin. New students are encouraged to plan recreational, social, and educational activities (with guidance from Residence Life staff) to develop leadership and organizational skills.

Professors are often invited to participate in informal discussions. Guest speakers, including alumni and local business and professional people, often share their educational and work experiences. Seminars and discussion groups will provide you with many chances to explore contemporary issues and intellectual subjects.