Summer College

Each summer you are invited to participate in intellectual stimulation and camaraderie. During Summer College there are morning sessions, afternoon sessions exploring a theme from the liberal arts perspective.

2013 Summer College is scheduled for June 23-26, 2013.
Information coming soon.

Below you can view information regarding Summer College 2012, held August 12-15, 2012.

Summer College on the Road - Silver Falls Conference Center, Sublimity, Oregon

With Gary Rollefson, professor of anthropology; Don Snow, senior lecturer of environmental humanities; Kathleen Shea, assistant professor of environmental humanities and classics; Kurt Hoffman, professor of physics

"How Small Ideas Changed the World"

This seminar was held in the Oregon Cascades. A stimulating lecture and discussion series by faculty in a variety of disciplines in this beautiful outdoor setting. Using the book A History of the World in 100 Objects as a jumping off point, they examined the history and development of civilizations from a liberal arts perspective. How did a simple implement have an influence on where we are as humans today? What are the relationships among science, art, ideas, literature and “things?” Why are our current studies of the arts and sciences related to objects found from cultures of the past?

But it’s wasn't all study. Participants enjoyed free-time activities such as swimming in the outdoor heated pool, touring the nearby Oregon Garden, playing volleyball, hiking the miles of adjacent waterfall trails or just savoring the outdoor atmosphere with a good book. There were evening campfire gatherings, relaxation time during socials and meals visiting with friends and faculty and catch a first-hand glimpse of the current Whitman student learning experience. All this is enhanced by the beautiful forested setting of Silver Falls State Park.