The Academic Resource Center (ARC) provides resources for all students who need additional academic advice, who want to improve their study or time management skills, or who need assistance arranging learning accommodations. The director offers individual academic counseling sessions by appointment. The ARC student staff is comprised of the Student Academic Advisers (SAs) and the peer tutors. The SAs live in the first-year residence halls and provide academic support to new students. Through academic programming including such topics as time management, analytical reading, exam preparation, stress management, learning preference recognition, etc., SAs strive to provide content that contributes to improving students’ overall academics effectiveness. The ARC staff also coordinates assistance for student with disabilities and for those who demonstrate a need for tutors, note-takers, or assistive/adaptive technology. Students can find additional information on the Whitman College Web site at www.whitman.edu/academic_resources/.
Whitman College is committed to providing students who have disabilities fair and equal access to its programs. Once the college admits a student with a disability, he or she will have equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all the college’s programs and activities. Whenever a student with a documented disability needs modification of academic requirement, facilities, services or procedures, the college will make every reasonable effort to meet the student’s needs. Students requesting academic accommodations for a documented disability should discuss their needs with the Associate Dean of Students, Clare Carson, Memorial 310. For the complete policy go to www.whitman.edu/academic-resources or www.whitman.edu/righttoknow.
Professionally trained counselors are available to provide personal and psychological counseling to students at no charge. Counselors assist individuals and groups with personal and academic concerns, career choices, interpersonal relationships, and other areas of concern or interest. A consulting psychiatrist is available to students one day per week. The Counseling Center offers a variety of personal growth opportunities, including workshops and programs on listening and communication skills, stress management, and assertiveness training. Whitman’s professionally supervised peer counseling program and the Stuart Religious Counselor provide additional counseling resources. All counseling is confidential.
The medical director and the director of the Health Center are responsible for the health service. The on-campus Health Center, with a 12-bed capacity, is staffed by nurses around the clock. During the academic year, the Health Center serves as an outpatient facility for the management of minor injuries and illnesses, and it offers inpatient infirmary care for health-related conditions not requiring hospitalization. Illness prevention and health education are emphasized.
The Health Center physicians maintain regularly scheduled hours on campus Monday-Friday mornings. The physicians may refer students to outside resources if indicated. Limited post-operative care may be provided at the Health Center. The director of the student Health Center, who is a family nurse practitioner, is also available to see students on an appointment basis. Full-time students may see the nurse practitioner without charge. All full-time students may access Health Center resources and may see the Health Center physician without charge. If a student wishes to consult a private physician, the Health Center staff may recommend competent local specialists when requested to do so. Whenever a student is treated away from the Health Center, the expenses incurred will be the student’s responsibility. A dietician is available on a limited basis for consultations at no charge to students — students must call well ahead of time to make an appointment. A physical therapist and a massage therapist are also available on an appointment basis; there is a charge for their services.
Women’s health care, including PAP smears and contraception, is available. Anonymous HIV testing is available at no cost. The cost of other tests and services must be assumed by the student. Some medicines, bandages, and the loan of crutches, etc., may be provided free of charge. A dispensary for prescribed medication is available. Allergy antigen regimes/shots prescribed by home physicians may be continued at the Health Center at a nominal cost. The college charges for physical examinations for outside agencies, employment, matriculation, or other educational institutions. For a charge, certain immunizations are available at the Health Center.
Students must submit a Medical Report Form with indicated tests and immunizations before registration can be finalized at the college. Registration for classes cannot be completed until Health Center clearance has been obtained.
It is mandatory for all students to have health and accident insurance. For those who do not already have medical insurance, Whitman College offers a group medical-surgical hospital plan to students at a reasonable cost. International students must have either the Whitman College student insurance plan or an equivalent U.S. policy.
Each year the fee for the college insurance policy will be included on the student bill. If the student has other health and accident insurance, proof of insurance must be provided to the Health Center in order to receive a waiver of the college insurance policy (this must be done each year the student is enrolled). This proof of insurance must be received by the end of the third week of each academic year, at which point the insurance fee will be removed from the student bill. The insurance carrier and the insurance policy number will become a part of each student’s permanent health record.
It is the student’s responsibility to understand his or her insurance plan and know how to access coverage. We advise that each student carry a personal insurance card at all times.
If hospitalization or outside medical services are needed, the Health Center will assist the student in locating suitable medical treatment. The cost for such outsourced medical treatment, however, must be assumed by the student.
Whitman College provides “secondary” accident injury insurance for intercollegiate/varsity sport athletes who sustain injuries directly related to their varsity sport. This coverage applies only to varsity athletes, not club/team/intramural sports participants. If a varsity sport athlete becomes injured in a varsity sport-related accident, the student’s primary personal insurance will be billed first. As a secondary insurance, the varsity sport accident insurance policy will pay the balance due after the students’ primary personal insurance has paid its portion of the bill.
Fostering diversity, inclusion, and respect for all in the Whitman community is one of the foremost goals of the Intercultural Center. The center works to strengthen Whitman’s intercultural community and ensure a positive Whitman experience for those from historically under-represented backgrounds. The center also seeks to enrich the experience of the entire student body and community by providing opportunities to engage and educate the campus as a whole on issues related to diversity. Working together with a variety of campus constituencies, the Intercultural Center facilitates and encourages ongoing dialogue on issues of diversity between students, staff, and faculty.
The Intercultural Center team provides academic and social support for multicultural and international students. The international and multicultural student orientation, mentoring, individual counseling and advising sessions are a few of the opportunities available to assist students with their transition to Whitman College and Walla Walla. The center also helps bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the campus by sponsoring various speakers and events; housing a collection of books and videos related to diversity and multicultural issues; and providing information about internship and scholarship opportunities. Additionally, translation services for more than 30 languages can be accessed through the center’s language bank.
Throughout the year, the center sponsors workshops, speakers, programs, and cultural events that are free and open to the whole community. The student-led diversity organizations are among the most active clubs on campus. They provide leadership opportunities for students and promote diversity/multiculturalism by sponsoring speakers, discussion panels, musical events, dances, festivals, and dinners. In addition to the multi-ethnic interest house (MECCA), there are 14 active diversity groups: American Indian Association; Asian Cultural Association; Black Student Union (BSU); Club Latino; Coalition Against Homophobia (CAH); Feminists Advocating Change and Empowerment (FACE); Hui Aloha; International Students and Friends Club (ISFC); South Asian Student Association (SASA); Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ); Hillel-Shalom; Vietnamese Cultural Club (VCC); First Generation Working Class (FGWC); and African Awareness Club.
The Student Engagement Center supports students throughout their years at Whitman in the various stages of their career development, including local on-campus and off-campus employment, preparation for summer jobs, internships, and full-time employment. The services offered include:
Through using the reference materials in the Student Engagement Center’s Career Resource Library, accessing the center’s Web site, and utilizing the alumni database (Career Consultant Network), students can gather information about various career fields, find information about internship and full-time work opportunities, and learn about career-related activities in which they may participate. In addition, students may attend a graduate school fair and a career and internship fair where they may make contact with employers from various fields.
The Student Engagement Center coordinates the “Alumni Career Series” program, which provides students the opportunity to interact with persons who are accomplished in their chosen career fields. The guests who come to campus for this program span a broad range of careers and share with students their insights about their chosen career areas. Additional information on the Student Engagement Center can be found at www.whitman.edu/career_center.
The Reid Campus Center serves as a community center for all members of the college — students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests. To support the residential nature of the Whitman campus, the Reid Campus Center meets many day-to-day needs through an organization of professional staff, student employees, student volunteers, and committees.
The Reid Campus Center sponsors numerous programs including weekly musical performances in the Coffeehouse, and arts and crafts workshops.
Resources in the Reid Campus Center include America Reads/Counts, the Bookstore, the Student Activities Office, the Post Office, the Conferences and Events Office, the Outdoor Program, the Whitman Café, the Center for Community Service, the Career Center, and the Intercultural Center. Other facilities and services include student work rooms, a darkroom, meeting-and-dining rooms, a lounge, an art gallery, an automatic teller, vending machines, refrigerator rentals, campus lost-and-found, sign-ups for the chartered holiday bus service, bulletin boards for advertising and notices, and outdoor equipment rental. The Reid Campus Center houses the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC), the Pioneer newspaper, the blue moon (literary journal), and KWCW-FM student-operated radio station.
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