General Studies Department home page

The General Studies Program consists of Encounters and the Distribution Requirements.

At the foundation of a Whitman education is “Encounters”, a year-long multi-disciplinary course required of all first-year students. In Encounters, students get introduced to the intellectual community that defines Whitman. The ideas and texts that compose this course come from a variety of disciplines, time periods, and cultures and they are those texts and ideas that students will confront repeatedly throughtout their time here at Whitman either in class or in conversation with their professors and friends. This course also introduces students to the expectations of being a Whitman Student with respect to class preparation, writing and discussion.

This course is taught in sections of no more than 17 students. The 30 professors who teach this course come from departments across the campus. Each of these professors leads one section for the entire academic year.

If you plan to attend Encounters during a campus visit, you may wish to review the course description. If you have questions at the conclusion of class, do not hesitate to approach the professor and introduce yourself.

Encounters (The First-Year Experience) / General Studies 145, 146

A two semester introduction to the liberal arts and the academic construction of knowledge. Organized around a variable theme, this course takes as its broad topic the examination of encounters between peoples and cultures, and the formation and transformation of dominant and competing world views. The study of primary sources, discussion, writing, and the construction of knowledge across academic fields will be emphasized. The theme for 2010- 2011 will be “Ancient and Modern.”

For additional information, please contact:
Rebecca Hanrahan, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Encounters, hanrahrr@whitman.edu, or visit the General Studies home page.