This web page contains information and links to the resources needed for students attending Whitman College for the first time in Fall 2008.
Additional information is also included in the first orientation packet that has been sent to you.
NOTE: It is important to activate your Whitman College email account as soon as possible to obtain access to useful web resources and so you can receive current information in a timely manner. Follow the link and instructions below to activate your new Whitman College email and network account. You will need your 7-digit Whitman ID number, which was included in the first orientation packet that has been sent to you. If you were given a 6-digit number, please add a zero (0) at the beginning.
Activate Whitman College email and Network Account
The academic program at Whitman College provides students with a breadth of knowledge through completion of distribution requirements and a depth of knowledge through concentrated study in a major. Whitman believes this focus on a liberal arts education meets two important objectives: preparation for intelligent living and preparation for a successful career.
It is important that you plan your academic coursework carefully. To help you plan your first semester’s schedule, the College provides you with the Whitman College Catalog and this webpage. The catalog is the primary source of information about courses, requirements for graduation, majors and special programs, and general College policies. You should read through the catalog carefully and familiarize yourself with its contents. This webpage is designed to be a basic introductory guide to selecting your first-semester classes.
All first-year students are required to take General Studies 145, 146 Antiquity and Modernity, and are automatically pre-registered for the class. This course examines the formation and transformation of some western world views (specifically, ways of understanding nature, society, the self, and the transcendent) in antiquity and in the modern period since the sixteenth century. This course helps students develop and hone core skills of close reading, analytical discussion, and thoughtful, clear, analytical writing.
The texts studied in the Fall semester stress the relationship between good and evil and how a variety of ancient authors approached these questions. The course begins by looking at the oldest text extant - the Epic of Gilgamesh -- and examines a variety of textual forms, including epic, sacred texts, plays, and autobiographical writing. Readings include works such as Herodotus, The Histories, Plato's Symposium and the Book of Job from the Tanakh. These texts allow us to ask questions such as: What is the nature of humanity? What is the relationship between the transcendent (or divine) and the human? What does the term "antiquity" encompass and how do ideas of/from "Antiquity" impact our own society?
The second semester explores the "modern" world, as conceived by moderns in conversation with and reaction to both the medieval and the ancient periods (as they perceived these). Selections may include works from authors such as Machiavelli, Shakespeare, Descartes, Rousseau, Marx, Emily Brontë and Michael Frayn. Again the course examines a variety of forms, including romantic poetry, the modern novel, political theory and scientific writings. Themes include the creation of a self (impacted by ideas of gender and race), the relation of the individual to both the social and the natural world, and the use of science as a way of knowing.
All first-year students are assigned a pre-major adviser to help plan their first two years. This faculty member or administrator may or may not be in your primary field of interest, but he or she will be familiar with the overall curriculum and will be able to help you fulfill the College’s requirements. If you want more specialized information about a particular department, you are always welcome to consult members of that department. To assist us in assigning you a pre-major adviser, it is important that you complete the Advising Questionnaire as soon as possible after "activating" your Whitman College email account.
First Year Advising Questionnaire
SA's are specially-trained students who are available opening week through fall semester to help you select courses, navigate through the catalog, and find answers to your questions. They will help you with paper writing, and may even provide some tutoring assistance if you are having trouble with your coursework or if you need to improve your time management or study skills. On the Academic Resource Center website there is an online form called "Dear SA" that you can use to ask questions to the whole staff at any time.
Up to eight credits per exam may be awarded for scores achieved on the College Board Advanced Placement exams. Please refer to pages 11-12 of the Catalog to find out which scores are required on individual exams in order to receive credit. Note that you cannot receive credit for a class at Whitman if you have the equivalent AP credit. (Example: If you score a 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC exam, you will receive 6 math credits which are equivalent to Math 125 and 126. Therefore, you cannot take either Math 125 or 126 for credit unless you relinquish the AP credit.) If you believe you are eligible for AP credit, please have a copy of your scores sent to Whitman as soon as possible. Keep in mind that AP credit may not be used toward fulfilling distribution requirements.
A maximum of 30 credits may be given for scores of 5, 6 or 7 in selected higher-level IB examinations. IB credit may not apply toward distribution requirements. If you complete the equivalent Whitman course for which you have received IB credit, you must relinquish the IB credit. Please have an official IB transcript sent to Whitman as soon as possible if you are eligible for IB credit.
The Registrar evaluates transfer credit (including Running Start and Associate of Arts programs) on a class-by-class basis. For specific regulations concerning transfer credit, refer to pages 10-12 of the Catalog. If you think you are eligible for transfer credit, please have your transcript(s) sent to Whitman as soon as possible. You will also be required to complete and submit a Transfer Credit Eligibility form confirming that the transfer credit was not earned via a "College in the High School" (or similar) program.
The following link takes you to the web page with all the detailed information concerning the Pre-registration Process for First Year Students at Whitman College.
This link takes you to a web page that has answers to some Commonly Asked Questions asked by Students who will be attending Whitman College.
The staff in the Registrar’s office is available during the summer months to provide assistance in getting answers to your questions (phone 509-527-5983 or email firstyear@whitman.edu).
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