Mission

The Summer Programs Office supports the academic mission of the College in several ways: by involving students in educational and leadership opportunities during the summer, by supporting, developing, and facilitating faculty summer programs, by attracting off­campus groups that enhance the academic goals of the College, and by coordinating the human and physical resources of the College.

Organizational Goals

Education: to support the College's activities of teaching and learning by providing leadership and developmental opportunities for student employees.

Developmental: to assist with the well­being of student employees in such a way as to provide an optimum living and learning environment.

Administrative: to organize and implement administrative tasks to accomplish the goals and mission of this office.

Assessment: to provide a schedule of planning and evaluation that will allow for reassessment of goals as well as clarification of mission.

Communication: to provide a centralized information center for summer programs and events.

Educationally Related Purpose: all groups using College facilities and services through the Summer Programs office must meet one of the following categories which relates to the College's mission:

• Youth organizations conducting educational conferences.
• Youth programs that expose the College to potential students.
• Organizations with an expressed purpose of service to the community.
• Governmental entities conducting educational programs for staff.
• International exchange programs emphasizing the cultural education of participants.
• College sponsored programs that draw directly from resources possessed by Whitman College.
• Professional associations whose membership includes College faculty, staff or students.
• Events planned by and for alumni of Whitman College.

The officers of Whitman College or their designated representative will determine the validity of a group's purpose and the College's subsequent ability to provide service to the group.

Employment: to provide optimum employment opportunity for less­than­12­month employees, students, individuals eligible for supplemental employment, and departmental staff.

Evaluation: to provide a process for evaluating program as well as personal effectiveness.

Facilities: to assist the College with providing a quality environment in residence halls and program related facilities, serving to enhance campus facilities.

Financial: to contribute to the financial stability of the College and local community by maintaining a self­supporting enterprise.

Operational: to assist with the management and continuous improvement of the College's physical environment through annual repair and replacement programs and long­term renovations.
Professional Development: to provide and encourage participation in programs designed to enhance skills for student employees that will increase effectiveness in handling assigned responsibilities.

Programmatic: to continually improve the quality of our programs and services while meeting the College's needs as well as those of the client.

Recruitment: to assist the Admissions Office where possible and to promote visibility of College facilities and programs that will augment the process of recruitment of diverse student and conference populations.

Staffing: to actively recruit and select qualified personnel who are reflective of diverse populations and who will provide us with a variety of talents for our program.

Student Development: to provide opportunities for the educational development of students through practical learning experiences and employment.

Summer Dance Lab: to support the ongoing logistical and philosophical development of this quality summer dance program on the Whitman campus.

Summer Programs: to foster the development of summer programs and encourage the expansion of the liberal arts curriculum to the summer months.

Town­Gown Relations: to provide occasions to host the Walla Walla community on the Whitman campus and provide an opportunity for the department to serve as an active member in the Walla Walla community.

Training: to provide a structured program for orientation of new staff and ongoing training designed to meet the needs of all staff, thus developing individual skills and improving organizational effectiveness.