Challenging and empowering, liberating and inspiring

Learning is a process of stretching, exploring, and thinking critically. At Whitman you are challenged to write, to debate, to participate actively in small classes and seminars, to conduct independent research, to examine existing theories, tear them apart, and put them back together again.

Access to faculty is often cited by our students as one of the highlights of their Whitman education. Our faculty are energetic teachers with a passion for their subjects, scholars known for their research and writing, professionals who live and work in a college community that honors their accomplishments and their commitment.

Penrose Library, open 24/7, houses nearly a million books, journals, and government documents. A recent renovation and expansion added inviting new places for study and research. Every study carrel is a computer workstation, and the entire library is equipped for wireless network – even has wireless laptop computers ready for checkout for use within the library.

Located in the Penrose Library is the Center for Teaching and Learning where professors discuss and collaborate on ways to make their subject matter come even more alive in the classrooms. They also learn the latest technological tools for presenting difficult material more clearly.

The annual Whitman Undergraduate Conference celebrates the scholarship of Whitman students. In the nine years since this tradition began, it has become one of the hallmarks of the Whitman experience. Ours is one of only two such conferences in the entire nation, involving a single college's undergraduate students delivering the results of their own research projects and creative endeavors. To allow everyone to take part, classes are canceled for the day.

About forty percent of Whitman juniors Study abroad each year. Whitman College believes that an understanding of a culture or region other than one’s own is an important part of a liberal arts education and a key to developing future leaders in a global society.