Mission Statement and Learning Goals

Mission statement

The Whitman College Physics Department contributes to providing a rigorous liberal arts education to all Whitman College students, including students with diverse academic interests and past experiences. We educate students to think analytically, solve (complex) problems related to physical systems, and communicate effectively. We help students develop physics passion, cultivate intellectual curiosity, and become critically thinking citizens. We help students build foundational knowledge of the laws that describe the physical universe and the methods by which we know them. We help students learn how physics knowledge and methodology can be applied in diverse real world contexts, and how physics connects to other branches of knowledge. We provide students with opportunities for experiential and hands-on learning including research with faculty, preparing students for the workforce and to pursue further studies. We strive to create an inclusive, collaborative, and supportive learning environment, helping every student to thrive in our program.

Learning Goals

Students will…

• Solve complex problems involving physical systems using rigorous analytical reasoning, appropriate mathematical and computational methods, and application of the laws of physics.
• Recognize how physics principles and approaches can be applied in diverse contexts, using a critical physics lens to examine the world around us.
• Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental laboratory skills and of the role that experiments and observations play in testing or developing physical hypotheses.
• Effectively communicate physical arguments and experimental findings related to real-world problems in both written and oral form.