Whitworth College

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Whitworth College
Whitworth College Seal
Motto An Education of Mind and Heart
Established 1890
Type Private liberal arts college
President William P. Robinson
Students 2,400 students
(Fall 2004)
Location Spokane, Washington, USA
Campus 200 acres
Nickname Whitworth Pirates
Affiliations Presbyterian Church (USA)
Website www.whitworth.edu

Whitworth College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Spokane, Washington that offers bachelor's and master's degrees in a variety of academic disciplines. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Founded in 1883 in Sumner, Washington by George Whitworth as the Sumner Academy, it became Whitworth College in 1890. In 1899, Whitworth moved from Sumner to Tacoma, and in 1914, it moved from Tacoma to Spokane.

Whitworth offers 36 undergraduate majors, and 5 graduate programs. The current president is William P. Robinson.

Whitworth currently has a record enrollment of 2,400 and a student-faculty ratio of 14/1. 83% of classes have fewer than 30 students and the freshman to sophomore retention rate is 87%. There is a 76% chance an incoming student will graduate in 6 years. The percentage of faculty with doctorates is 67%.

Programs offered currently include Art, Biology, Chemistry, Communications Studies, Economics & Business, Education, English, Kinesiology & Athletics, Mathematics & Computer Science, Modern Languages, Music, Physics, Politics and History, Pre-Professional Health Studies, Psychology, Theology, Philosophy, Sociology, and Theatre.

In October of 2005, Whitworth's board of directors voted to change the institution's official name to Whitworth University by 2009.

Contents

[edit] Media

Whitworth has three major student-run media outlets that service the campus:

  • KWRS Radio (90.3 FM in Spokane)
  • The Natsihi (Yearbook)
  • The Whitworthian (Student newspaper)
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[edit] Student Life

Whitworth offers students many opportunities to enjoy college life. Every Thursday at 9:30 p.m., ASWC offers free entertainment, known as "Half Past 9." Past Half Past 9s have included concerts, film showings, and comedians. ASWC also offers large programs a few times a year such as Pirate Idol and Relay For Life. Students also enjoy the many intramural sports offered, such as ultimate, basketball, indoor soccer, and volleyball. The school offers many clubs that put on various activities throughout the year, such as the annual spring Luau put on by the Hawaiian Club.

[edit] Dorm Life

Whitworth offers eleven residence halls for undergraduate students:

  • Arend Hall
  • Baldwin-Jenkins Hall
  • Ballard Hall
  • Beyond Hall (currently used for storage)
  • Boppell Hall
  • Duvall Hall
  • McMillan Hall
  • Schumacher Hall
  • Stewart Hall
  • The Village
  • Warren Hall

Students are strongly encouraged to live on campus for at least two years, and many opt to stay longer to be part of student leadership teams or to live in one of the newer buildings. In addition to the eleven residence halls, Whitworth sponsors several 'theme houses' each year. Some recurring themes include Cross-Country, Swimming, Women's Health and Wellness, and Simplicity in Living.

[edit] Athletics

The Whitworth athletic teams are called the Pirates, unofficially nicknamed the Bucs, and compete in the Northwest Conference of the NCAA Division III. The school fields teams in Football, Cross-Country (coed), Men's and Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Swimming, Track and Field (coed), Golf (coed), Men's and Women's Tennis, as well as Softball and Baseball. Whitworth's sole national championship came as an NAIA school in 1960, when the baseball team defeated Georgia Southern University 4-0.

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Charles Boppell, President and CEO of Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc.
  • Sia Figiel, Samoan novelist
  • Frank Hernandez, award winning opera singer
  • David Myers, social psychologist and author
  • Jen Pifer, Senior Producer, CNN Investigative Unit.
  • Gary Stebbins, President of Software Tools & Toys, Inc.
  • Jena Lee, Executive Director of Blood:Water Mission

[edit] External links