Whitworth University

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (August 2007)
This article does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Whitworth University
Whitworth University Logo
Motto: An Education of Mind and Heart
Established: 1890
Type: Private liberal arts college
President: William P. Robinson
Faculty: 125 (full-time)
Students: 2,504
Undergraduates: 2,256
Postgraduates: 248
Location: Spokane, Washington, USA
Campus: Suburban
200 acres
Colors: Crimson and Black            
Mascot: Pirates
Website: www.whitworth.edu

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

Contents

[edit] Brief History

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's board of trustees voted to change the institution's official name to Whitworth University effective July 1, 2007[1].

[edit] Academic programs

Undergraduate

  • Accounting (B.A.)
  • American Studies (B.A.)
  • Applied Physics (B.A.)
  • Areas of Concentration (B.A., B.S.)
  • Art (B.A.)
  • Arts Administration (B.A.)
  • Athletic Training (B.A.)
  • Biology (B.A., B.S.)
  • Biophysics (B.S.)
  • Business Management (B.A.)
  • Chemistry (B.A., B.S.)
  • Communication (B.A.)
  • Community Arts
  • Community Engagement and Transformation
  • Computer Science (B.A., B.S.)
  • Cross-Cultural Studies, History Emphasis (B.A.)
  • Cross-Cultural Studies, Political Science Emphasis (B.A.)
  • Dance
  • Economics (B.A.)
  • Education (Elementary, Secondary, Special Education)
  • Elementary Education (B.A.)
  • Engineering (3-2)
  • English (B.A.)
  • French (B.A.)
  • German
  • Health, Fitness, Physical Education (B.A.)
  • History (B.A.)
  • International Business (B.A.)
  • International Studies, History Emphasis (B.A.)
  • International Studies, Political Science Emphasis (B.A.)
  • Leadership Studies
  • Liberal Studies (B.L.S.)
  • Marketing (B.A.)
  • Mathematics (B.A., B.S.)
  • Medieval and Early Modern Studies
  • Music (B.A.)
  • Music Education (B.A.)
  • Nursing (B.S.)
  • Organizational Management (B.A.)
  • Peace Studies (B.A.)
  • Philosophy (B.A.)
  • Physics (B.A., B.S.)
  • Political Science (B.A.)
  • Pre-Chiropractic
  • Pre-Dentistry
  • Pre-Engineering
  • Pre-Law
  • Pre-Medicine
  • Pre-Med Tech
  • Pre-Pharmacy
  • Pre-Physical Therapy
  • Pre-Veterinary
  • Psychology (B.A.)
  • Quantitative Analysis (B.A.)
  • Sociology (B.A.)
  • Spanish (B.A.)
  • Speech Communication (B.A.)
  • Theatre (B.A.)
  • Theology (B.A.)
  • Women's Studies

Programs for Working Adults

  • Bachelor of Liberal Studies (B.L.S.)
  • Evening Teacher Certification (B.A.)
  • Organizational Management (B.A.)

Graduate

  • Master in Teaching
  • Master of Arts in Teaching
  • Master of Education, Elementary or Secondary Education
  • Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling
  • Master of Education in School Administration Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Business Administration in International Management
  • Master of International Management

[edit] Student Life

Whitworth offers students many opportunities to enjoy college life. Every Thursday at 9:30 p.m., ASWU offers free entertainment, known as "Half Past 9."[citation needed] Recent Half Past 9s have included concerts, film showings, and comedy shows. ASWU also offers campus-wide programs each year such as Pirate Idol and Relay for Life.

The over-arching goal of Whitworth Student Life is to build a warm and supportive residential community where students have multiple points of contact – with roommates and other residents, with their student leaders and with the resident directors.

The editor of Reslife.net, an online magazine serving student-life professionals nationwide, heard about Whitworth’s approach to residence hall staffing and programming and asked the college's associate dean of students to write an article outlining his philosophy. The article recently was re-printed for the Association of College and University Housing Officers International.

The article points out the fact that Whitworth’s leadership program, developed in the mid-1980s, employs a greater number and variety of student leaders than is typical at most colleges and universities. In addition to the traditional slate of resident assistants, each Whitworth residence hall has ministry coordinators, health coordinators, and cultural diversity advocates – positions quite unique in nature[2].

Having these additional positions means that more students with more diverse skills and interests are able to take advantage of Whitworth’s student-leadership opportunities and to benefit from the personal growth and vocational experiences that they provide. Additionally, the time commitment is relatively low for most positions, so student leaders also can be involved in other extracurricular activities.

Hiring additional student leaders also results in a ratio of residents to leaders in Whitworth’s residence halls of about ten to one, compared to the 20-to-one ratio at many other institutions[citation needed], including private liberal-arts colleges.

[edit] Dorm Life

Whitworth offers 10 residence halls for undergraduate students:

  • Arend Hall
  • Baldwin-Jenkins Hall
  • Ballard Hall
  • 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

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Whitworth's athletics teams are the Pirates (or, unofficially, the Bucs). The college offers 20 varsity sports and competes in the Northwest Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Men can compete in cross-country, football, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, and baseball; women can compete in volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, and softball.

Since moving to the NCAA, Whitworth teams have proven their mettle against teams and individual athletes from much larger schools with exemplary athletics programs[citation needed].

In 2006, swimmer Samantha Kephart won two national championships – in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events, respectively – at the 2006 NCAA Division III swim tournament, setting a Division III record in the 200 butterfly. In addition, the Whitworth Men's Swim Team has won 5 consecutive Conference Championships[when?]. The 2006 Pirate football team had an 11-1 record, its best ever[citation needed], finished the season ranked 9th in the nation, and made it to the second round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs. Tight end Michael Allan, a 2005 AFCA DIII All-American and a pre-season 2006 All-America pick, was invited to participate in the 2006 NFL Combine and to play in both the Hula Bowl and the Shrine East-West All-Star Game. He was the only NCAA DIII football athlete invited to all three events. Among his many postseason honors, Allan was named to the Associated Press Little All-America Team and the D3football.com All-America First Team. On May 8, 2007 he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 7th round of the NFL Draft.

In 2005, men's soccer went to the DIII Final Four and finished third in the nation[citation needed]. In that same year, the women's volleyball team set home attendance records while winning the Northwest Conference championship and going on to compete in the regional finals. And the college won the Northwest Conference's McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy, which measures athletic excellence across all competitive fields.

In 2004, track-and-field star Kristen Shields was named U.S. College-Division Academic All-American of the Year (along with the University of Connecticut's Emeka Okafor). Since 2000, four Whitworth teams have won the NCAA DIII Top Team GPA Award[citation needed].

The men's 1996 basketball team finished second in the nation in the NAIA. In 2007, the men's basketball team won another NWC title, defeating Lewis and Clark 69-62[3].

Whitworth won a national championship as an NAIA school in 1960, when the baseball team defeated Georgia Southern University, 4-0[citation needed].

[edit] Notable faculty

  • James Waller, professor and chair of the Psychology Department

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities
Agnes Scott • Alma • Arcadia • Austin • Barber-Scotia • Belhaven • Blackburn • Bloomfield • Buena Vista • Carroll • Centre • Coe College • College of Idaho • College of the Ozarks • College of Wooster • Cook College and Theological School • Davidson • Davis and Elkins • Eckerd • Grove City • Hampden-Sydney • Hanover • Hastings • Illinois College • Jamestown • Johnson C. Smith • King • Knoxville • Lake Forest • Lees-McRae • Lyon • Macalester • Mary Baldwin • Maryville • Millikin • Missouri Valley • Monmouth • Montreat • Muskingum • Peace College • Presbyterian • Queens University of Charlotte • Rhodes • Rocky Mountain • Schreiner • Sheldon Jackson • St. Andrews Presbyterian • Sterling • Stillman • Trinity • Tusculum College • Dubuque • Tulsa • University of the Ozarks • Warren Wilson • Waynesburg • Westminster (Missouri) • Westminster (Pennsylvania) • Westminster (Utah) • Whitworth • Wilson College (Pennsylvania)