Whitworth Begins a New Year of Discovery, Connection and Belonging
Move-In & Orientation for the 467 first-year and 92 transfer students will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5. This year’s Orientation theme will be out of this world as we help students “Find Their Space!” The day will include a welcome fair, campus tours, an exhibition football game against the Utah Islanders, a soccer exhibition by the Pirate women’s soccer team, parent orientation and our customary Traditiation. On Sunday, everyone can take part in a campus worship service and/or Catholic Mass, as well as the annual Crossover Ceremony, complete with a new pinecone arch sculpture for students to pass under. That will be followed by Loop-a-palooza, our blast-off party for students only. For the complete itinerary, click here.
Classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 9. As students return to campus, they will discover new courses, new initiatives and new surroundings designed to promote a welcoming environment thoughtfully shaped by faculty and staff to inspire exploration, foster connection and support their growth from day one.
Flourishing Life Course
All first-year students will be enrolled in SC 101: Introduction to a Flourishing Life. Grounded in Whitworth’s Christ-centered mission, this course invites students to explore the habits and rhythms that nurture a flourishing life. Through insights from diverse fields of study, students will engage together in the pursuit of wisdom, purpose and meaning while cultivating deeper connections with God, one another and creation.
The course is designed to encourage students to explore, reflect on and apply knowledge. The foundation will take its form through what’s called the three P’s: principle, practice and process. The class was introduced last fall and is already a favorite. Its practices and themes will be woven into classes and activities throughout the students’ Whitworth education.
Academics
At Whitworth, our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio cultivates a highly relational learning environment where professors know students by name and invest in their success. This close-knit academic setting encourages mentorship, facilitates faculty-student research partnerships, and provides students with opportunities to contribute to meaningful scholarly work throughout their college experience.
The university's commitment to undergraduate scholarship extends well beyond the classroom. Students work alongside faculty on original research, co-publish in respected academic journals, secure internships with industry leaders, and present at major conferences across the country. In fields as diverse as business, engineering and music, students are supported by faculty mentors who are deeply invested in their intellectual, professional and personal development.
Career Engagement
Building on a strong foundation of alumni engagement, Whitworth is intentionally leveraging one of its most valuable assets: a network of committed and accomplished alumni who remain actively engaged long after graduation. Our alumni’s professional expertise, leadership experience and dedication to the university create unique opportunities to advance student success, strengthen academic programs and cultivate meaningful connections across the Whitworth community. Some highlights of this work include:
• Launching the Academy of Women Leaders, a flagship initiative of the Women's Leadership Network developed in partnership with academic affairs.
• Enhancing engagement with advisory board and council members by fostering meaningful connections between alumni leaders and the academic disciplines and programs they support.
• Developing a comprehensive mentorship program designed to connect more than 200 students with 200-plus alumni mentors over the next year, creating opportunities for professional growth, networking and career exploration.
• Strengthening partnerships between the office of institutional advancement and faculty to engage accomplished alumni as guest speakers, mentors, and collaborators in academic experience.
Through these efforts, we are developing a model of purposeful partnership, leveraging the talent, experience and commitment of our alumni network to advance institutional priorities and create transformative opportunities for students.
As a new academic year begins, Whitworth continues to invest in an educational experience that equips students to thrive intellectually, professionally and personally. From the classroom to the broader community, students will find opportunities to discover their gifts, explore their faith and build relationships that last a lifetime.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
