Over the last four years Whittier College has participated in the Wabash Study of Liberal Arts Education. A recently released report indicates that Whittier Students—measured from their first year to the end of their senior year—showed greater growth than students in the comparison group on many dimensions including moral reasoning, socially responsible leadership, psychological well-being, and awareness of and openness to diversity. Whittier students also reported experiencing more "high impact practices" than students at other colleges. High impact practices—such things as quality interactions with faculty, high expectations for students, and experiences with diversity—are known to produce greater levels of intellectual and personal growth over the college years.
"I want to acknowledge the faculty for the excellent education they provide to our students and thank the staff for helping to create such a stimulating learning environment on campus. We've always known that we are transforming lives; now we have more data to prove it," said President Sharon Herzberger.
The Wabash National Study is a large-scale, longitudinal study investigating critical factors that affect the outcomes of a liberal arts education. The Wabash Study began in 2005 and includes 49 colleges and universities.
