Pros
Whitman College is in a relatively good place economically and in terms of its facilities. For example (perhaps because of a dry climate or because of reasonably good management), its buildings are contemporary and not unhealthy. This sets it apart from similar schools in humid climates or that have not managed well their facilities funds. The faculty salaries and benefits, however stagnant, are OK relative to similar schools. There is relatively non-competitive access to modest funds to support scholarship, along with recently reduced guaranteed professional development funds for tenure-track and tenured faculty. Students are generally well-behaved toward the faculty and, until recently at least, not overly entitled. Another positive aspect of this employer is the relatively low bureaucracy - few required meetings and less unnecessary paperwork and documentation compared to other institutions, especially ones in the country’s East. Walla Walla is very far from everywhere else but is OK to live in, particularly for non-diverse, White, heterosexual, and stably partnered people. This is a relatively safe community, and people in and outside the college generally treat each other well (although this is not as often the case when the treatment of local ethnic minority persons is concerned). The city has a wine tourism industry, decent restaurants, decent schools, hospital and medical specialist facilities, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Cons
Faculty morale is at a historic low following unilateral actions taken by the trustees that interfered with the curriculum and, in breach of the faculty code, decimated the availability of sabbaticals. Faculty are openly talking about how to cut contact with students and services to the college to preserve their research programs. Less and less talented and prepared students are being admitted to overcome the bad geographic location’s corrosive effect on student recruitment. There is a clear trend for weaker, more fragile, and more entitled students to be enrolled, and this is starting to affect the way faculty teach and the quality of the curriculum. Although it advertises itself as selective and prestigious, Whitman College is in decline. The trustees show disregard for faculty scholarship, faculty on 9-month salaries are routinely asked to work for the college for no pay during the summer, and the administration over-reaches in a number of ways - at times in breach of the college’s own policies. Contingent faculty, in particular, often do not face the same respectful treatment by the ever-growing, often highly-paid administration. There has been a series of unsuccessful presidents, who are increasingly perceived as the errand kids of the trustees. The city is very far away from everything else, which makes it hard to recruit and retain quality faculty and staff. Living in Walla Walla can be unduly dissatisfying for single educated people, for ethnic and sexual minority persons, and for people who desire access to big city culture or have highly specialized medical or disability care needs. The college suffered a drastic decline in enrollment in the 2020-2021 academic year, probably because of the poor location. (This may be improving.) The college is currently suffering from a historic exodus of staff, who are both more mobile and less well treated than the faculty. The Board of Trustees appears oblivious to the problems outlined here, perhaps because over the past decade or so it was influenced excessively by certain aggressive, cocksure, and cynical individuals. This may be improving with recent changes in the Board’s leadership, but major damage has been done. Until recently, common practice has been for the Board to push its agenda while dishonestly pretending to involve the faculty, staff, and students and wasting their time.
