WHITTIER
COLLEGE
INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE
INNOVATION — AN INSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVE Whittier College mirrors the diverse global society in which we live, attracting students from every socioeconomic tier, ideological perspective, religious and social background, sexual orientation, gender identity, and from 35 states and 27 countries. Why innovate? In recent years, the higher education landscape has been rapidly evolving: •
A college degree today is nearly a must-have experience to enter the middle class yet college is not affordable or accessible to everyone.
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High school graduation numbers have been and will continue to decline. Competition among colleges for potential students is growing, and institutions are increasingly responding to serve students’ specific needs.
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Demographic changes across the U.S. are creating diverse college populations, matching the workforce environment.
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College enrollment process has become extremely competitive, and student debt is soaring amidst rising tuition costs. Students and their families are looking for a return on their investment.
Higher ed institutions must be ready to imagine a new future, build upon internal strengths, and seize new opportunities. This brochure highlights the ways we aspire to innovate Whittier College for the future. With your support, the College will grow its outstanding reputation as a liberal arts institution and, at the same time, grow with the ever-changing realities of higher education.
THE LIBERAL ARTS WAY Expanding a culture of innovation across campus naturally aligns with the liberal arts educational model. Both innovation and the liberal arts encourage curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to using information from various disciplines when developing ideas and solutions.
“Whittier will prove an important harbinger by demonstrating that its faculty, administration, and trustees, working together, can build an enterprise model that allows it to have both a true liberal arts core and a more entrepreneurial outer shell.” — Trustee Robert Zemsky ’62 Checklist for Change (excerpt)
WHAT COULD INNOVATION LOOK LIKE AT WHITTIER COLLEGE? LET’S DREAM BIG TOGETHER. Presidential Innovation Fund • Innovation Leadership Conference • Certificate in Entrepreneurship • Institute for Innovation • Innovation Incubator
Let’s innovate our curriculum, not according to what we want to teach, but to give students the ability to be life-long adaptable learners, makers, and creators. Let’s celebrate who we are and be distinctive; not just a copy-cat institution that tries to emulate the past or be like everyone else. Let’s look for new sources of revenue that help take some of the burden of financing a college education off the backs of our students and their families. Let’s launch new programs and education delivery methods that provide access to broader student communities, and let’s develop initiatives that support commuters, part-time students, veterans, and adult learners. And finally, let’s embrace where we are, in the most multicultural region in the United States, as we continue the great work of this institution that has always reached a hand out to the local and regional community, while providing a bridge to the globe.
What are your ideas? Let’s talk! development@whittier.edu // 562.907.4219
PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATION FUND This fund marks the beginning of a journey to innovate under the leadership of President Linda Oubré. The Presidential Innovation Fund provides seed funding for Whittier Innovates, an annual campuswide challenge that launched in spring 2019. The challenge encourages entrepreneurial faculty, staff, and students to identify and propose solutions to improve the ways we do things. In essence, we are seeking to innovate ourselves, all in support of student success. Instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach to student learning, we will find new ways to be “student ready” while adjusting to the changing realities of higher education. Here is one example: What if students could register for classes using an app? Meeting students where they are would improve their experience and minimize their barriers to access. With higher student satisfaction comes increased retention and graduation rates.
“The ideas that are realized as a result of this initiative will have a positive impact on our community and will propel the College into the future.”
— President Linda Oubré
SUPPORT INNOVATION TODAY!
The Presidential Innovation Fund brings together the expertise of those on the Whittier campus and the investment capital from our community of alumni, parents, and friends. The effort is a vital component of larger innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives taking place. We invite your support as we endeavor to take Whittier to new levels of excellence. To contribute or learn more, please visit
www.whittier.edu/innovation