Teaching Philosophy

The philosophy of our first year experience begins with fostering an academic environment and academic pedagogies that are student centered and encourage academic success and social integration.  

Academics

Our Faculty

1. Use active teaching practices such as discussions, small group work and other forms of student focused teaching practices in the classroom

2. Have intentional out of class meetings with students. They encourage students to attend office hours, go on class related field trips and come and talk with them about their academics.

3. And the academic community, participates in Early Alert Systems. This provides students with early feedback.

4. Keep attendance in their first year classes. Attendance is strongly linked to better performance.

5. Challenge students in the classroom. When students work hard in their class and feel challenged, it results in students valuing their education.

6. Give students lots of feedback, both written and verbal. Feedback has strong positive correlations to academic performance.

7. Ask students for feedback. This allows faculty to evaluate their own courses effectively and make changes in a timely manner.

Institutional Connectedness

8. It takes just one faculty member or staff member to show a genuine interest in a student to allow him/her to experience first hand how committed the institution is to their success. Faculty and Staff communicate academic interest in their student’s success, and have high expectations for them!

9. Advising is key to student success. We advocate for developmental advising that is active with regularly scheduled advising meetings.

10. Social integration is very important...Students' peers have a great impact on their success and retention. Feelings of isolation are one of the primary causes for students leaving colleges. We support Living Learning Communities because they are an effective way to contribute to a student’s social integration.

11. Students celebrate, along with entire community, the faculty and institution's accomplishments. The College holds forum to gather and learn about the community and celebrate its accomplishments.

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

We ask that students fulfill the academic expectations of:

1. Attending class, completing assignments, coming prepared for class and participating in class.

2. Use Whittier College forms of communication including, Whittier College email and phone system.

3. Seek support service when needed: faculty office hours, CAS, Counseling as well as all of the other services offered on campus.

4. Meet regularly with their faculty mentor and advisor.

5. In their academic relationships be respectful, truthful and open minded.

6. Be actively engaged community members, attend College Events, participate in community service, join clubs and organizations.