Residence halls and houses are designed to assist students to succeed academically and develop personally. Residential living is an integral part of the Whitman educational experience. All unmarried undergraduate students who are under 21 years of age at the start of each semester and have not yet lived on campus for four semesters are required to live on campus. No designated family housing is available on campus.
Students may select from a variety of residences. With the exception of Prentiss Hall, all residential facilities house students of all genders. On-campus housing options include: Anderson Hall, for 137 students; William O. Douglas Hall, for 70 students in suites of eight students each; Prentiss Hall, for 145 women including members of Whitman’s four national sororities as well as women not affiliated with a sorority, housed in two-room doubles; College House provides apartment-style living with kitchen facilities for 35 students; Jewett Hall houses 154 students; Lyman House has two-room suites for 91 students; and Stanton Hall, housing 150 sophomore students in mostly single rooms.
Eleven interest houses offer unique learning opportunities. Language houses, such as French, Japanese, Hispanic Studies, and German, further the academic and cultural interests of students studying a foreign language. Approximately six to nine students reside in each house. Other interest houses are the Multi-Cultural House, which fosters cross-cultural communication and understanding; the Environmental House, focusing on environmental and ecological issues; the Fine Arts House, which promotes programs emphasizing studio, theatrical, and musical arts; the Wellness House which focuses on the 8 dimensions of wellness; the Asian Studies House, which promotes understanding of Asian culture and issues; the Writing House, which provides resources to encourage the growth of writing as a discipline; and the Community Service House encourages discussions of service issues among students and the Whitman community and includes a community service requirement.
Four national fraternities maintain chapter houses near the campus. Each has its own dining, sleeping, study, and recreational facilities.
Just as it is important to live on campus, it is equally important to dine on campus. Dining on campus helps to integrate students into the campus community. It provides the opportunity for sections to spend time together, contributes to community within the halls, and allows further opportunity for students to interact with faculty outside the classroom. During the fall of 2018, a new central dining facility, Cleveland Commons, opened for the whole campus community supplemented by other, smaller dining options on campus. In addition, Jewett Hall has a café with breakfast and lunch options as well as a coffee bar. Reid Campus Center also has a small marketplace for students and community members. Students who live in the residence halls are required to subscribe to a board plan (see exceptions under “Board” in the Charges section). Students living off-campus are encouraged to eat in college dining halls and may subscribe to one of several board plans.
While it is difficult for the college to provide highly specialized diets in the dining halls, Bon Appétit (the college’s food service provider) as well as the Health Center will work with students who have dietary concerns. There are vegetarian and vegan alternatives at every meal. Any student, on-or off-campus, may purchase a meal plan.