WORKINGTOGETHER FOR THE POET COMMUNITY
WHITTIER
COLLEGE
2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT
TOOUR POET FAMILY, When classes began in August, it had been 17 months since we'd all been on the Whittier College campus together, during which time we welcomed two new cohorts of students and graduated two outgoing classes. We collectively sat in hundreds of hours of Zoom classes and meetings, all the while showing our resilience as we adapted quickly to online teaching and learning. Gratefully, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the hard work and commitment of everyone in the Whittier College community. Providing a high-quality educational experience in a safe environment for each of our students remains a primary focus as we move forward. The fall 2021 semester is marked by new health and safety measures including mask-wearing, daily health screenings, and other protocols to keep the entire community safe from COVID-19. In spite of these adjustments, much of the Poet experience remains the same. All the things that make Whittier College unique? the strong sense of community; the small, tight-knit classes; the warmth of old friends, faculty, and staff? have not been lost. And as returning students took their seats at familiar desks, and looked out familiar windows, they were met by the same sky-scraping palm trees and rolling Whittier hills that they left behind in the Spring of 2020. Indeed, this new academic year represents a fresh start. Despite challenges, this past year we also found a few moments to celebrate some wonderful accolades, which include: -
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U.S. News and World Report rated Whittier 2nd among liberal arts colleges in California for students?social mobility: a graduate?s ability to move up the economic ladder. For the same criteria, the College ranked 18th in the country. Washington Monthly?s annual rankings placed Whittier as the 75th best liberal arts college in the nation, and the 5th best in California. The Princeton Review included Whittier on this year?s list of the 387 best U.S. colleges for undergraduates, lauding Whittier's academics. Only about 14 percent of America?s 2,700 four-year colleges make the cut each year. Money named Whittier the 39th ?most transformative? college in the nation, selecting institutions that stand out for graduating students who rise above their academic and economic backgrounds.
And finally, in December we received a $12 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest from a single donor in the College?s history. Without a doubt, this gift serves as an affirmation that the purposeful, innovative work we are doing at Whittier College is having an impact and being noticed beyond our campus. Thank you for everything you do to support our mission, and thank you for being a part of our journey as we continue to improve lives in service of the greater good. The following pages include many more exciting reflections from the past year, and we look forward to welcoming you back to campus as soon as it is safe to do so. Together we will ensure that Whittier College exits the pandemic strong and well-positioned for success in the rapidly changing environment of higher education. Go, Poets!
President and Professor of Business Administration
annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... PAID IT FORWARD Nearly 2,100 alumni, parents, and friends suppor ted Whittier College in Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020 June 30, 2021). Consider the ripple effect of your generosity? it goes far beyond the success of one student, ultimately transforming families and broader communities.
$16.3M Total gi vi ng i n FY21, i ncl udi ng the Col l ege's l ar gest gi ft ever fr om a si ngl e donor (see next page).
$2.2M
$325,000
Total FY21 gifts from our Faithful Friends (generous donors who make gifts in 2+ consecutive years).
Added to our bequest pipeline through new planned gifts.
5 NEW
$1.2M
Endowed named scholarship funds established by individual donors.
Received in grants from 19 charitable foundations.
$293,607 Raised during our 6th annual Big Poet Give!
8% Increase in matching gift dollars versus previous year. To see if your employer matches gifts, please visit: whi tti er.edu/ gi vi ng/ m atchgi fts
BIG POET GIVE 3.24.21 | POET RESILIENCE Our BIGGEST thank s, Poet fam ily ! 737 alum ni, p arents, and fr iend s p ar ticip ated in the BIG POET GIV E, r aising $293,607 to b enefit stud ents, mak ing this our second b est g iv ing d ay ev er for d ollars r aised . Extr a BIG thank s to the follow ing ind iv id uals for their g enerous challeng es and matches:
C arey Halio '95 - Jascha '98 and Reb ecca Kay k as-W olff - Step hanie W ig g ins '92 - C harlie Fink - V incent V ig il '02 sal johnston - Joyce M ullenb ach '77 - Julie Hend erson '11 - A my Pulv er '72 - Bonnie M acEw an '72 Kr istine Dillon '73 - V ictor Gr ieg o '78
$12 MILLION SCOTT GIFT TRANSFORMING WHITTIER COLLEGE After receiving a generous $12 million gift from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in December 2020, Whittier solicited ideas from students, faculty, staff, and alumni regarding funding priorities. Thanks to the constructive and thoughtful input, College leadership agreed to fund a slate of innovative projects and initiatives that will have a lasting and transformative impact on Whittier College. Whittier faculty, staff, and administrators have worked quickly to develop the needed plans and strategies to put programs into place that can make an immediate impact, including: - In FY21, Whittier College distributed nearly $1 million in need-based scholarships targeting retention to 194 continuing juniors and seniors whose family?s adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $50,000. The Success Scholarship will provide an additional $1 million per year over the next five years to students who have an unmet financial need of at least $200, and whose family's AGI is $100,000 or less. - We established a multi-faceted on-campus Student Internship Program. Students will have the opportunity to apply for paid positions across campus that are designed to provide a real-world professional experience, build career readiness competencies, and help students cover the cost of their education. - The College established the Bayard Rustin Faculty Fellows Program, a multi-year initiative aimed at diversifying the faculty and creating structural change to academic practices using an equity lens. Two new hires have been made as of fall 2021. - The Our Shared History Project is working to unearth the untold history of Black alumni and culture at the College. Three paid student interns will be involved in all phases of this project, which is underway now. - The Whittier College Scott Fund will support programming organized by the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Title IX office, and the Counseling Center, and funds have been allocated to increase equitable access to technology. - The 21-22 academic year will also see the full launch of the campus' Gender Equity Center (established in 2020) and the inauguration of the Center for Environmental Justice.
To maximize the impact of this generous gift, the funds will be dispersed over six years and fundraising efforts will be leveraged to grow the Whittier College Scott Fund. annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... INVESTED IN STUDENT SUCCESS Im p rov ing access, afford ab ility and com p letion r ates req uires a w id e -r ang ing , sustained effor t. At a tim e w hen job s can g o any w here in the w orld , ed ucation is a p athw ay to success for ind iv id uals and im p rov es the com p etitiv eness of our nation in the g lob al economy. Donor sup p or t help s W hittier C olleg e to p rov id e op p or tunities that lev el the p lay ing field for stud ents at ev er y socioeconom ic lev el, launching a new class of lead ers each year .
2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS In FY21, $200,000 was allocated to support mental health services at Whittier College: the first major gift ever for the counseling center. Thanks to donor support, our mental health team was able to pivot to tele-health and deliver services 24/7 through new apps and e-platforms, putting resources into the hands (and phones) of students when they needed them the most.
This year, Whittier College joined The California Community College Advantage (CCC Advantage). This program gives transfer students a clear path to a bachelor?s degree from Whittier, with affordability in mind. Students at any of the 116 community colleges in the state of California can qualify for guaranteed admission to Whittier and, with few exceptions, placement into the major of their choice.
About 36% of Whittier students are Pell Grant-eligible, a number that has remained consistent over the past 5 years, and more than 96% of Whittier students receive financial aid. Thanks to donor support that allows the College to award robust financial aid packages, the average student loan debt for the Class of 2020 seniors was $34,810, a decrease from the previous year. Additionally, 57% of seniors from this class took out loans, a percentage that is much lower than the nationwide trend of 65% for private, non-profit institutions.
The Credit Union of Southern California recently awarded the Whittier Black Student Association (BSA) a $20,000 grant to support Black students at the College. The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) has been working closely with the BSA to determine how to best utilize this generous gift. The funds will be split between additional scholarship aid, emergency funding, and leadership development.
In January, Whittier renewed its tuition freeze for the 2021-2022 academic year and is waiving application fees. This move is unprecedented in Whittier?s modern history and is designed to remove barriers to higher education and reduce students?debt load. This decision to freeze tuition has benefited both incoming and continuing undergraduate students and is supported by the launch of our comprehensive scholarship campaign and other new revenue generating initiatives.
According to the most recent data available, the College awarded nearly $21 million in need-based institutional scholarships and another $15.6 million in non-need based scholarships to seniors in the Class of 2020.
Professor of Education and Child Development Kay Sanders was selected to serve as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, Professor Sanders will provide intellectual and strategic leadership and advocate for the structural and cultural changes necessary to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at Whittier College.
Targeting learners at a variety of life stages, Whittier College launched a series of extension courses. From digital art to audio engineering to education, we now have online options for those looking for ways to grow their resume, start a new career, or expand their skill set.
Entering the 21-22 academic year, enrollment is up 15% from the 20-21 academic year, and yield is up 5% (yield is the percent of students who choose to enroll in a particular college or university after having been offered admission). Additionally, the first to second year retention rate is the best it's been in seven years at 82% , a result of several targeted efforts to reach students with the resources they require to continue on.
THE GIFTS YOU MADE COUNTED annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... PROVIDED A SAFETY NET FOR STUDENTS From tim e to tim e, stud ents on any cam p us may face unforeseen financial hard ship s and d ifficult life ev ents that affect their ab ility to com p lete their stud ies. The Stud ent Em erg ency Fund , sup p or ted entirely b y d onors, p rov id es p r actical assistance in situations w hen a little extr a help w ill g o a long w ay.
STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND Launched in 2017, the importance of the Student Emergency Fund has increased greatly during the past 18 months and provides a critical safety net allowing our students to stay in college and graduate.
I n fi scal year 2021, you donated $25,852 for the Student em er gency fund and assi sted 53 students exper i enci ng a fi nanci al cr i si s. Gr ants r ange fr om $100-$500, wi th a typi cal awar d of $500. We can't thank you enough!
In addition to supporting students experiencing a financial crisis, the Fund now also supports: - Emergency Mental Health Support - Food Insecurity (Poet Pantry + Meal Voucher Program)
- Technology Support - Transportation Assistance (partnership with L.A. Metro)
Your suppor t m ade a di ffer ence for :
EMERGENCY FUND REQUESTS INCLUDE
A non-traditional student with children who is a regular to the Pantry and is extremely grateful for the food it provides. A student who requested funding to fix their car because it was too dangerous to take public transportation due to an autoimmune issue. A student who needed assistance with housing because both of her parents had lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
...and so m any m or e!
THE POET PANTRY Housed in the Dean of Students Office, the Poet Pantry has been in constant use since its inception in 2019. The Pantry is a resource for all students in an effort to address food insecurity on campus. In the 20-21 academic year, 41 students visited the pantry, and it received 12 requests each week, on average. With students returning to campus, visits are anticipated to accelerate in the 21-22 academic year.
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"I AM A NON-TRADITIONAL WHITTIER COLLEGE STUDENT, CURRENTLY ENROLLED FULL TIME, WORKING ON A DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS. I AM A SINGLE PARENT IN MY LATE 30'S, I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN EVERY OTHER WEEK, AND I WORK PART-TIME. I TRY TO BUDGET MY INCOME, BUT HAVE HAD SOME UNEXPECTED FINANCIAL PROBLEMS RECENTLY. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE SUPPORT OF WHITTIER FACULTY AND THE EMERGENCY FUNDS, I TRULY BELIEVE I WOULD NOT BE IN COLLEGE RIGHT NOW.... PLEASE KNOW THAT MY KIDS AND I APPRECIATED THE HELP DURING OUR HARD TIMES.? - ANONYMOUS STUDENT TESTIMONIAL annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... HELPED STUDENTS GET WHERE THEY WANT TOBE Tod ay ?s Poets are ab le to acq uire mark etab le career sk ills throug h eng ag ing , w ork force relev ant acad em ics, and ad d p r actical k now led g e to their classroom instr uction throug h inter nship s, fellow ship s, research exp er iences, and stud y ab road tr ip s. M any op p or tunities for p rofessional p rep ar ation are sup p or ted b y alum ni and fr iend s of the C olleg e. Follow ing are just a few of their stor ies, and you can find m ore at w w w.w hittier .ed u/ new s.
DANIEL SANDOVAL '21 At Whittier, the Digital Art and Design major's courses pushed Daniel Sandoval '21, gave him memorable opportunities to collaborate with his peers, and helped him discover what he can offer the world. Daniel aims to one day lead branding and marketing for a large company. In the more immediate future, he's putting his honed artistic skills to work as a senior graphic designer for a Southern California creative agency. Making the most of his time as an undergraduate, Daniel undertook various on and off-campus experiential opportunities and was supported in his endeavors by the James R. Park Fellowship. Off campus, he worked as a senior graphic designer, while on campus he served as a summer conference staff member, leading first-time international students, as well as an IT services technician. His hard work and talents earned him the 2021 award for Outstanding Student in Digital Art and Design. This past year, Daniel was selected to receive both the Charles K. and Shirley Marlatt Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Music and Art and the Lantz Family Endowed Scholarship in the Studio Arts. Both scholarships support students with artistic talents.
MAYA CHOY '21 According to business administration major Maya Choy '21, ?College is what YOU make of it.? Maya took that message to heart taking on various on-campus jobs, external internships, and study abroad opportunities, all the while earning honors in her major as Outstanding Graduate in Marketing. Notably, Maya participated in the competitive, donor-founded, INTEX Fellowship in Xiamen, China and the James R. Park Fellowship closer to home. As a junior, she also traveled to Rome and Paris during her semester at the American Business School. On the Whittier campus, she was an Educational Technology POET Intern, an orientation leader, and part of the team that brought The Walkers art installment to campus. She was also a member of the Thalian Society, First-Year Class Council, and a student mentor. This summer, Maya interned for a tech company called Tanium. She was able to work on different employee engagement initiatives including change management, social impact, and diversity & inclusion. Ultimately, she would like to use her technical skills and business acumen to empower and uplift underrepresented groups within the tech industry.
NOAH WILSON '21
BERGEN FLOM '21
Noah Wilson '21 recently graduated with a specialized degree in computer science through the Whittier Scholars Program (WSP).
A curious, creative go-getter, Bergen Flom '21 recently graduated with a self-designed BA in Design & Social Entrepreneurship with a minor in Gender Studies.
Sharpening his technical skills through his work in the IT services department, Noah trained in progressive roles as a Help Desk Tech, Research Assistant, Web Developer, and finally a Network Technician. In 2019, he also founded the Whittier College Volunteer Developer Program, which partners with campus faculty to develop educational software and deploy it to the cloud.
While at Whittier, Bergen worked at the Office of Equity & Inclusion and participated in the Sustainability Club and the Women?s Leadership Association. She also started an art magazine in her first year called TRASH MAG, which is still active. TRASH MAG spreads radical change, empathy and empowerment by cultivating a community which uplifts underrepresented creative voices and ideas in media. Her talents earned her the Blogilates Entrepreneurial Scholarship during her senior year.
During his senior year, Noah jumped at the opportunity to apply for the Jan Cauffman Endowed Fellowship which promises students the opportunity to work with faculty to implement new and improved courses utilizing digital technologies. His deliverable, called Dashboard, is a digital platform used by over 200 WSP students to track and manage their course lists and educational designs. "When professor (Bill) Kronholm and I began working on Dashboard, he introduced me to "Agile" development. An agile project is broken down into several two to three week long sprints. At the end of each sprint, the team has a meeting and determines priorities for the next spring. An agile team is able to shift their goals on the fly and meet user needs as they emerge. Because of this, we were able to introduce features that our students demanded in real time. This also allowed us to get our platform into the hands of users while we were still developing it."
Upon graduation, Bergen accepted a position as Assistant Brand Strategist at Carmichael Lynch, a leading full-service marketing communications firm rooted in PR and brand building.
" UNDOUBTEDLY, SUPPORTING STUDENTS IS A LONG- TERM COMMITMENT WHICH AT WHITTIER STARTS AS SOON AS THEY ENROLL AND CONTINUES FOR MANY YEARS AFTER THEY GRADUATE. TO KEEP STUDENTS FROM FALLING
Upon graduation, Noah was able to successfully turn his Cauffman fellowship experience into a full-time job as a Cloud Operations Engineer at a media startup called Mission. Mission is an Amazon Web Services Premier Consulting Partner that helps businesses architect, migrate, manage & optimize their AWS cloud.
THROUGH THE CRACKS, OUR WHOLE CAMPUS IS COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS, THINKING CREATIVELY AND STRATEGICALLY TO RETAIN THEM AND SUPPORT THEIR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL GROWTH." -- DEANNA MERINO CONTINO, ED. D., INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT AND DEAN OF STUDENTS annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... INNOVATED FOR OUR FUTURE The Presid ential Innov ation Fund has k ick star ted a culture of innov ation across the W hittier C olleg e cam p us lik e w e'v e nev er seen b efore. By inv esting in cam p us-g ener ated , creativ e solutions that red uce ad m inistr ativ e b urd ens, enhance our ab ility to ser v e d ifferent stud ent g roup s, inv ig or ate our em p loyees, ad v ance necessar y technolog ies, enhance resources for stud ents, and m ore, w e are ensur ing the C olleg e's continued success w ell into the future.
ANATOMY.TV KEEPS REMOTE LEARNINGENGAGING& EXCITING Benefiting students, faculty, and staff, Primal Pictures?Anatomy.TV software was licensed in August 2020 through the support of the Presidential Innovation Fund to provide access to the world's most medically accurate and detailed 3D graphic renderings of human anatomy based on imaging data. According to kinesiology professor Melanie Householder, the lead writer on the project proposal, ?Having a premier human anatomy and physiology (A&P) software platform for everyone to have unlimited access to wherever their learning space may be at any given point in time is indeed new and innovative for Whittier College. In particular, we have an opportunity to intentionally provide our students with a level of access to advanced A&P resources that we have never offered before.?
After it's first year in use, Professor Householder adds that the program enabled her and fellow faculty members to deliver vetted, high-grade, and stimulating content to students through remote learning in the 20-21 academic year, enhancing students' conceptual learning. Students have specifically commented about how much they liked using Anatomy.TV, and many continued to use it on their own afterward. Due to the success of the program, as supported by usage statistics, Library Director David McCaslin has decided to renew the subscription to Anatomy.TV for the upcoming academic year.
797 Total Sessi ons 368 Hour s of Vi deo Vi ewed 1,380 M odul es/ Qui zzes Cl i ck ed Thr ough
" I LOVED ANATOMY.TV BECAUSE I GOT TOSEE HOW EVERYTHINGCAME TOGETHER." - STUDENT FEEDBACK
Lear n m or e about I nnovati on at Whi tti er Col l ege at www.whi tti er.edu/ i nnovati on
INNOVATION CHALLENGE UPDATES In 2019, two projects were awarded grant funding in our inaugural "Whittier Innovates" campus innovation challenge. Their success continues to make an impact on the campus community.
FORMSTACK EXPANDS FURTHER Di r ector of M ar k eti ng Edna Becer r a conti nues to i m pr ove the Col l ege's di gi tal capabi l i ti es and wor k fl ow functi onal i ty thr ough the use of di gi tal for m s on the pl atfor m For m stack . Citing the ever-expanding demand for Formstack forms, reports, and workflows (and propelled by the digital pivots required over the past 18 months), Becerra, the inaugural Whittier Innovates winner, applied for and received additional funding from the Presidential Innovation Fund to institute an upgraded Formstack Enterprise solution. This expansion will accommodate everyone on campus who wishes to have more control over their forms and reports, integrate more fully with the College's existing platforms, and tap into customer support for on-boarding, training, and user-support. This expansion truly supports the College's commitment to digital solutions that meet students where they are. - Since it's launch in 2019, approximately 300 online forms have been created in Formstack, ranging from student add/drop requests to recruitment marketing to event registration. - To date, our Formstack account has received approximately 60,000 form submissions. - All Whittier College extension courses are running registration and payment processing on Formstack. - All Financial Aid and Registrar student forms have been successfully moved to Formstack. - All graduate program processes, including evaluations involving external partners are now on Formstack. - Our entire student Fellowships application process is now carried out on Formstack. - The platform has been critical to the COVID-19 health screening process and will remain a valuable tool for COVID-19 response.
INSTITUTE FOR BASEBALL STUDIES KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK Bui l di ng upon l essons l ear ned fr om the par apr ofessi onal l i br ar i an hi r ed thr ough the fundi ng of thei r i naugur al chal l enge gr ant, the I nsti tute has conti nued catal ogi ng thei r seem i ngl y endl ess col l ecti on of book s, to the tune of al m ost 4,000 vol um es! With the additional support of Wardman Library, Institute co-founders professors Joe Price, Charles Adams, Mike McBride, and additional volunteers, have produced and secured labels for all of the books, and have now shelved them in order of the Library of Congress classification standards, becoming a unique searchable collection for students and faculty to refer to in their own work. The ability to organize and catalog such a massive collection also makes the Institute a more attractive home for would-be donors (a desired outcome of the initial grant funding). This past year, we have received two incredible collections: more than 1,000 books (half of which we did not have) from a collector in Fresno, and an incredible baseball collection from the estate of Terry Cannon (the founder of the Baseball Reliquary and co-founder of the Institute for Baseball Studies). annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS In 2020-2021, w e receiv ed sup p or t totaling nearly $1.2M from g enerous found ation p ar tners w ho recog nize the inv estm ent p otential in W hittier C olleg e, and hav e mad e the d ecision to fund em erg ent need s, along w ith interd iscip linar y , cutting -ed g e initiativ es across cam p us.
2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS - A $75,000 grant from the Ahmanson Foundation supported scholarships for students from Los Angeles County, and an additional $50,000 sustained the College's Ahmanson Veteran's Scholarship Initiative (AVSI).
- Seeking to increase student success, equity, and inclusion, the second year of a three-year $100,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provided Student Disability Services and the Center for Advising & Academic Success with staff resources and support necessary for more positive student outcomes.
- A $25,000 grant from The Annenberg Foundation immediately closed the need gap for six of our African American students, getting them one step closer to achieving their educational goals. By providing these scholarships, the aim is to help increase retention and graduation rates of our African American students.
- In year two of an innovative $300,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, research in Whittier College's sustainable coffee orchard has continued. The grant has allowed the College to expand its collaboration with the newly emerging California coffee growers agricultural community, create several undergraduate research fellowships and multiple internships for Whittier students, support research opportunities and course module development for faculty interested in relevant aspects of coffee production, and more.
- Renewed support from the BCM Foundation in the amount of $539,781 supported our Center for Engagement with Communities. This grant will fund a full year of community-based activities that enhance the quality of life for the people? and especially the children? of Whittier, while at the same time providing our students with opportunities to grow into a variety of professional roles they will occupy after graduation.
- The philanthropic arm of Edison International once again provided scholarship support for students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines. Their new award of $25,000 for our ?Edison STEM Scholars Program? brings the total amount of their donations to Whittier College to $293,000 since their first award was made in 2007.
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) awarded a learning grant of $30,000 to facilitate faculty discussions and pilot activities that analyze student learning and emotional connection to courses and to new curriculum. A desired outcome of the activities is decreased failure/withdrawal rates among STEM students from groups traditionally excluded from higher education, leading to increased retention and higher enrollment. - The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) granted us $53,200 from their Ethnic Minority and Women's Internship Grant Program--our first award ever from the NCAA (more on Page 15). The grant will support a full-time intern serving as Coordinator of Compliance and Student Success in the Department of Athletics for the next two years.
- The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation awarded Whittier College a $60,000 grant designed to address the most urgent technological and other needs created by the pandemic. Funds were spent immediately.
- In year two of a visionary $500,000 grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the visual and performing arts departments continued to infuse digital technologies throughout their curricula. In addition to learning digital art skills within a liberal arts framework, students taking courses such as animation, film production, web design, and others will benefit from up-to-date equipment and a new, sophisticated computer lab that makes their learning opportunities more engaging and relevant to the modern work place. annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... REMAINED COMPETITIVE A s an integ r al p ar t of the C olleg e?s cam p us com m unity , our athletics p rog r am p lays a sig nificant role in d ev elop ing lead ers on and off the p lay ing field . Desp ite not b eing ab le to com p ete this p ast year , our scholar -athletes continued to shine acad em ically , b r ing ing recog nition to their resp ectiv e p rog r am s. W e are excited to resum e com p etitiv e p lay this 21-22 season, and hop e you'll join us in cheer ing on our Poets for a g am e or tw o! - Senior softball outfielder Hannah Angileri (San Jose, CA) and senior women's golfer Kamryn Marie Garcia (La Mirada, CA) were honored with SCIAC Character Awards in their respective sports. This award recognizes student-athletes who are making significant contributions representing their school and serving their communities.
- 169 Student-Athletes recognized on the 2020-21 SCIAC All-Academic team (GPA of 3.40+). - The Women's Tennis team was selected as an ITA All-Academic Team after posting a program high 3.53 cumulative GPA. Five individuals were also named All-Academic: Julie Cutler (Salt Lake City, UT), Kallysta Lopez (Whittier, Calif.), Avery Turner (Austin, TX), Jasmine Saunders (Fulham, London), and Gabriella Tellez (Whittier, Calif.).
- Women?s Lacrosse was named to the IWLCA All-Academic Honor Squad for the fourth time in program history (3.20+ team GPA).
" I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF OUR STUDENT-AT
NEVER BEEN FACED BEFORE. THEIR DEDICATI
WE ARE USED TOSEEINGON THE FIELD, COUR
OVERALL VALUES OF NCAA DIVISION III, AND H
STUDENT-ATHLETE." --ROCK CARTER, EXECU
The W hittier C olleg e Athletic Dep ar tm ent receiv ed a g r ant from the Ethnic M inor ity and W om en's Inter nship Gr ant Prog r am of the NCA A , rep resenting the first NCA A g r ant for the C olleg e.
- For the sixth consecutive year, the Whittier College baseball team was honored for its academic work as they earned the American Baseball Coaches Association's Team Academic Excellence Award (3.0+ team GPA).
- The women's and men's cross country teams achieved NCAA All-Academic recognition for the 2020 season. Whittier was one of five SCIAC institutions honoring both women's and men's teams (3.1+ team GPA).
Through the suppor t of this grant, Danielle Burrell has been named Whittier's first Coordinator of Compliance and Student-Athlete Success. In addition to ensuring NCAA compliance, Danielle will serve as the campus liaison for various initiatives, including CARE, Bias Response, Title IX programming, and the Black Male Initiative. She'll also lead the academic success program for probationary athletes, Midnight Madness, Academic and Professional Development Week, and more. Of her role, Danielle says, "I was excited for the oppor tunity to join Whittier's athletic staff and be surrounded by other passionate individuals who are committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience and preparing them for a successful life after spor t."
- The men's and women's swimming and diving programs once again earned their way onto the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Fall Scholar All-American team (team GPA of 3.0+).
ATHLETES WHOHAVE FOUGHT THROUGH CHALLENGES THAT HAVE
ION AND COMMITMENT IN THE CLASSROOM MIRRORS THE EFFORTS
RTS AND POOL. THESE TEAMS AND PROGRAMS TRULY REFLECT THE
HELP DEFINE THE TRUE PURPOSE OF BEINGA WHITTIER COLLEGE
- The Men's Tennis team was selected as an ITA All-Academic Team after posting a program high 3.59 cumulative GPA. Four individuals were also named All-Academic: Mason Lebby (Laguna Beach, Calif.), Pim van der Veer (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Matthew Yanuck (Studio City, Calif.), and Rafael Maniego (Rocklin, Calif.).
UTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS annual r epor t 2020-2021
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TOGETHER WE... PLANTED SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE
IN THE 2021 FISCAL YEAR, WE ADDED $325,000 TOOUR BEQUEST PIPELINE. C om p r ising of g ifts larg e and small, the collectiv e im p act w ill mak e a m eaning ful d ifference for g ener ations of Poets to com e.
t he j oy of giving Barbara (Ondrasik) ?57 and Dr. David E. Groce truly live the adage ?it is better to give than to receive.? They are among Whittier College?s longest-standing Faithful Friends, making a gift every year since 1970, and it is evident from their joy and enthusiasm that they are receiving so much in return for their generous philanthropy. ?If there?s a need, that?s what you do?you help out,? says Barbara, ?we just always preferred to see our resources go toward students and organizations which are making a difference rather than cars and other fancy things.? And they intend to continue making a difference for future generations of Poets by including Whittier College in their estate plans. Read more about Barbara and David's generosity in action here: https://bit.ly/3BjDW9n
Leg acy d onors hav e p rov id ed fund s for a v ar iety of acad em ic p rog r am s, stud ent sup p or t and end ow m ents, scholarship s, and m uch m ore.
ALUMNI PHILADELPHIANS BY GRAD DECADE
Our leg acy d onors, all of w hom are m em b ers of the Philad elp hian Society , set an outstand ing exam p le of g enerosity and foresig ht for others to follow. It is an honor to im p lem ent and stew ard the p hilanthrop ic v isions of our ov er 275 liv ing Philad elp hians, and w e hop e you find their com m itm ent insp ir ing !
RELATIONSHIP WITH WHITTIER
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WHAT IS YOURPOET LEGACY? When you are considering how you might make a difference for generations of Whittier students, the advantages can include tax benefits, additional lifetime income, and more. Visit our website, www.whi tti er l egacy.or g, to learn more about giving options or contact our development team at 562.907.4219 or by email, devel opm ent@whi tti er.edu. annual r epor t 2020-2021
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THANK YOU! YOUR SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL TOALL WE DO.
CONTACT US OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT 13406 PHILADELPHIA STREET P.O. BOX 634 WHITTIER, CA 90608 562.907.4219 DEVELOPMENT@WHITTIER.EDU
WHITTIER.EDU/GIVENOW