The College Compass
(approved by College faculty members in May 2004, reaffirmed in October 2005)
The College nurtures a culture of learning at Washington and Lee by providing an education steered by the liberal arts tradition. Exceptionally dedicated faculty members guide undergraduates through a wide range of scholarly methodologies and their practical applications. Students learn to examine knowledge from a variety of perspectives, while developing deep expertise in their chosen field(s) of study.
College teachers challenge students to hone their critical thinking skills and approach questions creatively. Undergraduates and faculty collaborate to generate a fertile environment for scholarship and research, focusing not only on the assimilation of information, but also on the clear communication of knowledge to members of a global society. Our joint endeavors inspire students to further discoveries beyond the classroom and across disciplinary boundaries.
In striving to meet the educational needs of our increasingly diverse student body, we emphasize sensitivity to different modes of learning and living, as well as respect for other cultures.
The hallmarks of a person educated in the College include:
- a clear sense of personal responsibility,
- a talent for independent thinking, the capacity to evaluate information critically and to convey it eloquently, competence in many methods of approaching and solving problems,
- a lively curiosity about and mature respect for varied cultures and intellectual perspectives, and
- a lifelong engagement with the values of honor and civility.
Purposes
The purposes of the College are several: to provide the essentials of a liberal education to all undergraduates before they separate into their fields of specialization; to offer courses and majors leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science; to encourage independent work and scholarly investigation; and to present courses preliminary to professional training in such fields as engineering, journalism, law and health.
All new undergraduates are members of the College. Their work will be taken in those studies which, in the opinion of the faculty, provide the fundamentals of a liberal arts education. The prescriptions of this first year make possible an intelligent freedom in later years of study and a wise choice of a major field. All first-years will consult with their faculty advisers in the selection of their courses for their sophomore year.
The aim of the work of the first two years is the achievement of breadth; the work of the junior and senior years is directed toward the mastery of a particular study. Students who expect to receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts will do their major work in the liberal arts and humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences; students who expect to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science will take specialized work in the natural sciences.
Departments
The Departments of Art and Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Computer Science, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, Geology, German and Russian, History, Journalism and Mass Communications, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physical Education, Physics and Engineering, Psychology, Religion, Romance Languages, Sociology and Anthropology, and Theater comprise the College. The Office of Teacher Education is also included in the College.
Degrees and Majors Offered
The College offers the Bachelor of Arts degree, the Bachelor of Science degree, and the Bachelor of Science degree with Special Attainments in Chemistry. Candidates for a degree with a major listed below will find departmental requirements outlined under those departments in the “Courses of Study” section.
Bachelor of Arts Degree
The College offers the following majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree:
Art History
Biology
Chemistry
Classics
Computer Science
East Asian Languages and Literatures
English
Environmental Studies
French
Geology
German Language
German Literature
History
Independent Work
Journalism and Mass Communications
Mathematics
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Music
Philosophy
Psychology
Religion
Romance Languages major, with a French emphasis
Romance Languages major, with a Spanish emphasis
Russian Area Studies
Sociology and Anthropology
Spanish
Studio Art
Theater
Bachelor of Science Degree
The College offers the following majors leading to the Bachelor of Science degree:
Biology
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry-Engineering
Computer Science
Geology
Independent Work
Mathematics
Neuroscience
Physics
Physics-Engineering
Psychology
Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Chemistry Degree
The College offers the following major leading to the Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Chemistry degree:
Chemistry
Advice For First-Year Students
Entering students are expected to select courses which will assist them to begin satisfying Foundation and Distribution Requirements (FDRs) and enable them to explore possibilities for a major or to continue study in a field of special interest. To assist in the selection of courses, new students are assigned initial faculty advisers with whom they confer during the first week of the academic year and who remain available for consultation until a major is chosen. In certain fields, placement tests will be offered on an optional basis to entering first-years, and their results, along with any advanced placement reports, will be used in determining the level of work which should be pursued.
In choosing courses, first-year students should consider that the skills in mathematics and language study they have acquired may deteriorate if they do not continue work in them immediately. They should also be sure to take the courses prerequisite to later work they desire. If they are interested in working for the degree of Bachelor of Science or for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in science, including premedical work, they should register for mathematics and the appropriate introductory science sequence in their initial year. In most circumstances, students should not take two laboratory sciences simultaneously during the first year. All students, in planning their first year, should examine the requirements for any major of potential interest listed under “Courses of Study.”
Students considering graduate work should consult their advisers with regard to possible language and mathematics requirements for advanced degrees.
Administration
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| Kenneth Patrick Ruscio, Ph.D. |
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| President of the University |
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| June R. Aprille, Ph.D. |
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| Provost |
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| Howard N. (Hank) Dobin, Ph.D. |
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| Dean of the College |
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| Janet Ikeda, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Dean of the College |
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| Elizabeth Pryor Knapp, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Dean of the College |
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Faculty
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| Michael A. Pleva, Ph.D. |
Matthew F. Tuchler, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Chemistry |
Associate Professor of Chemistry |
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| Irwin Taylor Sanders II, Ph.D. |
Christopher D. Connors, Ph.D. |
| Professor of History |
Associate Professor of Geology |
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| Edwin David Craun, Ph.D. |
Sascha L. Goluboff, Ph.D. |
| Henry S. Fox Jr., Professor of English |
Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology |
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| William Lad Sessions, Ph.D. |
David W. Sukow, Ph.D. |
| Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professor of Philosophy |
Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering |
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| Halford Ross Ryan, Ph.D. |
Laura Speirs Turner, M.L.S. |
| Professor of English and Speech |
Associate Professor |
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| Harry Thomas Williams, Ph.D. |
Owen M. Collins, M.F.A. |
| Edwin A. Morris Professor of Physics |
Associate Professor of Theater |
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| Pamela Hemenway Simpson, Ph.D. |
Hongchu Fu, Ph.D. |
| Ernest Williams II Professor of Art History |
Associate Professor of East Asian Languages |
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| John Holt Merchant Jr., Ph.D. |
Karla K. Murdock, Ph.D. |
| Professor of History |
Associate Professor of Psychology |
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| Gordon Philip Spice, Ph.D. |
David Detwiler, B.A. |
| Professor of Music |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| Ronald Lane Reese, Ph.D. |
James Mahon, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Physics |
Associate Professor of Philosophy |
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| Thomas P. Whaley, Ph.D. |
David M. Marsh, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Computer Science |
Associate Professor of Biology |
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| David Robert Novack, Ph.D. |
Bryan L. Snyder, B.S. |
| Professor of Sociology |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| Harlan Ray Beckley, Ph.D. |
Julie A. Woodzicka, Ph.D. |
| Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion |
Associate Professor of Psychology |
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| Robert Joseph de Maria, M.S. |
Eugene M. McCabe, M.A. |
| Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| John Jay Wielgus, Ph.D. |
E. William Hamilton III, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Biology |
Associate Professor of Biology |
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| Roger A. Crockett, Ph.D. |
Jeffrey L. Kosky, Ph.D. |
| Professor of German |
Associate Professor of Religion |
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| Laurent Boetsch Jr., D.M.L. |
Deborah Miranda, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Associate Professor of English |
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| Larry M. Stene, M.F.A. |
Miriam C. Carlisle, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Art |
Associate Professor of Classics |
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| Nancy Adele Margand, Ph.D. |
Neil Cunningham, M.S. |
| Professor of Psychology |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| Wayne M. Dymàček, Ph.D. |
Wendy C. Orrison, B.A. |
| Professor of Mathematics |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| Michael J. Evans, Ph.D. |
Kateri Gardner, M.S. |
| Rupert and Lillian Radford Professor of Mathematics |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| Lawrence E. Hurd, Ph.D. |
Mohamed Kamara, Ph.D. |
| John T. Herwick, M.D. Professor of Biology |
Associate Professor of Romance Languages |
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| Krzysztof Jasiewicz, Ph.D. |
Theresa Braunschneider, Ph.D. |
| William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology |
Associate Professor of English |
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| Timothy Gaylard, Ph.D. |
Nathan D. Hoey, B.S. |
| Professor of Music |
Associate Professor of Physical Education |
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| Richard G. Marks, Ph.D. |
Simon D. Levy, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Religion |
Associate Professor of Computer Science |
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| James Perrin Warren, Ph.D. |
Wythe L. Whiting IV, Ph.D. |
| S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English |
Associate Professor of Psychology |
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| Kenneth A. Lambert, Ph.D. |
David Bello, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Computer Science |
Associate Professor of History |
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| Kenneth E. Van Ness, Ph.D. |
Paul A. Gregory, Ph.D. |
| Robert Lee Telford Professor of Physics and Engineering |
Associate Professor of Philosophy |
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| Paul S. Bourdon, Ph.D. |
Kyle Felker, M.L.I.S. |
| Cincinnati Professor of Mathematics |
Associate Professor |
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| Tyler S. Lorig, Ph.D. |
Lenna Ojure, Ph.D. |
| Ruth Parmly Professor of Psychology |
Associate Professor of Education |
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| Gwyn E. Campbell, Ph.D. |
John Brodie, D.M.A. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Visiting Associate Professor of Music |
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| George P. Carras, D.Phil. |
Adedayo O. L. Abah, M.S. |
| Professor of Classical Studies and Senior Research Fellow in Religion |
Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications |
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| Alexandra R. Brown, Ph.D. |
Alison Bell, Ph.D. |
| Jessie Ball duPont Professor of Religion |
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology |
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| Suzanne P. Keen, Ph.D. |
Douglas O. Cumming, Ph.D. |
| Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English |
Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications |
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| Pamela K. Luecke, M.A., M.B.A. |
Genelle C. Gertz, Ph.D. |
| Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism |
Assistant Professor of English |
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| Cecile West-Settle, Ph.D. |
Lisa Greer, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Assistant Professor of Geology |
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| Brian E. Richardson, Ph.D. |
Kristina Hoey, B.S. |
| Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Domnica V. Radulescu, Ph.D. |
Adam B. Hutchinson, M.S. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Edward Wasserman, Ph.D. |
Mandy L. King, B.S. |
| John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Professor of Journalism Ethics |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| David Jorgensen Harbor, Ph.D. |
Christopher E. Schall, M.A. |
| Professor of Geology |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Helen I’Anson, Ph.D. |
Joel E. Shinofield, B.A. |
| Professor of Biology |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Kevin Crotty, J.D., Ph.D. |
Leslie Cintron, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Classics |
Assistant Professor of Sociology |
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| Merrily E. Taylor, M.S.L.S., M.A. |
Kimberly Jew, Ph.D. |
| Professor |
Assistant Professor of Theater |
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| Howard N. Dobin, Ph.D. |
Joel Kuehner, Ph.D. |
| Professor of English |
Assistant Professor of Physics |
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| William Patch, Ph.D. |
Irina Mazilu, Ph.D. |
| William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of History |
Assistant Professor of Physics |
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| Lesley M. Wheeler, Ph.D. |
Jacob A. Siehler, Ph.D. |
| Professor of English |
Assistant Professor of Mathematics |
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| Terry Vosbein, D.M.A. |
Megan Fulcher, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Music |
Assistant Professor of Psychology |
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| Kathleen Olson-Janjic, M.F.A. |
N. Melina Bell, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Fine Arts |
Assistant Professor of Philosophy |
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| Janine M. Hathorn, M.A. |
Rebecca R. Benefiel, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Classics |
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| Barry H. Kolman, D.A. |
Katherine D. Crowley, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Music |
Assistant Professor of Mathematics |
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| Roberta H. Senechal, Ph.D. |
Daniel J. Kramer, Ph.D. |
| Professor of History |
Assistant Professor of German |
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| Maryanne C. Simurda, Ph.D. |
Holly C. Pickett, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Biology |
Assistant Professor of English |
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| Jeffrey C. Barnett, Ph.D. |
Mary M. Abdoney, M.A. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Assistant Professor |
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| George R. Bent, Ph.D. |
Monica B. Botta, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Art |
Assistant Professor of Romance Languages |
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| Marcia B. France, Ph.D. |
Christa K. Bowden, M.F.A. |
| Professor of Chemistry |
Assistant Professor of Art |
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| Steven G. Desjardins, Ph.D. |
Mark Carey, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Chemistry |
Assistant Professor of History |
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| Lisa T. Alty, Ph.D. |
Jonathan R. Eastwood, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Chemistry |
Assistant Professor of Sociology |
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| Erich S. Uffelman, Ph.D. |
Frederick J. LaRiviere, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Chemistry |
Assistant Professor of Chemistry |
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| Marc C. Conner, Ph.D. |
Molly Michelmore, Ph.D. |
| Professor of English |
Assistant Professor of History |
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| Ellen C. Mayock, Ph.D. |
Jeffrey M. Rahl, Ph.D. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Assistant Professor of Geology |
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| Matthew Bailey, Ph.D. |
Shawn Paul Evans, M.F.A. |
| Professor of Romance Languages |
Assistant Professor of Theater |
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| Toni Locy |
Carrie Finch, Ph.D. |
| Reynolds Professor of Legal Reporting |
Assistant Professor of Mathematics |
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| Frank A. Settle Jr., Ph.D. |
Patrick Hatcher, M.A. |
| Visiting Professor of Chemistry |
Assistant Professor of Religion |
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| Paul Humke, Ph.D. |
Scott Johnson, Ph.D. |
| Visiting Professor of Mathematics |
Assistant Professor of Classics |
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| Bruce Boller, Ph.D. |
Debra Prager, Ph.D. |
| Visiting Professor of Physics |
Assistant Professor of German |
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| Gary Ray Franke, M.S. |
Sara Sprenkle, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Computer Science |
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| Joseph Martinez, Dip. R.A.D.A. |
Brooke Diamond, M.S. |
| Associate Professor of Theater |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Richard F. Grefe, M.L.S. |
David Hanna, B.A. |
| Associate Professor |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| John A. Lambeth, Ph.D. |
Shana Levine, J.D. |
| Associate Professor of Romance Languages |
Assistant Professor of PhysicalEducation |
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| David A. Badertscher, M.L.S. |
Eric Ishida, B.P.E. |
| Associate Professor |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Rolf G. Piranian, B.A. |
Jason Archbell, B.A. |
| Associate Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Richard M. Bidlack, Ph.D. |
Scott Abell, M.A. |
| Associate Professor of History |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Joan H. O’Mara, Ph.D. |
Josh Williamson, M.S. |
| Associate Professor of Art History |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| Ken’ichi Ujie, M.A. |
Matthew Stavish, B.A. |
| Associate Professor of East Asian Languages |
Assistant Professor of Physical Education |
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| John A. Tucker, M.S. |
Nathaniel Goldberg, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Philosophy |
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| Frank S. Miriello, B.S. |
Leslie Gordon, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Romance Languages |
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| Yolanda D. Merrill, M.L.S. |
Sarah Horowitz, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor |
Assistant Professor of History |
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| M. Jeffries Stickley, M.Ed. |
Robert Humston, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Biology |
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| Kary D. Smout, Ph.D. |
Christian Jennings, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of English |
Assistant Professor of History |
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| C. Vaughan Stanley, M.A., M.A. |
Curtis Jirsa, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor |
Assistant Professor of English |
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| J. Gavin Colliton, M.Ed. |
Andrea Lepage, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Physical Education |
Assistant Professor of Art |
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| Edward Adams, Ph.D. |
Harvey Markowitz, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of English |
Assistant Professor of Anthropology |
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| Gregory J. Cooper, Ph.D. |
Dan Mazilu, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Professional Ethics |
Assistant Professor of Physics |
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| Anna Brodsky, Ph.D. |
Indira Somani, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Russian |
Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications |
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| John W. Tombarge, M.L.S. |
Florentine Verhage, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor |
Assistant Professor of Philosophy |
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| Theodore C. DeLaney, Ph.D. |
Fiona Watson, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of History |
Assistant Professor of Biology |
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| Claudette G. Artwick, Ph.D. |
Haley Sigler, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications |
Assistant Professor of Education |
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| Alan McRae, Ph.D. |
Greta McCaughrin, M.A. |
| Associate Professor of Mathematics |
Instructor in Russian |
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| Françoise Frégnac-Clave, Ph.D. |
Elizabeth Cumming, M.S. |
| Associate Professor of Romance Languages |
Instructor in Physics and Engineering and Laboratory Supervisor |
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| Janet Ikeda, Ph.D. |
Mary Jo Kricorian, Ph.D. |
| Associate Professor of East Asian Languages |
Instructor of Biology and Laboratory Supervisor |
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| David S. Peterson, Ph.D. |
Andrea Abry, B.A. |
| Associate Professor of History |
Instructor of Chemistry and Supervisor of Laboratories |
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| Gregory P. Dresden, Ph.D. |
Sean Devlin, M.A. |
| Associate Professor of Mathematics |
Staff Archeologist and Instructor, Sociology and Anthropology |
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| Elizabeth P. Knapp, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Professor of Geology |
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| Timothy Lubin, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Professor of Religion |
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| Robert E. Stewart, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Professor of Psychology |
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| Paul R. Cabe, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Professor of Biology |
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| Nathan S. Feldman, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Professor of Mathematics |
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| Brendan J. Weickert, Ph.D. |
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| Associate Professor of Mathematics |
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