Our Mission
In 1782, George Washington agreed to give his name to Washington College, an independent institution of the liberal arts and sciences on the Chester River, at the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. Here the College's founder, William Smith, sought to create an environment in which students would think "closely and justly," develop the arts of "writing, speaking, acting, and living well" and thus be freed from "all prejudices, with relations to idle disputes, distinctions, and opinions, till liberal education and ripe judgment should make them capable of thinking for themselves." More than two centuries later, Washington College continues to affirm these ideals.
Washington College seeks to develop in its students the habits of analytic thought, aesthetic insight, imagination, ethical sensitivity, and clarity of expression. These qualities of the mind are the result of excellent teaching, of active inquiry, and of a wide range of experiences and social interactions in an intimate community of cultural, social, and political diversity. The College also strives to enrich the cultural and intellectual life of its regional community.
Each student explores a range of disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences and concentrates on a major academic program that culminates in a significant independent project. Unhurried conversation and personal associations complement instruction and study. Thus, the College affirms the importance of its residential tradition with its opportunities to engage in the arts and sciences, athletics, service, and social activities in the company of people of varied backgrounds, experience, and interests.
The College also offers certification programs, graduate studies, and opportunities for lifelong learning.
Engaged in these activities, students develop the knowledge, skills, values, and commitments necessary for success in a world of rapid information expansion, increasing technological and cultural complexity, and shifting work patterns. The College thus endeavors to prepare its graduates for further education, productive careers, responsible citizenship, and personal fulfillment so that they may contribute to their communities, nations, and world.