Whitman College
- Health & Safety

As Safe as Can Be.

I have walked home from the library at all hours of the night and never felt unsafe at Whitman. For precautionary reasons, Whitman has security staff available late into the night to walk students home if they ever do feel unsafe as well as a blue light system throughout campus. Campus crime is very minimal and the biggest offenders are from the town of Walla Walla and not associated with the college.

Very Safe

Whitman's campus is very safe. Other than the occasional bike theft there is almost no crime, and that is usually because people get careless and stop locking up their bikes. The health facilities are great, the health center is open 24 hours and is very accessible.

Incredible

So many things contribute to the incredible safety of campus.

-Walla Walla is a small town. You're a hell of a lot safer here than you are in Portland or Seattle or any metropolitan area for sure.

-Campus security: there are hired guards as well as hired students who go around at night and make sure buildings are locked, students are okay, etc. If you really want someone to escort you across campus, you can call the student guards, and they'll walk you across.

-Whitman culture: everyone looks out for one another. It's as simple as that. You learn to recognize most everyone at Whitman, and you can always ask someone to walk you home if you're nervous about it. If you had too much to drink at a party, complete strangers will take care of you as if you're their best friend.

-The Health Center: has two parts, a nurses/doctor's office that is open 24/7 and always has nurses on duty and the counseling center, which is open weekdays, but has emergency 24/7 hours. You can go to the nurses side of the office for whatever you want; free ibuprofin, cough drops, or condoms, a check-up, or a bed to sleep for the night. You can even go there if your roommate has been snoring lately and you want a quiet place to sleep. Of course, you can go there if you're sick too and they'll take care of you, even drive you to the doctor or hospital and pick you up at no cost whatsoever. The counseling side is fantastic. These are professional psychiatrists and psychotherapists who are available to all students at no extra cost. Life can be tough sometimes, and they're always there for you if you're dealing with anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, trouble at home, or anything else. To touch on a previous point, there is no social stigma whatsoever for going to the counseling center. Nobody will think you're weird or messed up if you go get help. If you have serious problems and you're not dealing with them, that's a problem, and your friends are sure to jump in and take you over there.