Whittier College

What it reported doing in 2024

Instruction, research, and sponsorship: Whittier College faculty are fully committed to design and deliver the highest quality instruction to students, combining traditional pedagogy, available technology, personal innovation, and practical application to provide a holistic system that engenders interdisciplinary learning at all levels. Additionally, and critical to keeping classroom instruction contemporary, Whittier College faculty are active and working scholars, artists, and researchers in their respective fields, eliciting financial and other resource support from both federal agencies and private foundations.Academic resources: Whittier is a college of academic rigor, where ideas are constantly being dissected, connected, and explored. Through an education this is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, students choose from over 50 majors and 38 minors, or create their own interdisciplinary major through the Whittier Scholars Project. While here, students have a breadth of assistance available to ensure academic success at all levels. Resources and programs include faculty advising; peer tutoring; basic and advanced skills training in the writing center; library and information technology instruction; computer labs, smart classrooms and campus-wide WIFI; mentoring programs; assessment; and an early warning system to identify students who may be experiencing temporary difficulty in the classroom. Additionally, a program focusing on the first-year encompasses a comprehensive support system that includes specialized seminars, individualized mentoring, and more. Student Services: Whittier is a dynamic and active campus, where there is a clear understanding that learning and growth take place outside the classroom as well as inside. As such, the college offers a variety of co-curricular programs, services, and opportunities for exercise of student leadership and new experiences. Currently, Whittier operates 21 competitive athletic teams and a yearlong intramural sports program, and 10 local societies (fraternities/sororities). Integral to the liberal arts program in general and a Whittier College education in particular, campus programs that provide additional academic, professional, and personal development are also available via foreign student (semester and year-long programs), off-campus internships and career counseling. For students requiring physical or other support, an array of programs both curricular and non-curricular are available through Student Accessibility Services, Counseling Center , or the Health and Wellness Center.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 83.3%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $2.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -44.4%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.84; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings