Megan McIlroy, The Examiner
2007-05-14 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

BALTIMORE -

Baird Tipson, 63, became president of Washington College in October 2004. He served as president of Wittenberg University in Ohio and provost of Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He also taught religion at Central Michigan University and the University of Virginia. Tipson studied religion and history at Princeton University and earned his Ph.D. in religious studies at Yale University.

Q What was the relationship of George Washington to the college?

A We were the first college founded after the Declaration of Independence [was signed]. We are the 10th-oldest college in the country. George Washington gave [the college] permission to use his name. And he also gave us what was in those days a very significant sum of money. Subsequent to that, he was given an honorary degree by the college, and he also agreed to serve on the Board of Visitors and Governors.

Q As a liberal arts school, what do you believe Washington College should offer?

A We want to train citizens who are going to be leaders. We want to help them learn to think as broadly as possible. We want them to learn how to take a problem, put it into context and find the information they need to address it. [A liberal arts education] doesn’t lead directly, for the most part, to a job. We are not training people to be nurses or social workers. For the most part, we are training people broadly, and for the most part, they go on to graduate school.

Q Washington College has about 1,400 students — what are the benefits of being a small college?

A The nice thing is that faculty members, generally speaking, will learn the names of their students. If the student majors in their department, they are likely to get to know that student. When they talk to colleagues, they are able to talk about that student’s development.

Q What kind of student fits in at Washington College?

A We are looking for students who are interested in a range of areas. We do require people to sample a lot of different sides of the liberal arts. We are looking at people who have a lot of interests outside class. About 30 percent of our students are intercollegiate athletes. This is not a good place for students who just want to hole up in their rooms.

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Q There is a lot of emphasis on college rankings and brand recognition. Do you think it’s more important to pick a school that fits?

A A lot of that pressure has been fueled by the media. There is a sense in our culture that everybody is in competition. There are probably 20 or 30 colleges that would be a very good fit for any young person, and they can give them all the intellectual challenges and opportunities for social growth that a student could want. The differences among them often have more to do with pure look — who your roommate is or which professors you happen to get in your first semester — things you can’t possibly predict ahead of time.

Q Washington College, like many liberal arts colleges, is expensive. Do you worry that costs are rising too much?

A Our tuition went up 6.25 percent, and students are concerned about this. That is higher than the cost of living. On average, we are subsidizing every student about $7,000 from other [funding] sources. That’s just because of the kind of education we provide — it’s very costly. Most of our income goes for salaries. We don’t have stockholders. All of the money we have, we put back into education. We are doing whatever we can to bridge the gap between what a family can pay and what it costs to educate a student.

Q Washington College is known for environmental awareness. What is the reasoning behind that?

A We made a decision some time ago that we were going to highlight the areas in which we felt we were strong. One of them is the environment. We have the Center for the Environment and Society. And that decision was made because we are on an estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. We are on the Eastern Shore — a unique ecological area. And we wanted to see how we could take advantage of our location, not only by helping the people in this area but also by giving our students exposure to environmental issues.

Q Where else are you strong?

A The Sophie Kerr prize, which is our prize for literature [and is one of the largest undergraduate literary prizes in the nation]. And writing has always been important here. ... We have what’s called the Rose O’Neill Literary House, which is a gathering place for writers. We have a regular stream of writers and poets doing presentations and workshops. We want to continue Washington College as a place where writers can come and thrive. We also have the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, which tries to relate the ideas of the Founding Fathers to today’s issues. That center has a lot of visibility.

Distinguished alumni

» President George Washington, accepted an honorary degree in 1789

» James M. Cain, Class of 1910, journalist, screenwriter and novelist, author of “The Postman Always Rings Twice”

» Louis L. Goldstein, Class of 1935, Maryland’s longest-serving elected official; member of the Maryland House of Delegates 1939-42 and Maryland Senate 1947-58; and the state’s comptroller 1959-1998

» Walter M. Baker, Class of 1960, Maryland state senator

» Chris Ely, Class of 1970, former sports broadcaster for the WJZ and WBAL

» Barry Glassman, Class of 1980, member of Maryland House of Delegates

» Laura San Giacomo, Class of 1983, actress

Fast Facts

» Founded in 1782

» The oldest college in Maryland

» Average cost for 2007-08 academic year: $40,200

» Annual Celebration : George Washington’s Birthday Ball

» Campus enrollment: 1,412 students

» Location: Rural community with population under 5,000.

» Faculty: 101 with 92 percent holding a Ph.D. or equivalent degree.

» Student/faculty ratio: 12:1.

» Average class size: 17

» Sports: 18 varsity sports playing in Division III, including an equestrian team and a wakeboarding team.

» Enrollment: 65 percent women, 35 percent men; 47 percent from Maryland and the rest are from 30 other states and 40 foreign nations.

Source: Washington College