PULTENEY STREET SURVEY - SPRING 2017
Academic Program and Reputation
- One of the traditional hallmarks
of a Hobart and William Smith
education has always been
the lifelong and rewarding
partnerships that students and
faculty form around topics of mutual
interest. When students can make a
powerful connection with a faculty
member, they are more likely to thrive
academically and socially.
Under Gearan’s leadership, the Colleges
have invested in faculty, creating an
environment in which more of these
partnerships can flourish. The result is
a corresponding increase in national
recognition and academic awards.
During Gearan’s tenure and under the
mentorship of faculty, HWS students have
earned numerous prestigious scholarships
and fellowships, including:
- 34 U.S. Fulbright Student Awards; in 2016 and 2017, the Colleges were named among the top colleges and universities with the most recipients of U.S. Fulbright Student Awards. In two back-to-back record years, 14 members of the Classes of 2015 and 2016 have earned a Fulbright.
- 1 Rhodes Scholarship
- 9 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships
- 3 Princeton-in-Asia Fellowships
- 1 Marshall Scholarship
- 1 Gates-Cambridge Scholarship
- 3 Morris K. Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
- 6 NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarships
- 2 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowships
- The Colleges have advanced 16 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s best national liberal arts college ranking since 1999, moving from No. 81 to No. 65.
- Hobart and William Smith are featured in Princeton Review’s Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck. Points of distinction noted for HWS include strong student-faculty engagement, exceptional career preparation, guaranteed internship programs, a personalized financial aid approach, and a robust alum network.
- In 1999, the number of students applying early decision was 14%. Today, about 44% of students apply early decision, making HWS their first choice.
- Since 1999:
- the graduation rate increased 7%
- applications increased 75%
- The student to faculty ratio decreased from 13:1 to 10:1
- The student population increased by 23.6% to 2,262
- The number of full time faculty increased by 24% with 43 full-time faculty positions added

Middle States Accreditation
In 2014, the Colleges received an
outstanding accreditation report
from the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education indicating
that HWS fulfilled all standards and
characteristics of excellence. Since the
last Middle States reaccreditation, the
team reported, Hobart and William
Smith “have enhanced academic
quality, expanded the faculty,
improved campus resources and
facilities, strengthened its competitive
position, completed a successful
$205 million campaign, contributed
creatively to Geneva, developed
signature programs in co-curricular
learning, and nurtured its tradition
and engagement of alums – all
while weathering extremely well the
national financial difficulties of the
past six years.”
“We were impressed by the sense of community and common purpose that define the Hobart and William Smith experience. In particular, we observed a deep appreciation for the life of the mind, dedication to educating students with global competencies, a collective commitment to service and to Geneva, outstanding and remarkably committed presidential leadership, and an integrity that is shared across the Colleges.”
— Daniel R. Porterfield, President of Franklin & Marshall College and Chair of the 2014 Middle States Accreditation Team

“I think the most important aspect of President Gearan’s legacy for the Colleges will be his respect for disagreement. Whether it was a challenging meeting with faculty members or a class discussion with students of opposing political passions, Mark has always shown considerable respect to the ideas and opinions of all participants and has sought ways to fully understand and engage them from their perspective. His legacy is that a President is approachable, respectful and engaged with the entire campus constituency.”
—DeWayne Lucas, Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of Faculty
Center for Teaching and Learning
Since 2003, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) has worked with
faculty and students to empower innovative scholarship, cooperative inquiry and
intellectual risk-taking. CTL offers support and enrichment to students through
teaching fellows, quantitative fellows, writing fellows and study mentors. CTL also
works with faculty to improve course design and assess learning outcomes through a
wide array of support opportunities, from Faculty Learning Communities to one-onone
consultations.
Curriculum Evolution
In 2016, Hobart and William Smith completed a comprehensive, multiyear
process to review and revise the curriculum. The new curriculum adopts “Explore,
Collaborate, Act” as an animating principle for common and engaged discourse.
With an emphasis on writing enrichment, the revised curriculum also includes an
enhanced First Year Seminar experience and the requirement of a capstone project
in every discipline.

Trias Residency for Writers
Thanks to the generosity of the late Peter J. Trias ’70, in 2011 the Colleges launched
the Trias Residency for Writers, which has brought world-renowned writers to
campus for a unique one-year residency. During their tenure, Trias residents work
with the Colleges’ best students in meaningful mentorships. The residents—awardwinning
novelists, poets and essayists—also offer a
public reading and lecture, participate in a service
event for the greater Geneva community and curate a
reading series with other notable authors.
Current Issue
- Lakeviews
- HWS Boosts Local Economy
- The Great Lake Effect
- Deutschlander Named Ornithological President
- CLINTON: Our Common Humanity
- The Entrepreneur: Horn '83 Returns to Lead
- Sports Updates
- Being a Statesman
- Best in Field
A Legacy of Leadership
- All the More
- Academic Program and Reputation
- It's Not "Town and Gown"
- Collections of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- A Coxe Farewell
- Women Who Pave the Way: the Blackwell Award Recipients
- The President's Garage Band
- Student Engagement
- Congratulations, Gratitude and a Healthy Dose of Gatorade
- Center for Global Education
- Follow The Flags: Convocation Remembered and Reborn
- A Life of Leadership
- Stimulating, Spirited, Surprising: 18 Years of the President's Forum Series
- A Life of Leadership
- Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Learning
- Creating Futures
- Financial Health and Alum Engagement
- A Legacy Created: The Gearan Scholars
- Landmarks of a Legacy
- Geneva and the Finger Lakes
- A New Geneva
- In the President's Home
- Creating Community with Mary Herlihy Gearan
- Reunion 2017: A Special Farewell to the Gearans
- Distinguished Faculty Awards
- Highest Honors
Alumni/ae
Past Issues