At HWS, the classroom is the first stop in a chain reaction that leads to a better future for our students and the world. Our liberal arts and sciences curriculum provides students with a wide-angled look at the world, invites them to dive deep on topics of interest and challenges them to seek solutions to emerging global issues. Our residential campus community bolsters these lessons by engaging students in co-curricular learning opportunities that enhance their personal and professional growth, skill development and individual wellness in an environment that respects and values difference.
A Residential, Liberal Arts and Sciences Community
At HWS, we prize the importance of community. It is evident in the relationship-rich education our students enjoy with their faculty, coaches and staff. It extends to strong bonds with the Geneva community and to our alumni who pridefully support their alma mater. Here, students reflect on the lifechanging experiences, made possible by the HWS community.
Support for the Student Experience
In April 2023, the Adams Intercultural Center (AIC) was rededicated after renovation and expansion thanks to a leadership gift from Board Chair Craig R. Stine ’81, P’17 and Kathy Hay Stine P’17. The AIC serves as a home away from home for many HWS students and provides social spaces, a computer lab and a multipurpose room for students, faculty, staff and community members to gather in dialogue.
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Paying tribute to the leadership and success of current Hobart Head Hockey Coach Mark Taylor, who led the Statesmen to back-to-back NCAA Division III National Championships in 2023 and 2024, Trustee Scott J. ’81 and Lynne Nowadly Mason ’80, P’13 endowed the Mason Family Hobart Head Hockey Coach, benefiting Statesmen Hockey in perpetuity.
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Thanks to Trustee Calvin R. “Chip” Carver Jr. ’81 and his wife, Anne DeLaney, the William Smith Soccer and Basketball teams are enjoying a renovated and expanded suite. The renovations expanded the soccer team room, created space for a meeting area and upgraded the lounge used by both teams.
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Keith Cohen ’81 says the well-rounded, liberal arts and sciences education he received as a student at HWS helped make him a successful trial attorney. To show his appreciation, he has funded a display case for the HWS Debate Team’s trophies, awards, photos and other historical items.
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Dedicated in 2022, the Miltenberger and Bennett-Hooper Rowing Center is the newly expanded home of the Hobart and William Smith rowing teams. With leadership gifts from Merritt Bennett P’21 and Robert Bennett P’21, and HWS Trustee Paula Miltenberger P’23 and Bay Miltenberger P’23, a total of more than 400 alums, parents and friends of the Colleges contributed to the project’s $2.4M fundraising goal.
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A Residential Campus
The Hobart and William Smith campus is comprised of 320 acres of incomparable beauty on the banks of Seneca Lake and in the City of Geneva, an area that provides students with endless opportunities for research, collaboration, civic engagement and service. A residential community, we must continue to offer students a dynamic living-learning environment that bridges the lessons learned in the classroom with co-curricular programming, promotes community engagement, cultivates intercultural competence and holistic development, and leads to skills for independent living post-graduation.
Over the course of the past year, several renovations to residence halls and community and social spaces have bolstered the vibrancy of our residential community.
Adams Intercultural Center
Renovated, expanded and renamed after Hobart’s first Black graduate – Rev. Dr. Alger L. Adams ’32, D.D. ’83, the AIC provides a welcoming environment with support for personal growth, academic success and leadership skills as well as programming designed to broaden cross-cultural understanding, foster an appreciation for diversity, inclusion and social justice, and strengthen community bonds.
Provenzano Student Art Gallery
An exciting new student-run space at the heart of HWS’ campus in the Scandling Campus Center, you’ll find student-created and student-curated art on display throughout the academic year.
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Provenzano Gallery
Classes of 1972 Outdoor Classroom
Constructed just outside HWS’ main classroom buildings, benches are built into the campus’s natural landscape to form an outdoor lecture hall where faculty and students convene for critical thinking and discussion.
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the 1972 Classroom
Bartlett Theatre
The former black box theatre was transformed into a student events space now used for club meetings and celebrations as well as academic forums and campus events.
Scandling Campus Center
Lounges and dining areas have been enhanced and reconfigured, creating a student-designed commons conducive to both social and study space.
Residence Halls
Lobbies and social lounges in ten residence halls were upgraded to create welcoming space for informal and formal social programming. Two additional residence hall-based classrooms were created to expand on the already successful living learning communities for first-year students.
Career Preparation and Graduate Success
Hobart and William Smith is known for consistent success in preparing students for meaningful lives and fulfilling careers through an outcomes-based focus on their futures. Providing access to exceptional career coaching, networking opportunities, internship and research placements, and guidance on post-graduation plans is an essential component of HWS’ return on investment. Ranked in the top 25 career programs nationwide according to the Princeton Review, HWS attracts and retains extraordinary students because of our proven ability to impact their futures.
A Global Perspective
A critical component of the HWS student experience is exposure to new cultures and communities. More than 60% of HWS students choose to study abroad and many of our semester-long and short-term programs are faculty-led. These experiences inform class discussions and campus culture, promoting global citizenship for all members of our community and preparing students to succeed in a world that is increasingly global. Investing in our Center for Global Education increases access to abroad programming and further internationalizes our campus community.
Learn more about the Center for Global Education
Photos from Around the World
In a special edition of This Week in Photos, we feature 19 locations across the globe where HWS students studied in 2023.
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Health and Wellness
At the center of a successful educational experience are a student’s health and wellness. Our vision is to create a holistic, nurturing environment that supports students in their personal and academic journeys by addressing not just physical health but also emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being. We will ensure students have the support and facilities necessary to achieve mental and physical health.
Recent Health and Wellness Advancements
In fall 2022, Hobart and William Smith began the four-year process to become a JED Campus to enhance our resources for student well-being and mental health. With support from Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Cassandra Naylor Brooks ’89 and Trustee Dr. Paula Miltenberger P’23, HWS partnered with the Jed Foundation (JED), which equips more than 400 campus communities across the country with evidence-based resources to create a culture of care in which all students feel seen and supported.
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In spring 2023, a new Muslim Life Center opened on campus. Located in Demarest Hall, the Center offers Muslim students, faculty, staff and the broader HWS community a centralized space for prayer and reflection. The space features a wudu station for ablutions, as well as a separate prayer room, which students can access 24 hours a day.
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Through a partnership with Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA), HWS is amplifying health and wellness support and education for the campus community with FLACRA providing services on-campus through the Hubbs Health Center two days a week. FLACRA counselors complement campus clinical and support staff as they guide students and build a healthy and socially adept campus community.
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Herons and Statesmen Athletics
Hobart and William Smith have a rich legacy of supporting championship-caliber athletes to excel both on the field and in the classroom. The companies that hire Herons and Statesmen cite their work ethic, time management and collaborative spirit – all attributes developed through teamwork and high-level competition. Upgraded facilities including training, exercise and recreational spaces for all students will continue our tradition of excellence and better attract the most academically and athletically gifted prospective students. Continuing to improve our offerings will also aid in recruiting and retaining world-class coaches, medical and training staff.
The Stats:
National Champions
In March 2024, Hobart hockey defeated third-ranked Trinity 2-0 on the Bantam's home ice to win the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship for the second year in a row. In 2023, Hobart Hockey won the NCAA DIII Men’s Hockey Championship in overtime against Adrian. Head Coach Mark Taylor received the Edward Jeremiah Award as the CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division III Men's Coach of the Year in both 2023 and 2024. In both 2023 and 2024, a Statesmen took home the Elite 90 Award – an honor given to the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.
Liberty League Champions
Relive the electric moments from the weekend when William Smith field hockey, William Smith soccer and Hobart soccer all clinched their league titles.
FURTHER TOGETHER
Bolstering the student experience will distinguish HWS, enhancing our reputation as a premier liberal arts and sciences institution and succeeding in our mission to prepare students to lead lives of consequence.
Our students graduate into a world that needs leaders with the skills and attributes that our experiential education offers. Supporting these co-curricular opportunities builds a brighter future for all.
Support the Student Experience