Washington and Lee University
As alumni know, the faculty-student relationship is the heart of a Washington and Lee education. Faculty are dedicated to their students inside and out of the classroom, and see teaching as their first objective.
As one alumnus put it, he received degrees in history and philosophy, but he feels he really majored in Professors Jenks and Jarrett. Generations of alumni have similar stories of professors who influenced them. Graduates leave the University with a lifelong love of learning, and the sense that a faculty member has changed the way they think, impacting not just their career plans, but how they will go about their lives.
Washington and Lee considers it a top priority to recruit, develop and retain outstanding faculty and staff. Competitive compensation is essential to this goal. Washington and Lee’s faculty compensation currently lags behind that of its peer institutions by ten percent on average.
Eliminating the gap in faculty compensation will require a $66 million infusion to Washington and Lee’s endowment. Gerry Lenfest has been exceptionally generous in committing half of the required increase. It is his and our shared hope that his generosity, and the profound impact faculty have had on generations of alumni will inspire our community to rise to this occasion and invest in Washington and Lee’s greatest asset.