The Williams School is, without question, one of the most striking additions to campus. Its clean lines, glass and modern design could easily have clashed with the traditional architecture around it, yet somehow it fits in. Walking by, it feels both fresh and distinctly part of Washington and Lee.
Inside, the building is just as impressive. Lecture halls are spacious and updated with new technology, giving the space a polished, professional feel. It is, simply put, a gorgeous building. Large windows fill classrooms and common spaces with natural light, and the layout offers plenty of spots to study or meet with classmates, aligning with the goals outlined in the university’s strategic plan.
For those of us living in Graham-Lees or Gaines, the location makes daily life easier. The walk is quick, and getting to class is straightforward. But convenience depends on where your schedule takes you.
The 10-minute passing period feels manageable when you’re nearby, but it quickly becomes a challenge for students moving across campus. I know this firsthand because one of my regular walks, or, more so, sprints, is from the 2nd floor of Leyburn at 1:50 to the 2nd floor of the Williams School at 2:00. Even when I leave right on time and walk quickly, I usually arrive with little time to settle in. I have seen plenty of other students making the same rushed trip, slipping into class just as it begins.
The trip from the Center for Global Learning (CGL) is worse. Making it in 10 minutes is nearly impossible without leaving one class early or showing up late to the next. Since professors rarely end class before the scheduled time, students often face an uncomfortable choice. They must either ask to leave early and miss part of a lesson or risk walking in late and disrupting the next one.
This is not an isolated problem. With Huntley renovations coming, even more classes will be pushed into the Williams School and nearby spaces, which will only add to the crunch. What may have worked when classes were clustered closer together doesn’t fit with the more spread-out layout of today’s campus.
The consequences go beyond a few minutes of rushing. Being consistently late or leaving early can chip away at learning, and faculty members have to adjust to late arrivals or partially empty rooms at the start of class.
To test the timing, I walked from floor 2B of CGL to the third floor of Williams at a moderate pace, assuming class ended exactly when the bell rang. My time was 8 minutes, 7.58 seconds. This shows that 10 minutes is theoretically enough, but it only works if students are allowed to leave immediately when class ends rather than waiting for the professor to dismiss them. This also doesn’t account for restroom breaks during the passing period, which could easily push someone over the 10-minute time limit.
Professor Joseph Guse agrees, saying, “I would rather just be lenient, rather than waste everyone else’s time,” in reference to the previous 15-minute passing period, which was shortened in 2024. The solution is not necessarily a longer passing period, but giving students the flexibility to leave promptly so they can make it to their next class without stress.
The Williams School shows Washington and Lee’s commitment to improving academic spaces, and it is already one of the most attractive buildings on campus. Still, the logistical realities of getting to and from it highlight a bigger issue. Scheduling and campus planning must keep pace with new construction so that a building this well-designed is fully accessible in practice, not just in appearance.
