When Michaele Whelan became Wheaton College president in January 2022, it brought the Norton-based liberal arts college back to its roots in a way.
The college was first founded in 1834 as a seminary for women by Eliza Baylies Chapin Wheaton, realizing her vision of providing higher education to women. Nearly 80 years later, Wheaton was chartered as a four-year women’s college. Whelan, previously provost and vice president for academic affairs at Boston-based Emerson College, feels Wheaton having women leadership once again brings the college full circle.
Even though a woman established Wheaton, Whelan – who succeeded Dennis M. Hanno – is just the third woman president to lead the college in its history. She is Wheaton’s first woman president since the late Dale Rogers Marshall led the college from 1992 through 2004.
With that status, Whelan hopes to serve as a role model for young women at the college.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have wonderful mentors at Brandeis [University] and Emerson College with the presidents there,” Whelan said. “They have been very encouraging [of me].”
There have been challenges. Whelan took the presidency at a time when the college – and the world – was just escaping the grip of COVID-19 and was still dealing with some of the aftereffects. And the college is bucking the trend of declining enrollment among other liberal arts institutions nationwide, but Wheaton has been grappling with its own financial crisis. Whelan’s administration must develop strategies to claw the college back into the black.
What attracted you to Wheaton College and wanting to become its next president?
I think [the college’s] reputation for excellence and also the community. My sense is that Wheaton has been very successful at transforming students’ lives by challenging themselves to reach higher … than they had imagined, and to provide that support to achieve their success.
In the college’s nearly 200-year history, you are the third female president to lead Wheaton. What does that mean both for you and for the institution?
I think many of the alums are very excited about that. It’s coming full circle in that it makes sense for Wheaton [having a woman president]. We know some women have shied away from the role of president [and] the full span of responsibility. We know women often need more experience or double or triple the experience that men have before venturing to that next level. I hope to be a role model for young women at the college.
While you were provost at Emerson, you championed increasing academic and inclusive excellence and equity. How will you continue former President Dennis M. Hanno’s push for more diversity, equity and inclusion?
I think inclusive excellence is foundational for our strategic plan and our priorities. We all know the more diverse the students, the better the learning environment. Twenty-five percent of our incoming class are students of color. When you add global students, you get more diversity. I attended the inauguration of Ronald A. Crutcher as president of Wheaton [in 2004] and I was so impressed by him and his achievements. One of the first things I did was donate $10,000 to his scholarship for incoming students of color who are extremely high achieving but have need. Wheaton has been really successful for the last 12 years in keeping the net price for the lowest-income students really flat. That’s important and we meet about 94% of students’ [financial] needs.
Is Wheaton introducing new diversity and equity initiatives?
We have institutions, an intercultural center and a social justice center, but they reported to different people [on campus]. One thing I did when I arrived is [I] decided to move all of those structures under the new associate vice president of institutional equity and belonging [Luis F. Paredes] and have [Paredes] report to me. In a way, it’s signifying the importance of this effort because it’s reporting up to the president and now that person has direct reports and [the changes] create more synergy about what we’re doing. They have been working on anti-racism plans for the last two years in all academic and administrative departments, as well.
Wheaton, according to the national education research organization College Transitions, allows admissions based on legacy status. Does Wheaton plan to make changes to that policy?
Wheaton defines “legacy” very differently. It is more of a “Wheaton connection.” What that means is it’s not just a parent or grandparent. It could be an aunt, uncle or cousin. It could be your Scout leader. It is more of what is the impact on your life that this person who is a “Wheatie” has had. So, it’s not really “legacy.”
How is Wheaton rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic? Are there some areas on campus still reeling from the health crisis?
We’re doing really well. Wheaton was doing a lot of in-person learning, so it wasn’t as if the pandemic made everyone do online learning the entire time, so teaching and learning was the priority. The biggest adjustment was for students who may have missed some developmental milestones before getting to college. They missed a prom or performing in theaters or being on teams. Regarding mental health, our counseling center is fully staffed, which is not the case everywhere, and [we also have] additional telehealth capacity. That gives students more choices [to receive assistance].
Has the college begun to put a bigger priority on mental health for both students and faculty on campus in the wake of the pandemic?
This generation of students is not shy about indicating they’re having mental health challenges. That’s a positive. Now, it’s how you meet that need. We also heard students wanted more diversity in terms of counselors and were somewhat hesitant to go to the [health services] center, which is why we added telehealth. We’re trying to be really responsive to students’ needs.
Over the last few years, enrollment at liberal arts colleges nationwide has decreased. How has Wheaton managed to keep its enrollment relatively stable?
Wheaton’s enrollment has really increased 4.9% from 2011 to 2021, and we’re on track to having the largest incoming class in our history, about 540 new students. We have an amazingly creative faculty, and also the Wheaton education … combines rigor with practical experiences. We have a new nursing program, with the first class coming in [next] year. We also have two new majors, one in design and another one in criminal justice. It’s all about new majors and innovation.
In August 2022, Wheaton’s credit rating was cut by Moody’s Investors Services to Baa2, two steps above junk, citing challenges in increasing tuition revenue. The college also had $84 million in debt as of the 2021 fiscal year. Has Wheaton weathered that storm? If so, how did the college improve its financial situation?
We were downgraded, but the outlook was also upgraded to “stable.” Basically, Moody’s noted the college is well-positioned to face these challenges because of our enrollment history and growth due to our favorable wealth and liquidity cushion. We also have a strong history of donor support. There’s no doubt we have to address the debt. So, we’ll have to focus more on addressing deferred maintenance, which is something many colleges deal with. We have about 400 acres and 80 buildings [on campus]. Many of them are historic and have needs to accompany that beauty and history. It’s more of we’re not going to build new buildings, so how are we going to improve the buildings we have and ensure we’re creating spaces that are flexible and sustainable. Also, colleges have a few income sources. One is growth – i.e. tuition – the other is grants, and the third is through donors and philanthropy. I expect we will be in campaign mode very soon. We would do a comprehensive campaign, as there has been a lot of discussion about that. When that will launch will depend on the board.
There are concerns about high tuition costs nationwide, and the debate over student loan debt forgiveness is still unsettled. How is Wheaton striking that balance in improving its financial status while also trying to keep the college affordable?
If we do a comprehensive campaign, the No. 1 priority is scholarships. We try to manage these funds with the goal of addressing income disparities and trying to assure access [to college]. Since 2000, more than 250 students have won a Fulbright or a Rhodes or Watson and other prestigious scholarships. We help students secure those scholarships and help them get to graduate school. We also fund internships. We have a great financial aid office [that] is extremely dedicated to helping students.
How has Wheaton’s “Compass Curriculum” helped create pathways for students to seamlessly enter the local workforce? How many students approximately have found local employment through this curriculum?
The Compass Curriculum gives all of our students agency to explore their interests. They can combine majors [and] minors without dealing with requirements. We also have what we call “LEAPS,” the Liberal Education and Professional Success [an interdisciplinary program that combines classes, experiential learning and mentorship to prepare students for careers]. We have programs, such as “Semester in the City,” where they go to Boston for a semester. We have a program in Providence in the summer, the John and Kendra Malloy Social Venture. It provides experiential learning opportunities for students. Students come out having theory and practice, and they have a resume. Ninety-five percent of our students are placed [in jobs or graduate programs] within six months of graduation.
Karen McCormack recently became Wheaton’s interim provost. In what ways will both you and Karen put your stamp on educational offerings at Wheaton?
There will be two new majors that will be offered next year, one in marketing and the other in digital communications. We’re working on a four-plus-one master’s degree. In other words, you can apply [for the program] in your junior year and in your senior year, you will have some classes that will count for both your undergraduate and graduate [degrees]. In one year, you’ll be able to finish that master’s degree, so it saves you a year’s worth of tuition at someplace else.
What is your hope and vision for the 2023-2024 academic year?
Our goal is to create [a] community so students have a sense of belonging on this campus. Any student who comes to us – wherever they’re coming from in the country and world – should feel that they found a home here. They can explore and thrive intellectually. We’ll also be starting new athletic teams here in men’s and women’s water polo and fencing. That’s the first time in 25 years we’re adding athletic programs. We’re also adding men’s volleyball. We’re actively recruiting for those teams, and that just adds another point of excitement.
(CORRECTION: Wheaton College was founded in 1834. An earlier version said the college was founded in 1839.)
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