President's Action Committee
on Inclusive Excellence (PACIE)
In November 2005, President Ronald A. Crutcher formed the President's Advisory Committee on Inclusive Excellence (PACIE) to oversee the process of achieving educational excellence through diversity and of developing a truly multicultural community as proposed in Wheaton's strategic plan. After more than a year of research and learning as an advisory group, PACIE reconvened in 2007 as the President's Action Committee for Inclusive Excellence. It implemented recommendations to engage the community and undertake strategic initiatives necessary to achieve our goal of inclusive excellence in a multicultural community.
In Spring 2009 PACIE launched Wheaton's first Dialogue Action Teams (DATs). DATs involve students, faculty and staff in open-ended dialogue and concrete action that address issues of living and learning in a diverse world. Additional information on the DAT program and an expression of interest form available for download (below) or from dat@wheatonma.edu.
PACIE's role is to work with members of the Wheaton community to:
- Create benchmarks by developing a diversity index based on current quantitative data and by attempting to understand current culture through study circles,
- Define outcomes (behavioral and learning) for what inclusive excellence and the creation of a multicultural community would look like at Wheaton,
- Oversee and coordinate implementation of recommendations and results,
- Evaluate outcomes, monitor progress, and
- Report annual progress to the president and the college.
Committee Members
Audrey Adam, Institutional Research
Loretta C. Baldwin, Office of the President
Ronald A. Crutcher, ex officio
Valerie A. Desmond, Center for Global Education
James Freeman, Economics
Sharon Howard '87, Alumnae/i Relations and Annual Giving
Barbara Lema, Human Resources
Trishia S. Lichauco '85, Office of the President, co-chair
Amy Markham, Office of Admission
Vereene Parnell, Office of Service, Spirituality and Social Responsibility
Derek Price, Psychology, co-chair
Raquel A. Ramos Ripley, Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning
Alex Vasquez, Office of the Dean of Students
Denyse Wilhelm, Academic Resources and Disability Services
Chad Yowell, Athletics
PACIE Reports:
- PACIE Year End Report 2008-2009 (pdf)
- Appendix A: Wheaton Wire articles
- PACIE probes faculty feelings on diversity
By Chris MacDonald '11
posted 3/26/08 - Campus benefits from Pride Week events
By Chris MacDonald '10
posted 4/9/08 - PACIE stresses campus dialogue on diversity
By Jonathan Wolinsky '10
issue date 2/4/09 - PACIE posters appear misleading to some
By Jessica Smith '12
posted 2/4/09 - PACIE responds to letter in Wire
By Amy E. Markham
issue date 2/18/09 - PACIE survey findings presented by Co-Chair Prof. Price
By Chuck Platt '10 posted 3/4/09
- PACIE probes faculty feelings on diversity
- Appendix B: The Sun Chronicle article
- Appendix C: Diverse: Issues In Higher Education articles
- Appendix D: Miscellaneous
- Report on Faculty Forum Held 5/22/09, funding by PACIE
- The President's Blog - "What is a DAT?" - 5/11/09
- Appendix A: Wheaton Wire articles
- PACIE Year End Report 2007-2008 (pdf)
- PACIE Year End Report 2005-2006 (pdf)
President's Blog
What is a DAT?
In my last blog, I wrote about the difficulty people of different races and ethnicities often experience when trying to discuss their differences. I posited that not much will change with respect to racial and ethnic mistrust and misunderstanding in this country until "folks learn how to have open and honest conversations about race and [...]
