NORTON, Mass. – Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher, in his inauguration as Wheaton College’s seventh president today, challenged higher education to embrace ‘a new paradigm’ for diversity, relevancy and public accountability of the liberal arts.

April 16, 2005

[NORTON, Mass.] - Dr. Ronald A Crutcher, in his inauguration as Wheaton College's seventh president today, challenged higher education to embrace ''a new paradigm'' for diversity, relevancy and public accountability of the liberal arts.

''A healthy community must take care that collegiality does not morph into conformity,'' Crutcher said. ''That means learning to embrace the tension that may arise as a result of our 'unknown and undiscovered sisters and brothers' becoming members of our community. A community that does not embrace change as a result has missed an important opportunity for growth and development.''

Crutcher noted that the ''revolutionary spirits'' who founded the institution in 1834 uniquely positioned the college to face the challenges of the twenty-first century.

''Our founders [were] progressive in philosophy and outlook and fearless in promoting the welfare of their students,'' he said. ''We must nurture our gains in realizing a diverse community and take full advantage of its educational force. This will require an attitude adjustment on our part. We need a new paradigm for articulating and using diversity in education. ...Wheaton is uniquely positioned to explore this new paradigm for diversity in education. If we are to be recognized as pre-eminent, we must capitalize on this opportunity.''

In taking Wheaton's highest post, President Crutcher becomes the first African American to lead the national liberal arts college. It will be the latest pioneering role for the cellist who has achieved national recognition and prominence in the classical chamber music field, an area in which African Americans have been largely absent.

As part of the festivities, President Crutcher moderated a symposium on a new paradigm of diversity in higher education. Panelists to the discussion included Harvard Professor Lani Guinier, Spelman College President Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of Why Do All the Black Kids Sit Together in the Cafeteria, Association of American Colleges and Universities President Carol Geary Schneider and University of Michigan Vice Provost Lester Monts Jr.

Beyond his leadership responsibilities at Wheaton, President Crutcher is presently the chair of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a national organization that focuses on the quality of undergraduate education at the nation's institutions of higher education. He also has served as a board member to numerous arts and educational organizations, including the Fulbright Association and the Cincinnati Opera Association.

President Crutcher came to Wheaton from Miami University of Ohio where he served as provost. While there, he coordinated the institution's ''First in 2009'' strategic vision process and established the Center for American and World Cultures. Prior to his work at Miami, he served as director of the School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. Earlier he was vice president of Academic Affairs at the Cleveland Institute of Music, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and head of the string program at Wittenberg University.

A Phi Kappa graduate of Miami University, Dr. Crutcher pursued graduate studies at Yale University as a Woodrow Wilson and Ford Foundation Fellow. In 1979, he was the first cellist to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale. The recipient of a Fulbright Award, Dr. Crutcher studied in Germany. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in March 1985 and currently performs in this country and Europe with the Klemperer Trio. His publications include journal articles on valuing cultural diversity in the arts, chamber music and Black classical music.

Wheaton is a highly selective liberal arts college that draws students from across the country and around the world. Its 1,550 students represent 48 states and more than 60 countries. In the past decade, Wheaton students have won more than 40 prestigious academic awards, including two Rhodes, three Watsons, British Marshall, Goldwater, Beinecke, Trumans, Fulbrights, Rotary Ambassadorial scholarships, Udalls, James Madison Fellowships and an American Council for International Education scholarship.