Feb. 2006 Meeting of the Wheaton College Board of Trustees

During its winter meeting, the Wheaton College Board of Trustees approved the 2006-2007 comprehensive fee rate, made plans to improve significantly financial aid for the college's students, reviewed plans for the renovation of the historic Presidents' House and granted tenure to six professors.

After much deliberation, the Board of Trustees set the 2006-2007 comprehensive fee at $42,880 as part of a $64 million proposed budget for the coming academic year. The new rate, recommended by the administration, represents a 6.4 percent increase over the current comprehensive fee. The spending plan for the new year will cover rising energy and health care costs as well as the significant investments that Wheaton has made in global studies and the curriculum. At the same time, the spending plan also includes an additional investment in financial aid to maintain affordability and access to a Wheaton education.

In a related move, the Board pledged $400,000 as a scholarship challenge fund aimed at improving need-based financial aid awards by significantly reducing gaps between students' financial aid awards and their families' demonstrated ability to afford a Wheaton education. At present, students whose financial need is not met face an average gap of $2,800 each year, and nearly 100 students have a gap in excess of $5,000 each year. Board members expect the five-year challenge to raise an additional $1.2 million per year for the college's financial aid budget, a sum that would dramatically reduce the current gap between financial aid spending and student need.

Students' interests also guided discussion of the Student Affairs committee of the board, which met for the first time. The group, which includes three student representatives, recruited additional students to discuss three topics: the college's strategic plan, campus diversity and making Wheaton ''green.'' The committee intends to continue its work in these areas during the Board's upcoming May and October meetings before reporting to the full Board of Trustees and the campus community.

The Faculty/Staff Committee met with two faculty and two staff participants in the President's strategic planning process and discussed with Board members two key features of the strategic plan: competitive salary and benefits going forward, and support for faculty research. The group discussed the crucial role of faculty research to a primarily teaching institution, recognizing that it is not something everyone readily understands and that the Committee may need to help educate the larger community.

The Board of Trustees expressed approval for the strategic plan drafted by President Crutcher and the campus community, describing it as an excellent articulation of the right vision for the college's future. In the months ahead, the board will continue to work with the administration to develop a long-term financial plan for implementing the College's strategic priorities.

At the same time, the Board moved forward with plans to renovate the historic Presidents' House, which had not been updated in more than 30 years. The plan, which was crafted by William Warren and Associates, will address structural deficiencies in the house as well as update the utilities and interior to create a residence for the president, and a function space for special events on campus. The Board of Trustees set aside deferred maintenance funds for the renovation of the home, which was built by the college's founders and is located within a designated historic district.

Finally, the Board of Trustees acted on the recommendation of the Committee on Tenure, awarding tenure to six professors. They are: Anni Baker, assistant professor of history; Michael Berg, assistant professor of psychology; Geoffrey Collins, assistant professor of geology; Nancy Evans, assistant professor of classics; Michelle Harris, assistant professor of sociology; and Michael Kahn, associate professor of mathematics and director of quantitative analysis.