Wheaton's Response to Hurricane Katrina

A message from President Ronald A. Crutcher

September 2, 2005

Dear members of the Wheaton community,

I'm sure that you share my sorrow at the enormous destruction and loss of life caused by Hurricane Katrina. We are very concerned for the well-being of the more than 65 Wheaton alumnae/i who live in the Gulf Coast region affected by the hurricane, and for the family members and friends of students, faculty and staff who live in the area.

As an initial response to the tragedy, the college has decided to offer expedited admission to students whose education has been disrupted by the hurricane and who live within commuting distance of Wheaton. Any students who enroll through this process will be granted special visiting student status.

The admission and registrar's offices have fielded inquiries from local college counselors and families of students regarding admission in the last few days. We also know that more than 350 Massachusetts students had intended to study in Louisiana this year, according to the state's association of independent colleges.

The campus will come together on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Atrium of the Balfour-Hood Student Center to talk about this tragedy and our community's response to it in the weeks and months ahead. I encourage every member of the community to join us for this gathering, to share our strength here on this campus and with those who need our help in the Gulf Coast.

Alex Dewar '06 said it well during Opening Convocation: "Each of us has the power to do more than just make ourselves wealthy or successful. We all have the power to make the world better in ways large and small."

Ronald A. Crutcher
President

This page is maintained by the Wheaton Communications Office. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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5K race benefits Katrina efforts

A student-organized walk and run in November raised more than $500.