Benedictine College Announces Inaugural Dean of Faculty
Dr. Richard Crane to take on new Adminstrative Role
Dr. Richard Crane
After an extensive national search, Benedictine College is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Richard Crane, current professor and chair of the school’s History Department, as the inaugural Dean of Faculty for the school. He will officially take on the new role on July 1, 2026, but will begin to take on some responsibility slowly over the spring semester while still teaching full time.
As the college has reached continuous record enrollment for two decades, Benedictine has been committed to supporting and strengthening its faculty. Provost and Dean of the College, Dr. Kimberly Shankman, explained this new leadership position and what it means for the college.
“The simple answer is growth,” said Dr. Shankman. “When I started in my role back in January 2002, the college had 52 faculty members and about 750 students. Both of those numbers have almost tripled. We decided to add this position to ensure that the faculty voice would be heard as the college continues to grow and develop.”
The Dean of Faculty will serve as the primary advocate for Benedictine’s faculty members. In alignment with Benedictine’s institutional goals, this role will support faculty engagement, promote the highest standards of academic excellence, and foster collaboration between senior administrators and academic professors.
“I see a critical part of my job helping bring out the best in our faculty and helping them not just accentuate their strengths but increase their confidence in what they can achieve both in the classroom and in their scholarship,” said Dr. Crane.
“I think it is also important that the dean of faculty still be in the classroom every semester, not teaching a full-time load, but observing and giving formative feedback to faculty members,” he said. “I will also be in the classroom myself (on a limited basis), not losing touch with the wonderful privilege it is to teach young people.”
Dr. Crane is widely respected on campus for his academic leadership, dedication to his students, and for his personable nature. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Connecticut and has spent more than 30 years in higher education. As an author who has served on various advisory board committees and was a former visiting fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Crane approaches his work through a Catholic lens. Working at Benedictine College for the past 13 years, he is dedicated to helping students in their studies.
“I made a mid-career move to Benedictine College 12 years ago,” he said. “I was a tenured full professor at a small liberal arts college back east. I really wanted to be at a faithfully Catholic college. And so, I wasn’t looking for a job when I came to Benedictine; I was looking for Benedictine.”
After 30 years of teaching, many educators would be looking forward to retirement, but that is not the case for Dr. Crane.
“I think what motivates me most in terms of moving to this new level of leadership and commitment to the mission of this college is that at this point in my career, having taught in the classroom for three decades, I am ready for a new adventure at a time when some professors might be anticipating a sort of winding down of their career,” he said. “I am eager and excited to dig into the challenge and the opportunity that is before me, not simply as a career option, but because I’m at Benedictine College.”
As Dr. Crane intertwined his love of his Catholic faith and academics as a history professor at the college, he has now accepted the role to lead the school in the Benedictine mission.
“To be at a college whose mission is not simply to continue to exist and graduate students, but rather—as I think our president (Stephen D. Minnis) has so eloquently put it—to transform culture in America; it’s a real honor to be part of that,” he said.
“I see continuing to recruit and mentor and reward a first-rate faculty whose daily work is furthering the mission of the college. I see that as my number one responsibility – helping faculty avoid being overextended, remain energized, committed, and feeling valued, that is something that cannot be done through spreadsheets and in quantitative analysis.”
“It’s about human relationships that are one-on-one—that are based on mutual respect and trust. I have to earn the position every day and keep faith with my faculty colleagues.”
The Dean of Faculty will work as an intermediary between Benedictine’s administration and its faculty members. Having long been a valued member of the Benedictine community, Crane will continue to make a meaningful impact in this new role.
“I think it’s very important that there will be a dean of faculty who is not the chief academic officer, and this new position, far from adding some layer of bureaucracy, will actually foster better communications between faculty and administration and will help both the administration communicate more directly and more expeditiously with the faculty and vice versa,” he said. “In my role, I see the very definition of this position as a means by which to make communication between the faculty and administration not something that happens periodically but happens continuously.”
In reflecting on his selection, Dr. Crane shared his immediate reaction.
“My very first initial reaction was–thanks be to God. I continue to marvel at how much he believes in me.”
Dr. Crane’s humility and dedication will continue to strengthen the college from the inside out.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have been named one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, the best private college in Kansas by The Wall Street Journal, and one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to transforming culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
