The following is an extended version of the interview that appears in our December 2020 issue.
Photo courtesy University of Richmond
In September, University of Richmond President Ronald Crutcher announced that he will step down in early 2022. The school’s first Black president, he took office in 2015 and will return to UR as a faculty member following a yearlong sabbatical in Berlin. An accomplished cellist with a doctor of musical arts degree from Yale, Crutcher is working on his memoir, and we spoke with him via email about goals for his remaining time as president, as well as his plans for life after his term ends.
Richmond magazine: You spent a decade as the president of Wheaton College in Massachusetts before coming to Richmond — despite that wealth of experience, what was the biggest surprise you experienced once you took the reins at UR?
Ronald Crutcher: When I arrived at the University of Richmond, I sensed that our university’s story was not yet being fully told. That was concerning to me because the reality is — in today’s competitive environment in higher education — if you aren’t intentional about crafting your own story, others might do it for you, and you might not be happy with the result. So I established our University Communications division to increase awareness of Richmond, fine-tune our narrative and shine a light on our high quality and distinctiveness. University Communications has done a wonderful job of telling the University of Richmond story and extending our reach and reputation.
RM: What do you view as your signature accomplishment during your time as university president (if you can pick one) — and why?
Crutcher: Asking me to pick a signature accomplishment is like asking me which one of my family members I love most; I am equally proud of them all! If I had to choose, however, I would say it has been raising the academic profile of an institution that was already outstanding but not as well known for its excellence as it should have been. Over the past five years, we have bolstered support for faculty development, including establishing the Teaching and Scholarship Hub and the Program on Academic Leadership. We have accelerated our progress in recruiting and retaining a world-class, diverse, and accomplished faculty — 36% of our hires in the last five years have been persons of color or international citizens, and 42% have been women. We continue to strengthen the quality and diversity of our student population, while enhancing the retention and graduation rates of our students. And we established an Office of Scholars and Fellowships, which has helped more of our outstanding students receive opportunities for national and international study, research and service. I am proud of these accomplishments because they have all advanced our institutional mission of preparing students for lives of purpose in our diverse and complex world.
RM: What are the primary goals that you want to complete during your remaining time as president of the university?
Crutcher: My answer is related to my answer to the previous two questions. When I came to Richmond, I was deeply impressed with the outstanding educational experience that our teacher-scholars and staff provide our students. I knew Richmond was a very fine university, but its quality exceeded my expectations. For the remainder of my tenure as president, we will continue to advance academic excellence and pursue our goal to be, and to be recognized as, one of the strongest liberal arts institutions in the nation.
RM: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of higher education in the era of the coronavirus?
Crutcher: I am an optimist at heart, so I do think higher education can and will emerge from this difficult time stronger than before if we make some long overdue changes. In particular, our new remote reality has forced us to make better use of technology to effectively deliver content to students. Richmond’s faculty has done a wonderful job making the most of technology, and I hope this practice continues post-pandemic across higher education, with professors focusing less on lecturing and more on deepening learning through engaging and interrogating students about the content.
We have also better utilized technology to streamline our operations, including fundraising and engaging alumni. While I’m sure we will resume in-person fundraising and alumni engagement once the pandemic ends, we will most likely reduce travel costs and continue to connect with our community through technology.
RM: It could be argued that your predecessor, Edward Ayers, has been almost more visible to the general public after his presidency. Do you plan to follow his lead or step away from the spotlight?
Crutcher: I am currently completing my memoir and hope to engage both the academic community and general public about its themes, from inclusive excellence to free expression. Of course, the extent to which my memoir thrusts me into the spotlight depends on how well it is received! For the time being, I am focused on completing the next two academic years.
RM: You moved to Richmond following a nine-month sabbatical in Berlin, and I read that you're planning to spend your yearlong post-presidency sabbatical in Berlin before you rejoin UR as a professor. What is it about that city in particular that is drawing you back, and what do you plan to do there this time around during your year away from Richmond?
Crutcher: I lived in Germany for almost five years starting with a Fulbright Scholarship in 1972 and fell in love with the country. After I got married, my wife, Dr. Betty Neal Crutcher, and I took our honeymoon in Germany, so it has always been a place near and dear to our hearts.
We chose Berlin for our first post-presidency sabbatical based on the recommendations of friends. We had not been there since the Berlin Wall came down and were amazed to see that it had become a mecca for artists. In fact, today it is quickly eclipsing Paris as the place where artists want to settle, from musicians and dancers to visual artists and writers. Thanks to this rich arts scene, and the fact that we have many friends there, we have returned to Berlin every summer (except this past one due to the pandemic) and chose it once again for our sabbatical year.
As for my plans, I recently reconnected with colleagues I performed with around 50 years ago when I was living in Bonn; we are now planning to perform together once again. I also will write more and hope to secure a speaking engagement at the American Academy in Berlin to present my thematic memoir. Ultimately, though, I learned from my first post-presidency sabbatical that it is wise not to overschedule yourself. The schedule of a college president is quite regimented, so we are looking forward to having more free time and reconnecting with friends and colleagues.
