University of Richmond President Emeritus Ronald Crutcher Honored for Outstanding Contributions to the Liberal Arts

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — President Emeritus and University Professor Ronald A. Crutcher, a national leader in higher education and a distinguished classical musician, has received the American Association of Colleges and Universities President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Education.

This award from the AAC&U recognizes an individual or organization that has provided dedicated service, consistent advocacy, and outstanding leadership to the higher education community nationally or internationally.

Crutcher received the award last month during the opening plenary session of the 2026 AAC&U Annual Meeting. In a later special session, Crutcher, an accomplished cellist, performed for those attending. He was then interviewed by AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella about a wide range of topics, including the power of mentorship, the importance of belonging and community, and fostering difficult conversations across difference.

As the AAC&U noted in its announcement, “His career reflects a commitment to accessible, equitable leadership and the transformative power of the arts in education.”

“My liberal arts education and career have taught me that learning happens through both speaking up and actively listening,” Crutcher said. “This award affirms my belief that the ultimate goals of education are about fostering connection, fueling curiosity, and engaging thoughtfully.”

Crutcher served as president of the University of Richmond from 2015 to 2021 and remains on the faculty. He is also president emeritus of Wheaton College in Massachusetts and served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Miami University of Ohio. He is a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute, serves as vice president of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and sits on the boards of the Richmond Symphony, the Richmond Forum, the Jepson Scholars Foundation, IES Abroad, Agnes Scott College, Smith College, and Bard College Berlin.

In his thematic memoir I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership (2021), Crutcher examines the intersections of race, leadership, and higher education. He has a book of essays on inequity in education as a threat to democracy under review at the UVA Press.

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