Atchison, Kansas

Benedictine 2020: A Vision for Greatness Key Accomplishments, 2012-2020

Benedictine 2020: A Vision for Greatness was the transformational plan of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, to build one of the great Catholic colleges in America by focusing on Faculty, Students, Facilities and Resources.

“With Benedictine 2020, our board of directors, faculty, and staff took Benedictine College to a whole new level. The college’s new commitment to Academic Excellence improved the school in every way,” Stephen D. Minnis, president of Benedictine College, said.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1: Recruit, retain, and develop one of the great Catholic college faculties in America.

  • Salary pool. The college added 29% more full-time faculty, added $1 million to the academic budget, and increased faculty pay in every rank.
  • Rigor. Benedictine students report spending almost two hours more per week of study than those at peer schools.
  • Honors. Dozens of Benedictine faculty rank in the top 10% of the national IDEA faculty evaluations. History chair Dr. John Romano won the prestigious Rome Prize (called the “Pulitzer Prize of humanities”). Chemistry and Biochemistry’s Dr. Larry Sutton patented research that fights antibiotic resistant “superbugs.”
  • New programs. Benedictine added majors in Architecture , Catechesis and Evangelization, the Honors Program, Great Books, STEM fellows, Thompson Fellows, and Marching Band.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2: Enroll, engage and educate students capable of transforming the world through intellectual, personal, and spiritual greatness.

  • Enrollment. While 84% of colleges and universities have experienced enrollment decreases, Benedictine broke enrollment records.
  • National school. Students come from 49 states, with only 20% from Kansas.
  • High achievers. Incoming freshmen have highest average ACT scores in Kansas. Benedictine students include 32 National Merit finalists. Seniors included two National Science Foundation scholarship awardees and one Rhodes Scholarship finalist.
  • Leadership. The college added the Raven Walk platform connecting students with alums for career opportunities and created 81% more student leadership positions on campus.
  • Diversity. The college increased diversity on campus and created a Diversity Task Force through SGA to increase representation and events.

Athletics

  • Raven teams saw 23 conference championships and 50 national tournament appearances including four national final fours, and three national championship game appearances.
  • Raven athletes have included 71 All-Americans, 900 All-Conference players, and 347 NAIA Scholar Athletes.
  • Commissioner’s Cup. Benedictine won the 2019 Heart Commissioner’s Cup, winning four Heart championships and two Kansas Collegiate championships while athletes’ GPA exceeded 3.0 and 12 programs were named NAIA Scholar Teams.

Faith

  • Top 5. The Catholic Campus Ministry Association named Benedictine College’s program among the top five campus ministries in the nation.
  • Three new chapels. Benedictine 2020 built three new chapels, complete with tabernacles and stations of the cross, on campus.
  • Church leadership. Benedictine led the March for Life, welcomed Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Cardinal Raymond Burke, and other Catholic leaders to campus, and was selected for the U.S. bishops’ Ex Corde Ecclesiae committee and the Vatican’s Ecclesia in America conference.
  • Consecration. Benedictine College enthroned the Sacred Heart of Jesus on campus and was consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3: Build, maintain and beautify the facilities and technological infrastructure.

Benedictine 2020 built:

  • 5 new academic buildings, including America’s finest small-college STEM building and Daglen Observatory.
  • Architecture studio
  • Thompson Trading Room
  • 4 new residence halls
  • 3 dorm chapels
  • New Dining Hall and 2 additional dining areas.
  • Wholey Clock tower
  • Murphy Recreation Center
  • All sports facilities were upgraded with new seats, sound, scoreboard, lights and turf.
  • Technology. Multi-million dollar internet and software upgrade.

Benedictine 2020 campus beautification improvements included:

  • New green spaces with benches included Raven Memorial Park, the quad, and Mary’s Garden.
  • New water features. Our Lady of Grace fountain, the Raven Memorial Park waterfall, and the Guadalupe fountain.
  • Statuary, thanks to benefactors, included St. Benedict, Mother Teresa, and Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (Class of 1964), and Sacred Heart of Jesus.

PRIORITY 4: Secure, sustain and steward the human and financial resources necessary for one of the great Catholic colleges in America.

  • Net assets grew 33%.
  • Student services expenditures increased $2.2 million.
  • Campaign goal was exceeded by $10 million.
  • Endowment doubled, adding 84 new endowed scholarships, six endowed academic programs and three endowed chairs.