The President’s Office
Welcome
The University of Saint Francis welcomes you and appreciates your interest. We take pride in our heritage as a Catholic liberal arts university and remain guided by Catholic and Franciscan values. We provide students with a vibrant learning environment featuring high-quality faculty instruction and an emphasis on the importance of serving others and the community. Saint Francis alumni regularly rise to the top in their fields in health care, business, education, creative arts, and much more. They stand out as our community leaders in both for-profit and not-for-profit settings, and they give their time to make their communities and the world a better place.
We have grown our campus west of downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, considerably over the years as our student enrollment increased. In the last three years, we renovated and expanded the Achatz Hall of Science and John and Toni Murray Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility with multiple laboratories. We also built the St. Francis Chapel. We expanded Saint Francis Crown Point in 2021 in size and enrollment.
As a Saint Francis supporter, you help to continue a legacy of excellence as we guide students to become the best they can be. Our most recent Career Outcomes report showed that 96% of the Class of 2023 are employed, enrolled in additional education, or in the military. This success is a strong reflection on the quality of education and the relationships Saint Francis fosters within the local business community. We expect Saint Francis alumni to continue to be at the forefront of innovation in our ever-changing world.
If you are considering enrolling at Saint Francis, we invite you to visit so we can get to know you better and share more about the university. Our faculty, staff, and students welcome your questions. The University of Saint Francis is a special place, and we hope to see you here soon.
– President Dr. Lance Richey
About President Dr. Lance Richey
Dr. Lance Richey serves as President of the University of Saint Francis. The founding Congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, working closely with the Saint Francis Board of Trustees, appointed him as Interim President in 2023 and then appointed him President in March 2024.
Dr. Richey holds the rank of Professor of Theology and has served Saint Francis in several capacities during 12 years of service to the University, most recently as the Vice President for Academic Affairs since April 2018. Prior to that, Dr. Richey served more than four years as Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He also previously served as Director of the John Duns Scotus Honors Program.
Among Dr. Richey’s accomplishments as Vice President for Academic Affairs:
- Led Academic Affairs through a transition to all-online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic and the safe reopening of campus while providing increased academic support and other resources for student success during the public health crisis.
- Established the Center for Integrated Public Health Education and Research (CIPHER) to increase the university’s leadership in regional public health efforts.
- Created a new Division of Student Academic Support, merging the Academic and Career Development Center, TRiO, and Library to strengthen retention and persistence efforts.
- Created and implemented an ongoing, faculty-driven four-year Academic Program Review process to ensure continual quality improvement in all programs.
- Implemented a Professional Advising program for first-year students and oversaw the revision of the academic advising model across the university.
- Oversaw creation of multiple new degree programs and transition to new delivery modalities to expand enrollment and geographic reach of Health Sciences programming.
Dr. Richey holds doctorates in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has published widely in both disciplines. He also holds a Certificate of Pre-Theological Studies from Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, and a B.A. in History from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Prior to joining Saint Francis, Dr. Richey taught at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Conception Seminary College; and Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts.