(KAIR) -- Benedictine College has announced that the 2013 Distinguished Educator of the Year is Dr. Kimberly Shankman, dean of the college and professor in the Department of Political Science.
The award, which is the highest honor a faculty member at the college can receive, has been given for more than 30 years. Shankman was nominated for the distinction by Benedictine College students, faculty and staff.
Shankman became the dean in 2002 after serving 16 ½ years as a member of the faculty at Ripon College, where she held such positions as Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and Government and Director of the Law and Society Program.
She received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University and specializes in political philosophy, constitutional law and American government at Benedictine College.
Benedictine has flourished during her tenure as dean and academic excellence has been a key component of that success.
Under her leadership, the number of faculty has grown almost 75%, from 57 in 2002 to 98 today, and the number of courses that rank in the top 50% of the classes taught in the entire country far outpaces the national average.
The yearly amount spent in the budget on instruction alone has increased over 60% during her tenure, and the Higher Learning Commission granted Benedictine the highest accreditation possible with a full 10-year accreditation.
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