Dean, College of Business

Dean, College of Business

 

The University of Wyoming (UW) invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean, College of Business. In its next Dean, UW seeks an entrepreneurial, innovative, collaborative, and principled leader who will reinforce and strengthen the College’s national reputation, enhance recent strategic initiatives, and create a compelling and forward-thinking vision for the College’s future. After recent budget shifts and restructuring, the University of Wyoming is facing both challenging and exciting times as it embarks on a new growth path. The new Dean of the College of Business will have an opportunity to forge new partnerships, build on innovative academic programs and initiatives, and otherwise identify creative pathways for fulfilling UW’s land-grant mission. It is expected that the Dean will make a long-term commitment to the University and work closely with a passionate faculty and staff that are eager to continue to build a dynamic future for the College.

 

Overview of the College of Business

 

The College of Business is one of ten academic colleges/schools at UW. Fall 2021 enrollment includes 1,058 undergraduates, 234 master’s degree students and 34 PhD students in the College’s four areas of study: Accounting and Finance, Economics, Management and Marketing and the MBA program. Undergraduate degrees are offered in Accounting, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Sales. Master’s degrees are offered in Accounting, Economics and Finance and PhDs are offered in Marketing and Economics. MBAs are offered both on campus and on- line (UW’s on-line MBA is ranked the best value on-line MBA) and include an Energy Management MBA, an International MBA (in partnership with Pforzheim University in Germany) and three dual MBAs with Law, Engineering and Pharmacy. The College currently has 50 faculty and a staff of 25, which include teams of recruitment, advising, and career services staff housed in the newly formed Green-Johnson Student Success Center. The College has an annual budget of approximately $17.8 million and also benefits from possessing the largest amount of endowed funding of any college or program at the University. As of July 2017, the value of the College’s endowments was just over $61 million, of which $23 million is in mostly unrestricted Dean’s Excellence Funds which generate over $937,000 per year, most of which is available for discretionary use by the Dean to achieve the vision, goals and objectives of the College through existing and innovative new programming.

 

Among the College’s strategic objectives is to serve the needs of the state and the broader Rocky Mountain region through outreach and engagement. The College has a reputation of meaningful outreach, including high-quality applied research, and recently founded two new engagement-focused centers—the Center for Business and Economic Analysis and the Center for Professional Selling. Further engagement is planned through the establishment of the Center for Principle-Based Leadership and Ethics in Fall 2022. Student involvement in outreach and engagement is emphasized through curricular and co-curricular programs. The Green-Johnson Student Success Center, in collaboration with the College’s Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, manages a business partnership program that provides numerous real-world learning opportunities for students through their coursework. To create a broad foundation for engagement and outreach, the College emphasizes ethics, entrepreneurship, innovation, and natural resources in its courses, programs and scholarship and collaborates closely with the University’s other colleges and schools. The new Dean will be expected to maintain and create dynamic programming leading to direct and indirect stakeholder impact.

 

Furthermore, the College and the new Dean will be critically important players in the new, university-wide, cross-disciplinary Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship which encourages high quality research, world class science and technology development aligned with the needs of the state and regional economies. The Institute will be an engine for technology transfer at UW and economic development and diversification in the State of Wyoming and the College’s newly developed Center for the Advancement of Professional Selling will complement the Institute. The College will also be an important partner in the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) initiative, which aims to bolster Wyoming’s second-largest economic sector (i.e., tourism) by creating training opportunities and conducting applied research.

 

UW’s College of Business is accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). For more information about the College, please visit http://www.uwyo.edu/business/index.html.

 

UW College of Business Vision

 

The College of Business at the University of Wyoming strives to be the business college of choice for people who value enriching experiences and the integrity of a handshake.

 

College of Business Advisory Board (COBAB)

 

The UW COBAB consists of industry leaders from throughout the Rocky Mountain region and across the United States who serve in a working partnership with the University and College of Business administrators, faculty, and students to promote the growth and development of the College and UW. The activities of the COBAB encompass a wide range of advisory and proactive undertakings that advance the goals of the College and UW as well as positively impacting the economic development of communities throughout Wyoming.

 

Board members advise on academic programs, promote the College’s visibility around the nation, identify internship and career opportunities for students, and assist the College through development efforts and their own financial support. Such support has been demonstrated in the COBAB’s contribution to fund a classroom in honor of a recent Dean, a faculty summer support program to reward and retain outstanding faculty, as well as numerous scholarships, internship opportunities, and classroom and club presentations.

 

Position Summary

 

The Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the College of Business and is responsible for the academic leadership of the College and the management of its resources. The Dean will work closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, the business community, and governmental leaders to achieve the College’s mission and vision. The Dean will serve as a catalyst for innovation and research and must be a tireless leader in the development of curricular offerings that serve the evolving needs of students and inspire faculty and staff. The Dean will play a lead role in the development and implementation of a new strategic plan that builds on successes achieved as part of the previous plan. In addition, the Dean will oversee revenue generation, budget formulation and execution, and alumni relations. The Dean will also work with the College’s leadership team to maintain recent program innovations, as well as develop new educational programs and initiatives, that will deepen the College’s revenue streams. The Dean also participates in campus-wide policy development through membership on the Council of Deans.

 

The Dean will provide strategic direction in realizing the College’s vision, identifying areas for future growth, further enhancing its academic and research portfolio, and supporting its focus on continued excellence with students and external stakeholders. The Dean will also lead the development of College policy and process directing faculty and staff efforts toward the College Mission and Vision. The Dean’s role will be pivotal in serving as a strong and dynamic advocate on behalf of the College and UW to internal and external stakeholders.  As a leader of the College, they will champion its interests in leading external relations and fundraising efforts. The Dean will also partner with the College of Business Advisory Board and other statewide business leaders to increase the College’s and University’s economic impact. Serving as its spokesperson, the Dean will build strong relationships with, and generate support amongst, key stakeholders in the local region, the state of Wyoming, and globally.

Required Qualifications

Candidates for the Dean of the College of Business at the University of Wyoming must possess the following qualifications and experience:

• A demonstrable track record of leadership success and evidence of creative leadership and management.
• Experience in budget formulation and execution, including internal and external revenue generation, and success in the management of human and financial resources; experience working in a university environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with the business community and other constituents in resource development and advancement of a business college.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• A leadership style that demonstrates adherence to a personal set of ethical principles and encourages principled-based decision making.
• Ability to inspire, lead, and further collegiality among faculty and staff members coupled with the ability to attract and recruit world-class faculty and staff.
• An understanding of and appreciation for the breadth of the disciplines within the College and issues faced by those disciplines.
• An earned doctorate in a discipline appropriate to the College

           

 

Desired Qualifications

Additionally, the successful candidate will have the following personal qualifications and characteristics:

 

• A record of successful fundraising and interfacing with university advancement officers to secure external gifts, grants, and funding to support College programs
• Scholarly credentials consistent with appointment as a tenured professor in a discipline appropriate to the College.
• A leadership style that emphasizes complete transparency and encourages openness in dealings with others and acceptance of diverging perspectives.
• A collegial management style that promotes a sense of academic respect and collaboration with faculty, staff, and students in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Energy, enthusiasm, and passion for innovation in pursuing the College’s and University’s mission.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with constituencies both internal and external to the University; an effective communicator with a high level of integrity and emotional intelligence.
• The ability to build and foster a collegial working environment throughout all levels of the College among faculty, staff, and students.
• The skills and the capacity to bring individuals and groups with diverse views to consensus and common action.
• A commitment to shared governance.
• The ability to work effectively with alumni, donors, and members of the business community to cultivate relationships and build a collaborative culture of partnership to advance the College’s priorities and goals.
• A commitment to a student-centered learning environment.
• An understanding of the importance of communication and collaboration within the College and among Colleges and Schools across the University.

 

 

Nomination & Application Process

The Dean Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University; contact information is below. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred that all nominations and applications be submitted to the search firm by March 1, 2022.

 

 

Laurie C. Wilder, President

Porsha Williams, Vice President

Erin Raines, Senior Principal

Parker Executive Search

Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875

Atlanta, GA 30328

770-804-1996 ext.: 117

pwilliams@parkersearch.com || eraines@parkersearch.com