Dean of the Lam Family College of Business

Search for the Dean of the Lam Family College of Business

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco State University (SF State), a thriving public institution of higher education, seeks an inspiring, innovative, and collaborative leader to serve as Dean of the Lam Family College of Business (LFCoB). Reporting to the Provost and working in partnership with faculty, students, and staff, the Dean will build upon the many strengths of the College – including its exceptional commitment to equity and community involvement, rich array of programs, talented faculty, internationally recognized emphasis on social responsibility and environmental sustainability, and direct access to industry – to ensure that SF State continues to develop outstanding business leaders for the 21st century.

SF State is a comprehensive urban university located in a vibrant city with a deep intellectual and cultural life. With the unwavering commitment to social justice that is central to the work of the University, SF State prepares its students to become productive, ethical, active citizens with a global perspective.  The University has distinguished itself as an active center of academic teaching, scholarship, and civic engagement and offers undergraduate and graduate instruction through its six academic Colleges. SF State is a culturally diverse campus that is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and currently serves 26,561 undergraduates and 3,046 graduate and professional students.

The AACSB-accredited Lam Family College of Business is dedicated to celebrating the rich diversity, global perspective, and entrepreneurial spirit of the Bay Area and aspires to be the college of choice for students seeking to innovate sustainably and lead responsibly. LFCoB students apply sustainability and ethical perspectives to understandings of business practice, global leadership, innovation, the economy, and society. The College is one of the largest business schools both within, and outside of, the CSU system, serves over 5,800 undergraduate and graduate students, and is home to 127 tenured and tenure-track faculty and 104 lecturers across ten academic departments.

The next Dean will join SF State at an exciting moment. In July 2019, the campus welcomed Dr. Lynn Mahoney as the 14th President, and in April 2019, the LFCoB received a transformational $25 million gift from Chris Larsen, an alumnus, and Lyna Lam, making it the first named college in the University’s history. The gift will fund a variety of initiatives that enable the University to focus on innovation-oriented learning and professional development. The Dean, working closely with various stakeholders, will set and implement a clear vision for the future that advances the College’s reputation for academic excellence, driving student success, and creating innovative business learning opportunities. SF State seeks a successful senior administrative leader with experience as a champion of equity, an inspiring and effective manager, and a responsible steward of revenue and resource development. To that end, the Dean will address a set of key opportunities, which are detailed further in this profile:

• Lead the College in developing a compelling and distinctive identity and long-term vision to position SFSU as a competitive business program in the crowded SF market;
• Strengthen the undergraduate educational experience by enhancing academic excellence and student success for both undergraduate and graduate students, with particular consideration for underrepresented minorities;
• Assess and grow graduate and certificate programs to meet the evolving needs of the business community;
• Cultivate interconnectedness and trust among students, staff, and faculty, creating an inclusive and vibrant intellectual community;
• Grow and diversify resource streams for the College;
• Establish strong relationships with local businesses to create a strong recruiting pipeline at SFSU at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; foster engagement between SFSU and the local community more broadly; and extend the reputation and impact of the College across the University, the region, and beyond.

San Francisco State University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process/until the position is filled. For more details, including the full position profile and to submit inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications, please see the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/6659. Electronic submission of materials is required.

Regan Gough and Alanya Green

Isaacson, Miller

1000 Sansome Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: 415.655.4900

Fax: 415.655.4905

The University is an Equal Opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity and encourages applications from women, members of all ethnic groups, veterans, and people with disabilities.