Dean, College of Business

Ohio University (OHIO) and the College of Business seek a visionary dean to lead a high performing faculty dedicated to innovation, achievement and success. 

Established by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and chartered in 1804, Ohio University is the state’s first institution of higher education and one of America’s oldest public universities. Today, OHIO is classified as a Research University with high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation. With a historic campus in Athens, five regional campuses, three extension campuses in the Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton areas, and a strong outreach/eLearning program, the University has an enrollment of over 32,000 students. Approximately 18,400 study on the Athens campus, while 5,600 are served by the regional campuses, 7,600 are outreach/e-learning students and 979 are medical students in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, the only one of its kind in the state of Ohio. There are nearly 16,000 undergraduate students enrolled in over 250 programs of study across nine of the University’s 11 colleges, which include 15 schools and numerous departments. Graduate students can choose from more than 150 programs of study including a doctoral degree in osteopathic medicine.

Ohio University is home to one of the nation’s best in business education. Since 1836, OHIO has worked to create an institution that is invested in providing a dynamic learning environment designed to keep pace with the evolving business landscape while actively preparing students for career success. With over 200 faculty and staff, the College has grown to over 3,700 students (including online and graduate students). The College is proud of its accomplishments, including:

  • 89% freshman retention rate and an average 91% student employment rate, 3-months after graduation
  • Home to faculty recipients of the 2019 Presidential Scholar and 2019-20 Presidential Teacher awards
  • Ranked top-15 public business school by Bloomberg Businessweek
  • #1 best online postgraduate sport course (PMSA) by SportBusiness Professional
  • #1 best postgraduate sport administration course (MBA/MSA) by SportBusiness Professional for six out of the last eight years (#2 in 2019)
  • #11 best undergraduate business school specialization in information systems by Bloomberg Businessweek
  • #15 largest student-managed investment fund by The Center for Investment Research
  • #29 Online MBA – Ranked by Poets&Quants (2020)
  • Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Centre – “Top Universities for Professional Sales Education” – 2007- 2019 Sales Education Foundation
  • Center for Entrepreneurship – “Excellence in Student Engagement in Entrepreneurship Award” - 2017 Deshpande Symposium

Reporting directly to the executive vice president and provost, the dean of the College of Business serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the College. The dean is responsible for planning, directing and managing the operational, personnel, budgetary, fundraising and student activities of the College while providing leadership and direction in the development and implementation of modern and relevant curricula and academic programming. The dean is expected to foster interdisciplinary collaborations within the College and across campuses, promote open communication, and facilitate strategic planning and goal development across the academic departments and units in unison with the university’s broader strategic framework.

The dean will serve as a strong visible advocate for the College of Business on campus, within the community, with friends and alumni and globally. They will also work to sustain and deepen partnerships and generate creative streams of revenue to support a balanced college focused on teaching, research and service.

The next dean should be an experienced academician and administrator with a deep understanding and knowledge of student success, enrollment, innovative programming and faculty recruitment and development. The ideal dean has experience in external resource generation through industry partnerships, alumni engagement and development and fundraising. The ideal candidate should have a terminal degree in a discipline within the College of Business and be able to meet the requirements of full professor. It is expected that candidates will have a proven record of success as an academic and administrative leader with supervisory experience equivalent to that of chair or higher. Industry experience is strongly preferred. For more information, please visit www.wittkieffer.com.

Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by January 15, 2020. Candidates should provide, as three separate documents, a curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Statement and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to the Ohio University’s consultants Zachary A. Smith, Ph.D. and Sophie Stava at OUBusinessDean@wittkieffer.com. The consultants can be reached through the office of Hillary Hmura 630-575-6959.

The Ohio University values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.