Dean of Graduate School of Business

The University of Maine seeks an entrepreneurial and creative Dean to develop and lead its Graduate School of Business (GSB). The GSB is a world-class professional graduate program and critical partner in the interdisciplinary University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center in Portland, Maine.  The Center is an entity of the University of Maine System (UMS). This Dean position brings together academic resources from the University of Maine (UMaine) and the University of Southern Maine (USM)—the two largest universities in the state—to continue the growth trajectory that this forward-looking and collaborative school has established to strengthen and diversify the professional workforce in Maine.

Serving as the chief academic leader of the Maine Graduate School of Business, the Dean will be responsible for the ongoing strategic leadership and management of the GSB working with a variety of partners between UMaine and USM, and beyond.  The Dean reports directly to the University of Maine Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and works collaboratively in coordination with the Executive Dean of the Maine Business School as well as partners in the Maine Center and USM. The Dean of the GSB will be located in Portland, Maine, with offices at USM, moving into the new Maine Graduate and Professional Center when the facility is complete.  The Dean will serve on the Maine Center Consortium Coordinating Committee with the Executive Dean of the Maine Business School, the Dean of the University of Maine School of Law, the Dean of the USM College of Management and Human Service, the Director of the USM Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy, and the CEO of Maine Center Ventures (a supporting 501C-3 organization). The Dean will also serve on the Council of Deans for the University of Maine.

The Dean has leadership responsibility for growing the UMaine MBA and affiliated business programs, in enrollment and in the quality, interdisciplinary scope, and relevance of the program to the Maine economy.  The Maine MBA is an anchor program of the interdisciplinary and UMS-wide Center for Graduate and Professional Studies, founded originally in 2016 and generously funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation. The mission of the Center is “to prepare leaders to solve the state's most pressing challenges through interdisciplinary, experiential and market-driven graduate and professional programming. We are designed as a hub-and-spoke model unifying activity around a major theme (e.g., entrepreneurship, rural health solutions, privacy law, aquaculture) with the flexibility to change in response to emerging needs. We are Maine focused, nationally competitive, and globally relevant.”  The Dean will be expected to play a major leadership role in the future of the center, including maintaining close working relationships with UMaine and USM deans and faculty responsible for undergraduate business education, along with colleagues across UMS in law, engineering, computing and information science, and public policy, among others.

The Harold Alfond Foundation’s recent $240 million investment in the University of Maine System (UMS) is the largest ever to a public institution of higher education in New England and includes a $55 million challenge grant for the University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center. The Alfond grant and private support will provide scholarships and faculty support; integrated program development across business, law, public policy, and graduate engineering; and a state-of-the-art building to house the Maine Center programs and the University of Maine School of  Law. The interdisciplinary work will serve as a center for collaboration and engagement to help attract and strengthen the Maine economy.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate or terminal degree in business or a related field, and a demonstrated record of progressively significant leadership and administrative responsibilities in academic or executive positions in the public or private sectors. Candidates are expected to have strong communication skills, a track record of collaborations that have led to innovative outcomes, and successful experience with interdisciplinary endeavors. Finally, they should possess administrative or teaching experience in or related to graduate studies.

Experience in business and economic development, business incubation and start-up, and intellectual property management are welcome. Other desirable characteristics for the new Dean of the GSB would include leadership skills; a record of scholarship and teaching that meets the criteria for appointment to the rank of professor with tenure at the University of Maine in one of the fields within the Maine Business School; an understanding of issues related to AACSB accreditation; experience with fundraising and donor relations; experience with developing partnerships with businesses and corporations; and/or, a demonstrated record of successful entrepreneurial approaches to the development of academic programs and initiatives, including executive and professional education. Experience with working with external constituents and graduate business education are highly desired.

The successful candidate could be appointed to a faculty position not only in business, but also in another area as well (e.g. law, public policy, computer science, engineering, etc.). Applicants are encouraged to note interdisciplinary interests in their applications.

Application and Nomination Process

Nominations and expressions of interest can be submitted in confidence to Dr. Hannah Carter, chair of the search committee, at hcarter@maine.edu or call 207-581-3238.  Applications must be submitted at: https://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=65274.         

Review of applications will begin immediately, with full consideration given to those applicants who have fully submitted their documents by March 12, 2021. In deference to the sensitivity of the positions presently held by many of those who will be nominated, who apply and who are considered, the search will be conducted in strict confidence until finalists are invited to participate in the formal on-campus interview process that may be conducted virtually depending on current Maine CDC and UMS safety guidelines.

Candidates for this position must submit three separate documents:  a cover letter that describes experience, interests, and suitability for the position with specific reference to the characteristics of the position and to the knowledge, skills, and qualifications sought; a current CV with email address and telephone number; and a reference list with the names, home and business telephone numbers, and email addresses of five professional references.  References will not be contacted without permission from the candidate.

The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities.  Please contact the Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System) or by email to: equal.opportunity@maine.edu with questions or concerns.