Dean, Raj Soin College of Business,, Wright State University

Wright State University invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the Raj Soin College of Business (RSCoB). The successful candidate will be a person with superb leadership skills, unassailable character, and a passionate commitment to lead the college in realizing our vision to be a dynamic business leadership learning community, that nurtures life-long education and creates a positive impact on business and society. At a time when global forces are demanding innovative approaches to business education, the Dean of RSCoB will provide a key leadership role in the advancement and ongoing success of one of the region’s most accessible colleges. The Dean must be prepared to support varied undergraduate and Masters-level programs, lead a diverse faculty, and uphold existing collaborative partnerships, while simultaneously developing new partnerships across the university and community. This is an outstanding opportunity for a creative and energetic individual who will be well-supported in leading a college aligned with the university’s mission of integrating learning, research, innovation, and experience to empower all students to excel in their lives and chosen careers.

Chartered by the State of Ohio in 1967 and named for aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright, Wright State University is a student-centered public research institution based in the Dayton, Ohio Metropolitan Area. Wright State offers a comprehensive list of undergraduate and graduate programs through colleges of: Business; Health, Education and Human Services; Engineering and Computer Science; Liberal Arts; Science and Mathematics; and Medicine. Surrounded by a lush 200-acre biological reserve, Wright State University’s 557-acre main campus is located in a suburban setting just outside of Dayton, Ohio. The accessible and state-of-the-art campus enrolls nearly 10,000 students. Wright State’s Dayton Campus is complemented by the Lake Campus in west-central Ohio on the shores of Grand Lake St. Marys, which serves another 1,200 students. Together with Cincinnati and Columbus metropolitan areas, which are both within a 70 minutes-drive radius, our campus is centered within a region of about 5 million people. Dayton is a very livable, affordable cost of living city with numerous arts and cultural opportunities (e.g., www.cultureworks.org; http://www.activedayton.com/). The area is home to many international organizations, especially in areas of defense, healthcare, science, and business services.

RSCoB and the Department of Accountancy are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In addition, the RSCoB Information Systems program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The RSCoB serves approximately 1,400 students and has 46 full-time faculty. The college offers: 12 undergraduate majors, including accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, financial services, general business, human resource management, international business, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management; 10 minors; 10 certificate programs; and six master’s degree programs, including accounting, information systems, logistics and supply chain management, marketing analytics and insights, social and applied economics, and a series of MBA cohort programs. The college embraces and practices:

  • Exceptional teaching and learning: a focus on providing students with a high-quality educational experience
  • Ethics and character excellence: a desire to cultivate awareness of the attributes that enable excellence through personal and collective efforts
  • Applied relevance: a focus on the practical implication of our work for the members of our stakeholder community
  • Collaborative spirit: a desire and willingness to initiate work across boundaries in the way we conduct ourselves
  • Imaginative thinking: a passion for creative, novel, innovative work across all areas of responsibility — service, research, and teaching
  • Global perspective: an acknowledgement that all organizational activities take place in the context of an interconnected, global society
  • Appreciation of differences: the willingness to embrace, leverage, and develop distinct perspectives, needs, and points of view
  • Service and community engagement: a focus on creating regional economic and social impact

Required Background and Experience

The Dean of RSCoB must possess

  • an earned graduate degree in a discipline related to programs offered by RSCoB
  • effective communication skills
  • at least three years of relevant administrative experience

Preferred Qualities

An ideal candidate will have

  • an earned doctorate or terminal degree in a discipline related to programs offered by RSCoB
  • a record that meets the qualifications for the rank of professor in a department of the college
  • a credible academic with demonstrated excellence in research, teaching, and substantial administrative, personnel, and budgetary experience as chairperson or equivalent
  • evidence of a commitment to and success in securing external funding, including private and corporate gifts
  • evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and embracing a social justice mindset
  • experience in curriculum development, including being open to innovative pedagogies, promoting interdisciplinary projects, and internationalization of curriculum
  • experience with student recruitment and retention
  • experience with accreditation, including AACSB
  • evidence of developing and nurturing beneficial relationships with a range of individuals, including a commitment to foster interaction between colleges and professional schools
  • demonstrated ability to develop constructive and collaborative working relationships with community partnerships and workforce development
  • a proven track record in recruiting, nurturing, and retaining top faculty
  • superior communication skills, including being highly articulate, with the skills to be an inspirational and engaging communicator with faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, as well as an attentive and intuitive listener
  • demonstrated commitment to data-informed decision making and a collaborative and transparent decision mode for policy development and implementation
  • personal characteristics that include openness, energy, intellect, dignity, integrity, optimism, and team-building

Review of confidential applications and nominations will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. To apply, go to https://jobs.wright.edu/postings/17761 . For priority consideration, applications should be received by December 12, 2022. A complete application must include a letter of interest describing experience relevant to the position requirements, current curriculum vitae, and contact information for five professional references.

All candidates must include a Diversity and Inclusion statement with their materials: 
Please explain how your values and experiences are reflected in your approach to leadership so as to contribute to a culture of equity, inclusion and campus diversity at Wright State University. Please provide an example of a time when you altered or changed your approach to research, teaching, service, or leadership because of the diversity of the group you were working with.

Wright State University, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, is committed to an inclusive environment and strongly encourages applications from minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities.