THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The School of Business, established in 1941, is a nationally recognized educational leader offering undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs across university campuses in Storrs, Stamford, and Waterbury, in addition to its dedicated Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford, as well as online. With over 3,000 undergraduate and 1,400 graduate students, the School features academic departments in Accounting, Finance, Management and Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Operations and Information Management, offering degrees and certificates in a wide range of fields. The School of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International - the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The School’s program in Accounting is also accredited by AACSB.

The School is also home to a number of academic centers and institutes, which provide robust and relevant opportunities for co-curricular skill development, and engage and serve members of the entire university community, including:

• Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis
• Center for Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies
• Digital Frontiers Initiative
• GE Global Learning Center

Renowned for its excellence in Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, and Financial Technology, the School consistently ranks among the top programs in the nation, with its new online and flex MBA and specialized master's programs earning high accolades. Experiential learning opportunities, like the Student Managed Fund and Innovation Quest competition, prepare students for real-world challenges, and its strong alumni network includes leaders at top global companies. UConn’s School of Business is committed to transforming lives through innovative education, industry engagement, social responsibility, and entrepreneurship, serving future and current business professionals.

POSITION SUMMARY

UConn will welcome a Dean who thrives on innovation to develop, organize, and manage new initiatives. The faculty and staff at the School of Business are deeply committed to their students, their research, and to community engagement and public service. The Dean will articulate a vision for the School, defining its role in research and teaching within the University community, as well as thought leadership and business expertise across the state, and the nation. From that vision, the Dean will shape the organization and, with the faculty and staff, configure, create, and grow programs and attract a student body to realize their success.

The Dean will make critical contributions to the continued development of the School. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual with the drive, skill, and experience to bring creative leadership to the organization and to play a meaningful role in shaping its future. The new Dean will embrace these opportunities, helping to realize the potential of the School of Business. The Dean will build on a solid foundation to contribute to the School and its constituents, as well as the University community at large, to address key challenges and pursue important opportunities.

The next Dean of the School of Business will have a unique opportunity to build upon the School’s strong foundation in business scholarship, further advancing research and entrepreneurship and fostering a comprehensive, interdisciplinary framework that helps to shape and strengthen innovation across the university. As emerging areas of excellence and national trends in business education increasingly emphasize the transformative potential of rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Dean will play a pivotal role in positioning the School to equip students with the skills needed to succeed in the digital economy, serving as a source of expertise and support for industry. By connecting the School’s existing strengths in entrepreneurship and innovation with cutting-edge technologies, the School is poised to lead in shaping the future of business education and research, driving solutions to the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly evolving global economy.

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs for all matters, the Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the School, responsible for providing strategic vision and operational leadership to all aspects of the academic and scholarly program.

LEADERSHIP CHARGE

• Develop, communicate, and execute a bold shared vision for the School of Business that positions it for the future of business, technology, and society.
• Hire, guide, and support excellent faculty and staff.
• Oversee financial decisions and create clear and efficient processes, staffing, and structures.
• Support and promote an excellent and inclusive culture.
• Participate in developing a University-wide vision, and align the School of Business with the University’s strategic plan.
• Foster the growth of an externally funded research/scholarship portfolio for the School.
• Cultivate opportunities for development, fundraising, and development of new revenue streams for the School.
• Pursue strategies to support the continuing growth in enrollments and student success.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Developing and executing strategies for strong student recruitment, retention, and graduation rates in alignment with the university plans and goals.
• Recruit, retain, and support an exceptional faculty and staff.
• Elevate and position the School of Business distinct brand of excellence and entrepreneurship to amplify its impact locally, nationally, and globally.
• Partner with faculty, staff, and students to maintain a climate of civility and collegiality through effective communication and a strong commitment to enhancing the excellence and inclusivity of the campus population.
• Collaborate with academic deans and academic affairs leadership to develop interdisciplinary initiatives around academic programming, research activities, entrepreneurial activities, and external engagements.
• Oversee academic departments, interdisciplinary centers, institutes, and programs, and other academic activities within the School. Collaborate with faculty, academic department heads, and associate deans to identify instructional needs. Promote innovative and effective teaching within the School and provide appropriate supervision and support to the program coordinators, chairs and other faculty colleagues.
• In support of University goals and priorities, promote the School through communications and public relations efforts critical to the success of the school, including building relationships and partnerships with alumni, community organizations, industry and other groups and organizations. Assist the President and Provost in representing the University on matters related to its core missions of research, education, and outreach. Partner with the UConn Foundation to ensure robust fundraising and alumni relations.
• Effectively communicate the impact of the School’s teaching, research, and innovation for prospective students and their families, current students, donors, and alumni;
• Collaborate with the Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment to recruit and retain high-caliber students. Develop and nurture relationships with K-12 schools, community colleges, and other educational institutions to recruit students to UConn and increase enrollment of qualified students.
• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to School employees, including hiring, promotion, tenure and review, professional development, discipline, training, and promotion of all direct reports. In consultation with University officials, the Dean will appoint endowed faculty chairs and professorships and increase faculty awards and fellowships. Represents the School in labor-related procedures.
• Advance the scholarly activities of the faculty, including disciplinary opportunities, in support of the University’s research mission.
• Ensure the School offers a positive learning environment and that students receive appropriate support services. Coordinate closely with University offices to enhance access to course offerings through on-line education, ensure programs are available to meet the needs of various student groups, and ensure the campus operates in accordance with University-wide policies and practices regarding student conduct, disability services, counseling and mental health services, behavioral threat assessment, and other important student life functions. Advance undergraduate education and, in partnership with the Dean of the Graduate School, graduate education within the School.
• Implement and uphold academic rules and regulations and promote academic integrity.
• Effectively manage academic resources and prepare and manage School’s annual operating budget. Prioritize the allocation of resources to support the university’s academic mission and plan.
• Collaborate with the Division of University Safety, Facilities Operations and Building Services, University Information Technology Services, and Planning, Design and Construction services to ensure a safe, secure, productive working environment for the conduct of research and instructional activities.
• In support of University and campus priorities, develop capital improvement proposals. Assess the need for and make recommendations about equipment acquisitions and facilities renovations and upgrades.
• Perform other duties as required.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

The Dean will make critical contributions to the continued development of the School of Business. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual with the drive, skill, and experience to bring creative leadership to the organization and to play a meaningful role in shaping its future. The new Dean will embrace these opportunities, helping to realize the potential of the School to serve as a nationally-recognized leader of business research and education. The Dean will build on a solid foundation to contribute to the School and its constituents, as well as the University community at large, to address key challenges and pursue important opportunities.

• Set a Vision: The School of Business has benefitted from impactful leadership for more than a decade and has made significant programmatic and structural advancements as a result. The stage is now set for new leadership to develop and implement a strong vision capable of helping the School ascend to the next level of excellence and national recognition. The next Dean will be charged with expanding the national brand of the School by effectively telling its captivating story of growth and impact, assuring excellence through continued AACSB accreditation, identifying new opportunities for revenue generation, and embracing the highly collaborative culture at the School and the University. The quality of the Business School’s students, the exciting and impactful research conducted by faculty, and the School’s highly successful and active alumni base serve as assets for the Dean to engage in these efforts.
• Expand Fundraising Efforts and Enhance the School’s Brand: The School’s next Dean will have the opportunity to be the external face of UConn’s Business programs and have the personal attributes and skillsets to form relationships with corporate and industry partners, major donors, alumni, and community leaders across the state. The University has prioritized enhancing fundraising and engagement efforts, and the Dean will have the opportunity to lead these efforts with support from incredibly passionate and well-connected faculty and staff. The Dean will be actively engaged with University Advancement and the President in key fundraising opportunities to represent the School and the University. In addition to front-line fundraising and donor engagement, there are also exceptional opportunities to build stronger relationships with a highly successful and committed alumni base for the School. Potential fundraising opportunities include naming opportunities for the School, naming opportunities for academic departments, and addressing space and facility needs.
• Leverage UConn’s Multi-Campus Landscape: UConn extends its impact well beyond Storrs and has campuses throughout the state. The next Dean must understand the complexities of working in a multi-campus environment while actively embracing the opportunities it represents. There are exceptional relationship-building opportunities in key business hubs in Stamford and Hartford, where the Dean can leverage the School’s strong presence in both areas. The Dean will be able to expand the Business School’s visibility with key business leaders while also exploring ways to further the university’s impact on communities throughout the state.
• Lead Enrollment Management Efforts: The next Dean should be aware of national trends in business education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Currently, the School is experiencing tremendous growth in its undergraduate programs. While this is an exciting dynamic at the School, the Dean must manage that growth to ensure adequate space and full-time faculty to keep pace with increased undergraduate enrollment. The School of Business represents a large percentage of the overall number of graduate students at the university but has experienced changing enrollment dynamics after the pandemic. There will be opportunities to assess the current graduate offerings at the School and explore the development of new programs that will generate additional revenue for the School, while simultaneously increasing diversity amongst the graduate student population.
• Prioritize the Recruitment and Retention of Outstanding Faculty and Staff: To effectively facilitate continued growth and the visibility and prestige of the School, the next Dean will need to meet challenges around the recruitment and retention of leading-edge faculty members in the School. The next Dean should be experienced with recruiting and developing faculty members while fully embracing a commitment to shared governance and effective communication. High levels of competition for talent and salary compression create key challenges in recruiting and retaining top faculty and staff, and the School will look to the Dean to identify additional resources to sustain a high-quality working environment at the School. The next Dean should be committed to professional development opportunities for staff and understand the School’s commitment to teaching, research, and service, and should be able to support professional development and growth opportunities for faculty and staff members across these areas.
• Continue and Enhance the Sense of Belonging in the School: Focus on creating a sense of belonging and empowering people from all backgrounds are key values of the School of Business. The Dean will join a community focused on changing the world for the better and will embrace the opportunity to prepare future business leaders in an increasingly diverse world.
• Focus on Collaboration: The next Dean of the School of Business will join an environment that embodies and prioritizes collaborative leadership and will have the opportunity to engage in creative and interdisciplinary initiatives with other academic deans and the leadership in academic affairs. Specifically, there are opportunities to enhance collaborations in research. The faculty at the Business School are renowned scholars and are active in top journals, and the Dean can foster opportunities for these faculty to partner with faculty members from other departments across the university to establish exciting interdisciplinary research activities and explore additional research grant opportunities. With a high demand for business-related skills in a wide variety of academic programs, there will also be substantial opportunities to form programmatic partnerships with various academic divisions and support entrepreneurial initiatives for faculty and students throughout the University. The Dean will join an academic community focused on changing the world for the better and will embrace the opportunity to prepare future business leaders in an ever-changing world. While the Dean will be responsible for the success of the School of Business, they will also play a critical role in supporting the University’s broader goals, values, and strategies.
• Increase external research funding. The Dean will be expected to foster a culture that encourages faculty to pursue competitive grants, industry partnerships, and other external funding sources that enhance research impact and align with the School and University’s strategic priorities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated visionary leadership with a proven track record of successful administrative leadership.
• Credentials that merit appointment for a tenure-track academic appointment at the rank of Professor or a current appointment at UConn at the rank of Professor in one of UConn’s schools and colleges, including a doctoral degree or other terminal degree in a field relevant to leadership in academic affairs and the school. Equivalent foreign degrees are acceptable.
• Progressively responsible leadership experience at a higher education institution, demonstrating knowledge of core management functions, straightforward experience with managing strategic priorities, and understanding and embracing University policies, guidance, best practices, and procedures.
• Success in building and executing a strategic and fiscally-sound academic budget.
• Solid track record in meeting a university mission with respect to enrollment, graduation, research, innovation, and fundraising.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Background and experience pertinent to the unique programs and setting of the School, including a clear understanding of the academic vision of the university, the land grant mission of the University, and the School’s goals and opportunities to deliver quality undergraduate and graduate education.
• Proven business and political acumen commensurate with the leadership needs of the School of Business, including the ability to navigate the organizational, political, and fiscal realities unique to a major public research university; demonstrable experience applying sound judgment; and an ability to manage change, resolve conflict, and build consensus.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to develop, engage, and maintain constructive and professional relationships with senior administrators, faculty, staff, students, and other individuals and organizations.
• A collaborative and collegial approach toward fostering partnerships within the School of Business and academic units across the University.
• Demonstrated commitment to increasing a sense of belonging for all members of the school including assessing needs, developing initiatives, and applying best practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of the Dean’s role as chief fundraiser for the School of Business and the skillsets needed to form and maintain partnerships with donors and alumni.
• Varied and extensive success in securing extramural funding from state and federal agencies or foundations.
• Experience managing complex budgets and allocating resources across multiple entities.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, understand, and interpret complex situations and problems, evaluate options, devise and propose solutions that align resources with goals, implement plans, and measure outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a diverse organization. Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to effectively communicate needs, plans, and programs.
• Experience as an agent of innovation and change, achieving excellence across a complex organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work collegially and cooperatively on partnership initiatives with other schools and colleges, with the upper administration, and with external partners.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, 12-month, management-exempt position with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2025. The successful candidate may be considered for a 9-month, tenure-track academic appointment in one of the University’s schools/colleges.

This is a full-time position that will be performed on-site in Connecticut. Salary commensurate with experience with a generous benefits package.