The American University of Sharjah (AUS), one of the premier institutions of higher education in the Middle East, seeks an accomplished academic leader for its School of Business and Management. The School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is the acknowledged leader in business education in the United Arab Emirates and in the entire Gulf region.
Reporting to the Provost, the Dean leads a School of 77 select faculty members, many of whom are globally recognized as being among the foremost scholars and educators in their fields. The School offers the Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing. Graduate degrees include the Master of Business Administration, the Gulf Executive Master of Public Administration, and the Executive Master of Business Administration. The School currently enrolls 1,400 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. Graduate education represents a particularly fertile field of growth for the School, and the new Dean will be expected to lead the development of enrollments and programming at both the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate levels.
The new Dean will be a visionary thinker and leader who has a strong record of entrepreneurial engagement and action. The successful candidate will possess an earned doctorate and an outstanding record as an academic leader within the American higher education model. The new Dean will have a distinguished record of scholarship and research. We seek a vigorous and engaging leader who will be able to represent AUS and the School of Business and Management effectively in regional and global settings. The next Dean will be a problem solver and will bring to the position a capacity to envision new programs and develop existing ones within and across disciplines. Also essential are management skills in budgeting and financial management, as well as in the recruitment and development of top quality faculty and staff. The Dean will serve as a primary agent of outreach and resource development on behalf of the School, in conjunction with the University’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs. AUS is an extraordinarily diverse university, with over eighty nations represented in the student body. Accordingly, the new leader for the School must have a well-developed competence in managing cross-cultural interactions. We also seek a Dean who will actively support collaboration across the University in advancing the institution’s shared strategic agenda of integrated learning.
Founded in 1997 by the Ruler of Sharjah, the American University of Sharjah is a comprehensive, independent, non-profit coeducational university based on American models of higher education. AUS provides broad access to highly motivated students from all countries, while maintaining academic standards appropriate and consistent with U.S. universities. The University has achieved remarkable growth and academic distinction during its short history. The campus is a spectacular setting of imposing architecture and beautiful landscaping, and is located approximately thirty minutes from Dubai International Airport. Sharjah is known as a city of learning and culture, and the United Arab Emirates is a thriving and rapidly changing country of approximately eight million inhabitants from throughout the world.
There are four academic units in the University. In addition to the School of Business and Management, the University comprises the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Architecture, Art and Design, and the College of Engineering. Classes are taught in English, and although most faculty members are educated in the West, the atmosphere is vibrantly international. No single nation accounts for more than 20% of the student body, and over twenty nations are represented in the faculty. The University enrolls more than 5,500 students in 21 undergraduate and 13 graduate degree programs and employs 354 full-time faculty members and 500 staff. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 15 to 1. A fundamental goal in all programs is the integration of liberal learning with focused professional and pre-professional studies. From its founding, excellence in the instructional program has been a hallmark of the University.
AUS is accredited in the United States by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The School of Architecture and Design is the only architecture school outside North America that is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). All undergraduate engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). AUS is also licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the UAE.
Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Recruitment is underway and will continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by March 1, 2013. Ideally, the new Dean will start in Fall 2013. A full leadership statement is available at www.wittkieffer.com [4]. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a letter of application, and the names and contact information of five references (who will not be contacted without prior approval). These materials should be sent, in confidence, electronically via e-mail to the University’s consultants Jane E. Courson and Elizabeth K. Bohan at: AUSharjahBus@wittkieffer.com [5]. Materials that cannot be emailed may be sent to the consultants at: Witt/Kieffer, 25 Burlington Mall Road, Suite 605, Burlington, MA 01803. They can be reached by phone at (617) 834-8246.
The American University of Sharjah is an equal opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or marital status. We assure you that your opportunity for employment with us depends solely upon your qualifications.