001022

Dean

Administration - Faculty

E1 - SAAO I 12 Mo Leave Earning

Located in North Carolina’s third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal — helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University’s 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B.

As the most diverse business school in North Carolina, the Bryan School of Business and Economics enrolls over 4,100 students, more than 600 of whom are graduate students. There are 20 undergraduate programs, six master’s programs, and four PhD programs. Undergraduate and master’s programs are offered in a variety of modalities: on campus, online, and hy-flex. One of the PhD programs is offered only online, two others are offered both on-campus and synchronously online, and the fourth is being proposed for synchronous online delivery. Each undergraduate admitted to the Bryan School has the opportunity to enroll in a four-course series, called the Bryan Blueprint Series, that is graded, credit-bearing, and required for graduation. Focused on personal and professional development, Blueprint is designed to equip them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing industry landscape. In addition to classroom instruction, students must complete a real global consulting project. Mentorship programs are also available. The Bryan School has also built intellectual partnerships with numerous universities in other countries, which have allowed for various methods of engagement, such as the exchange of faculty members and students, conferences, workshops, and study-travel experiences.

The Bryan School is well-known for the quality of its programs and graduates. In 2024, the Bryan School was ranked first in North Carolina for its online bachelor’s in business (U.S. News) as well as for its part-time MBA (Fortune). The Princeton Review has for many years ranked the Bryan School’s MBA program as having the second greatest resources for minority students, based on institutional demographic data and MBA student ratings, diversity in the student body, and how supportive the campus culture is of minority students. Forbes ranked the Bryan School’s online Bachelor’s in Accounting #3 in the US and the online Bachelor’s in Finance #2 in the US, both for 2024.

Scholarship support is important to the Bryan School, which typically awards between $800,000 and $900,000 annually. While many of the awards are need-based or have a need element in combination with other criteria, the School also awards 8-12 undergraduate merit scholarships annually. North Carolina resident merit scholars receive full tuition and fees for up to four years, while non-resident merit scholars receive about 50% of tuition and fees, also for up to four years, along with other benefits and opportunities. The School also has endowments for some merit fellowships for graduate students.

The Bryan School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in both business and accounting, a distinction held by only one percent of business schools in the world. The School’s next AACSB accreditation visit is scheduled for March 2025. As part of its external brand-building effort, the School has been prominent within AACSB, including representation on the international Board of Directors as well as on prominent committees, and engaging in key sponsorship roles. In 2022, the BS program in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail studies was accredited by the Textile and Apparel Program Accreditation Commission (TAPAC) and was recognized for its strong connections with industry through its Industry Advisory Board and signature internship program.

Student engagement is important to the Bryan School. Accordingly, the internal brand-building process has included significant efforts to build engagement, including the previously mentioned Bryan Blueprint Series, as well as the associated Bryan Gold (Suitable) engagement tracking and badging system and competition. These efforts also include events such as Bryan Back2Business, a beginning of the year welcome back party for students, faculty, and staff, and the day-long Career and Professional Development Day with an associated Employer Mix N Mingle and the Bright Futures Dinner. In its new strategic plan, the School is exploring other ways to extend student engagement, particularly to its extensive undergraduate online populations. To that end, the School created a new position to focus on online undergraduate student engagement.

The Bryan School’s brand is strong and enrollment is solid. To ensure continued stability, the School uses market data to design programs for both traditional and nontraditional students. For example, the School has launched its BONUS! Initiative, which targets prospective students between the ages of 25 and 45 who have completed some college and want to complete their education online. The School has also created an advising team to not only retain students but ensure that they thrive.

Academics
The Bryan School offers degrees at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, most of which are offered both on campus and online. At the undergraduate level, the following degrees and concentrations (in parentheses) are offered: Accounting; Business Administration (Business Studies, Human Resources, and Management); Consumer Apparel and Retail Studies (Apparel Product Design and Retail and Consumer Studies); BA and BS in Economics; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Hospitality and Tourism Management (Esports); Information Systems and Supply Chain Management (Business Analytics, Cyber Security, Information Systems, and Supply Chain Management); International Business; and Marketing (Professional Selling, Social Media Marketing, and Strategic Marketing). Only the degree in International Business, and the concentrations in Apparel Product Design, Management, and Retail and Consumer Studies are not offered online.

The Bryan School’s six masters programs and concentrations/certificates (in parentheses) are: MS Accounting (Taxation), MA Applied Economics (Economics of Health Analytics, Foundations of Economic Analysis, and Quantitative Business Economics), MS International Business (Global Leadership & Strategy, and Human Resources), MS IT and Management (Business Analytics, Cloud Computing & Security Analytics, Cyber Security, Generative AI for Business, IT Development, IT Management, Supply Chain Analytics, and Supply Chain Management), MS Retail Studies (Global Fashion Industry Management, Retail Consumer Data Analytics, and Retail Merchandising Management), and an MBA. Additionally, the Bryan School provides opportunities for students to earn PhD degrees in Business Administration; Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies; Economics; and Information Systems. The PhD in Business Administration was the first fully online PhD in that discipline in the world to be accredited by AACSB. Currently, 52 PhD candidates form five different cohorts with a sixth cohort starting in fall 2024 in this asynchronous program. The PhD in Economics is entering its second year of synchronous online availability delivered in one of the School’s hy-flex classrooms to accommodate campus-based students. The PhD in Information Systems, in place since 2004, launched its synchronous online opportunity in the fall of 2024, also in one of the School’s hy-flex classrooms. The PhD program in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies is one of the oldest on campus and is preparing to launch an online opportunity in the fall of 2025.

The Dean reports to the Provost and serves as the Chief Academic and Administrative Officer of the Bryan School of Business and Economics. Responsible for providing overall vision and leadership for faculty, staff, administration, and students, the Dean ensures the quality of academic programs and the student experience and also ensures that the Bryan School retains its AACSB accreditation. Externally, the Dean represents the Bryan School to alumni, the region’s business community, and other key stakeholders. Working closely with faculty leadership, the Dean maintains a commitment to the principles of shared governance. They also play a critical role in establishing new – and strengthening existing – relationships across all constituencies, both internal and external.

The Dean’s leadership team includes an Associate Dean for Internal Affairs, an Assistant Dean for External Affairs, a Business Manager, a Senior Director of Development, and six Department Heads. The Dean is supported by a 19-member advisory board, many of whom are alumni and/or senior leaders in the region’s business community. The board advises the Dean on the advancement and strategic direction of the Bryan School. In addition, many individual departments have established advisory boards that provide strategic counsel to department heads and faculty. The Dean manages a budget of more than $25 million from all State and non-State sources, excluding Bryan School scholarships.

The successful candidate should hold an earned PhD, or equivalent terminal degree(s), and possess a record of recognized achievement in leadership, service, teaching and research.

The Bryan School of Business and Economics seeks in its next dean a transformational leader with the vision, energy, integrity, and humility to lead the School to an even higher level of excellence, success, and prominence. The successful candidate will possess many of the following skills, credentials, and personal qualities:

• A visionary, strategic leader with a demonstrated record of success who can inspire the Bryan School community;
• Commitment to academic excellence and innovation across the curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• Knowledgeable of standards for and experience with accreditations processes such as AACSB and TAPAC;
• An aptitude for or established record of fundraising;
• A passion for engaging students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, volunteers, and the business community;
• An understanding of and experience with all learning environments, including online and hybrid, with an eye toward student accessibility and engagement;
• A solid track record of interdisciplinary collaborations;
• Deep knowledge of the issues and challenges facing higher education, including finances and shifting market dynamics; understanding of the interplay between academic priorities and resource requirements; and experience setting and managing budgets;
• A proven commitment to embracing and fostering the success of an entire student, faculty, and staff community and the will to embrace intercultural engagement in all aspects within the UNCG community;
• Significant and successful experience managing, allocating, and prioritizing financial, physical, technological, and human resources;
• A collaborative and transparent leadership style that fosters an environment of trust, empowerment, and shared governance; proven experience and leadership in times of uncertainty; ability to connect with others and to create meaningful dialogue;
• Intellectual presence and vitality; passion for teaching, learning, and scholarship; and belief in the transformative power of education for students, community, and society at large;
• A deep professional and personal commitment to the mission and traditions of UNCG;
• Industry experience and a terminal degree are strongly preferred;
• Honesty, humility, and a good sense of humor.

UNCG has retained Isaacson, Miller has been retained to assist in the search for the Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor.

Please direct all inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications in strict confidence to:
Phillip Petree, Partner Lauren Wilkes, Senior Associate Isaacson, Miller

https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/university-north-carolina-greensboro-bryan-school-business-economics/dean

Commensurate with experience

Office of the Provost - 10101

10/01/2024

Yes

1.000

Permanent

12

Exempt

20%

Strengthen the Bryan School’s brand through clear articulation of its value proposition

A key task for the Dean will be to develop and communicate a compelling story to inspire the Bryan School community, prospective students, alumni, and industry leaders with the goal of bolstering its reputation in the region and expanding its reach in North Carolina, in the country, and internationally. Then Dean is the primary advocate and champion for a faculty that produces high-quality research and is also committed to student success. On a practical level, the dean must ensure that this message is reflected in the Bryan School’s communications, branding, and enrollment strategy.

20%

Ensure a distinctive and affordable high-quality education

By assessing the Bryan School’s existing portfolio of academic programs, the dean must identify opportunities to launch new programs and bolster existing ones so that its offerings are on the cutting edge and its graduates are market ready. They must collaborate with other UNCG deans to expand existing interdisciplinary programs as well as identify new opportunities to maximize online learning platforms that meet the needs of a rapidly changing higher education market. While the Bryan School has enjoyed very strong enrollment, the dean will need to examine how the Bryan School improves time-to-degree, how it raises and disburses financial aid, and how it adjusts to an increasingly diverse and cost-conscious student market in order to ensure continued stability.

20%

Drive and prioritize fundraising efforts

The Dean will lead the Bryan School to a position of greater financial strength. Like many public institutions of higher learning, UNCG is a tuition-dependent institution and is affected by the rising costs of education and shifting demographics. The Bryan School has enormous potential to garner support from alumni, the advisory board, and the area business community. The dean will be a committed fundraiser, working closely with a dedicated advancement professional to identify, engage, cultivate, and solicit significant support from individuals, corporations, and government sources. The Dean will secure funding for strategic priorities, including faculty research, student scholarship, and curriculum and program development.

20%

Build upon relationships with the region’s business community and alumni

The Dean must lead a vigorous outreach campaign to the business community and Bryan School alumni. External stakeholders are critical to the new dean’s success and that of the Bryan School. The local business community offers enormous potential for the employment of the Bryan School’s graduates, collaborations with faculty, and philanthropic support. The Dean will ensure that the Bryan School’s presence is felt in the area and that robust, meaningful relationships exist at all levels in the business community. The Dean will seek opportunities to be seen and heard locally and beyond, serving as a thought leader in the region.

20%

Be a strong advocate for the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion and promote a culture of care for students, faculty, and staff

As the most diverse campus in the UNC system, UNCG has prioritized issues of fairness and objectivity and is proud of its culture of care for all. The Dean will promote a sense of inclusivity in which all community members are actively welcomed into the life of the Bryan School. They will value difference and will proactively address barriers to the free flow of ideas, opportunities, and information. The Dean will model inclusive behavior by recognizing the dignity of all and will promote ongoing efforts to recruit and retain talented and diverse faculty and staff.

Hand Movement-Repetitive Motions - o, Hand Movement-Grasping - o, Holding - o, Reading - c, Writing - c, Eye-hand coordination - o, Vision-Preparing/Analyzing figures - c, Vision-Visual inspection - o, Hearing - c, Talking - c, Standing - o, Walking - o, Climbing-Stairs - o

Inside - c, Outside - o