Dean of Business

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is conducting a search for the Dean of the College of Business and invites nominations and applications for the position. The Dean provides leadership and is an advocate and spokesperson for the College, working effectively with students, staff, faculty, other deans, and campus leadership.

The Greater Huntsville Community: Located in the Tennessee Valley of Northern Alabama, Huntsville is the home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where the first rockets to take Americans to the moon were designed and built. Huntsville has an international reputation as a high tech center with ties to NASA, the Army’s Redstone Arsenal, and major government and private research organizations. UAH is the anchor tenant of Cummings Research Park, the second largest university-related research park in the United States, and home to 285 companies, including many of the nation’s top aerospace, defense, and engineering-related companies, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Teledyne Brown Engineering, SAIC Corp., Computer Sciences Corp., Raytheon, Boeing and Siemens.

The Huntsville community is recognized nationally for its strong economy and high levels of educational attainment. Huntsville is one of the 30 fastest growing and 25 most highly educated metropolitan areas in the country, and was named by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of the top places that power the US economy.

In addition to its diversified high-tech economy, Huntsville is rich in cultural and recreational activities with a thriving music and arts scene. The population of the metropolitan area is over 400,000 and growing. The public schools are among the best in the nation. For more information on the Greater Huntsville Community, visit www.huntsvillealabamausa.com.

The University: UAH prepares students for demanding positions in Business, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Science. Since 2008, the University has completed or currently has under way more than $150 million of new construction. The University has developed and is implementing a new strategic plan and campus master plan to plot a vision for the University for the next five to ten years. A new Welcome Center and Student Services Building is in the building phase with anticipated completion by Spring 2016.

Academics at UAH: UAH offers 82 degree-granting programs that meet the highest standards of excellence, including 39 bachelor's degree programs, 28 masters' degree programs, and 15 doctoral programs through its seven academic colleges -- Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Science, Honors, and Graduate School. Total enrollment is approximately 7,800, including approximately 1,900 graduate students. Undergraduates include 44 percent women, 56 percent men. UAH 2015 freshmen class scored an average of 27.1 on the ACT examinations, among the best of Alabama's public universities. UAH is considered a Tier 1 national university by U.S. News & World Report, and is rated as a “very high” research activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, one of 73 public universities in the United States to earn this designation. Barron’s Profiles in American Colleges list UAH as very competitive, one of two public universities in Alabama to earn this designation. Payscale, Inc. ranked UAH as the best return on investment in the state of Alabama, and #62 nationally.

UAH is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Numerous departments or programs also hold accreditation or certification from professional associations, including the American Chemical Society, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Music, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Qualifications: Candidates for the position of Dean of the College of Business must hold a Ph.D. or appropriate terminal degree in an area of Business from an AACSB accredited institution or Ph.D. in a related field as well as academic and scholarly accomplishments meriting appointment to the rank of professor with tenure in an academic department within the College.

The Role of the Dean

The Dean is the chief executive officer of the College, serves as a member of the Academic Affairs leadership team, and reports to and serves at the pleasure of the Provost and Vice president for Academic Affairs.

Principal Activities

The Dean of the College of Business

• Develops with the faculty a shared vision, mission, and strategic plan consistent with the mission and strategic plan of the University.
• Promotes and encourages faculty scholarship, research for undergraduate and graduate students, and the seeking of extramural funding for research support.
• Develops sustainable relationships with alumni and the community at large in collaboration with the office of institutional development to garner resources to advance the college’s mission.
• Promotes and develops relationships with Redstone Arsenal, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, businesses and industries located in the Cummings Research Park, and North Alabama as well as regional and national companies.
• Promotes an environment of open communication and shared governance.
• Embraces a culture of diversity and community among faculty, staff, and students.
• Creates and nurtures an academic environment that supports students and promotes student success.
• Develops and promotes quality academic programs that meet the educational requirements of the students and external constituents.
• Recognizes excellence and promotes a positive atmosphere of achievement in teaching, learning, and service among the students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
• Leads the recruitment of students, including freshmen and transfers at the undergraduate level, and graduate students in all of the college’s masters programs.
• Develops strategies to enhance the retention and timely graduation of students.
• Maintains collaborative relationships with state and local officials and with fellow deans on the UAH campus and within The University of Alabama System.
• Plans and coordinates academic program reviews to maintain accreditation and leads the college’s efforts in assessment for both AACSB and SACSCOC.
• Oversees reporting to Federal and State Agencies and the university information regarding student performance data.
• Represents the interests of the College to the University Administration and advocates for the College’s faculty, staff, and students.

The ideal candidate will have experience in developing strategies to increase enrollment, improve student retention, and persistence to graduation.

Successful candidates must demonstrate:

• Strong academic leadership with effective relationship-building and resource development, including fund raising.
• The ability to nurture a vibrant intellectual college environment in which learning and scholarly discovery flourish, and a commitment to excellence in scholarly endeavors.
• The skills to maintain and enhance our established ties with alumni, business, government, and international partners.
• The ability to build working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and alumni and enhance multi-disciplinary connections across the university.
• A commitment to excellent teaching that promotes learning and student success.
• A record of successful administrative experience and leadership in higher education.
• Strong decision-making skills, including effective fiscal management.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A commitment to diversity.

Application Procedure: For full consideration, applicants should submit a cover letter describing professional experience as it relates to the requirements of the position; a current resume/curriculum vita; and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of four references. Please send the application to search.cbadean@uah.edu. For additional information or questions please contact Sundar Christopher, Dean of the College of Science and Chair of the Search Committee, at search.cbadean@uah.edu or Peggy Bower, Search Committee Support at bowerp@uah.edu. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by March 1, 2016 although applications will be received until the position is filled.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer of minorities/females/veterans/disabled.