Responsibilities
As the chief academic officer, the Dean of the School of Business is responsible for the stewardship of the School of Business resources to achieve the School’s mission: its faculty, students, and fiscal resources. This management includes ensuring that the School of Business maintains the standards of academic excellence and assessment for continued AACSB accreditation and collaborating with other divisions at Meredith College in support of the College as a whole.
Supervision
In the current structure, the Dean of the School Business directly supervises these positions:
- Department Head
- Director of Student Support
- Program Directors for Economics and Hospitality and Tourism Management Majors
- Associate Director of the MBA Program
- MBA Admissions Coordinator
- Administrative Assistant, School of Business
- Full (15) and Part-time (5) Faculty
The Dean also interacts and collaborates with four other academic Deans: Arts and Humanities; Education, Health, and Human Sciences; Natural and Mathematical Sciences; and the Library, as well as with the members of the Executive Leadership Team, which consists of the President, Senior Vice President and Provost, Vice President for College Programs, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Vice President for Marketing and Communications, and the Vice President for Business and Finance. The Dean of the School of Business is expected to engage in fundraising activities, working closely with the President and Vice Presidents.
The Dean also works closely with the Business Advisory Board, a group of business leaders from the Raleigh area. This Board provides advice, analysis, and assistance to the School of Business in areas including academics, accreditation, placement of graduates, and fundraising.
Current Challenges and Opportunities
Meredith very successfully achieved AACSB re-accreditation in the Spring of 2020. The Dean will continue work on assessment and strategic planning for the School. The Dean will also continue to support faculty and students engaged in research to exceed accreditation standards. Innovation and a keen awareness of ways in which Meredith is competitive among its peers and regional institutions will be areas for growth and development.
The School of Business provides important ways for students to be involved beyond their classes through student organizations, the Broyhill Business Fellows program, and student honors societies. Each of these is an opportunity for the Dean to connect the work of the School to the business community in the Raleigh region and to seek new ways for students to be engaged and supported in their studies.
Faculty, staff, and students are keenly aware of the need for greater diversity within the College community, as well as the need, in times of such social unrest, for cultural competency and understanding of bias and privilege. For a leader with empathy, financial acuity, and understanding of higher education organizations, this is an extraordinary opportunity to work with a close-knit, dedicated college community with strong ties to a vibrant region.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many IT and logistical challenges for the College, and faculty in the School of Business have responded well to challenges like moving from primarily offering face-to-face classes to a variety of modalities (asynchronous, synchronous online, hybrid); utilizing Zoom boards in classrooms; using other technologies to enhance collaboration in online classes and virtual project teams; and offering co-curricular programming in a virtual format. There are continuing areas to explore, however, related to the use of technology in the School of Business. Current students note that there is a need for greater investment in the technologies that will make them competitive and successful as they enter the workforce.