VCU Dean of the School of Business - Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
About the Job
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites applications and nominations for a visionary and strategic leader to serve as the Dean of the School of Business.
A close-knit community within a leading urban, public university, the School of Business enrolls nearly 4,000 students in a wide range of bachelor’s, master’s, certificate and doctoral programs. Since 1937, the School has developed strong connections within the Richmond business community and beyond, with students actively engaged in internships, corporate and research projects and learning from executives. VCU has earned both business and accounting accreditations by AACSB International, placing it in the top five percent of business schools worldwide. The School of Business, its programs and faculty have received national recognition from top publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Bloomberg Businessweek, CEO Magazine and Advertising Age. Its possibilities are extraordinary.
Reporting to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean will provide leadership for academics, research, community engagement and outreach, and resource development in the School of Business and have responsibility for matters relating to the management of the resources of the School, including its academic programs; centers/institutes; its faculty, staff and students; its facilities, and its budget. The Dean will be a strong advocate for the School of Business internally and externally and an excellent communicator able to convey the School’s mission, achievements, and impact to diverse stakeholders. As part of the senior leadership of the university, the Dean works with other senior officers and deans to realize VCU’s promising future.
Leadership Opportunities
Provide Visionary Leadership For the School of Business
The School of Business is committed to excellence in education, research, and societal impact. The Dean will contribute to, help shape and implement the School’s strategic plan, which serves as a roadmap for the School’s continued growth and success -- maintaining its commitment to access while elevating its reputation as one of the preeminent business schools in the country. To accomplish this objective, the Dean will be forward-looking with a keen understanding of where the rapidly changing field of business is moving, building on the School’s current successes and driving future growth and impact in emerging areas. The Dean will lead efforts to assure the quality and relevance of academic programs in the School, ensuring they align with industry trends, emerging technologies, and the global economy. In addition, the Dean will embrace online education and other innovative teaching methods, the development of interdisciplinary initiatives, and expanded experiential learning opportunities to enrich the educational experience for students.
Advance the Profile of the School of Business
The School of Business seeks a Dean who will embrace the distinctiveness of the School of Business and work to build the School's reputation, enhance brand awareness, and create greater visibility for the School in an increasingly competitive environment. The Dean must possess the ability to articulate the School’s value proposition to students and parents, champion research excellence and community impact, convey the School's distinctive advantages to employers and other partners, support faculty in their roles as thought leaders, and promote the success of its alumni.
Foster Impactful Research and the Success of the School of Business’ Centers, Institutes, and Labs
Research is a cornerstone of the School of Business’ mission. The Dean will develop and implement a vision for research growth, fostering a scholarship-oriented culture, ensuring that there is a strong research support infrastructure, promoting interdisciplinary and applied research, facilitating and advancing high-level research activities, and increasing the visibility of research conducted in the School of Business with enhanced communication of research impact to the community and beyond. In addition to their individual research, School of Business faculty support the initiatives of the various centers, institutes and labs that provide students with research and experiential learning opportunities in their disciplines.
Enhance Enrollment and Foster Student Success
The Dean will continue to grow enrollment by expanding recruiting initiatives into new markets, including international markets. In addition, the Dean will be inspired by the School of Business’ diverse student population and foster an inclusive environment that cultivates success for all by prioritizing initiatives that support student engagement, retention, graduation, and postgraduation outcomes. The Dean will have a data-informed approach to both enrollment and student success, leveraging analytics to identify trends, optimize recruitment strategies, and target support resources to maximize retention and graduation rates. The Dean will have a strong focus on students, both undergraduate and graduate, and a commitment to providing the services and support necessary to ensure their success.
Grow Increased Philanthropic Support for the School of Business
Working in partnership with VCU Development and Alumni Relations and the School of Business Foundation, the Dean will be an energetic and successful relationships builder and storyteller who will make fundraising one of their top priorities. The Dean will engage with alumni, who have a strong affinity for their alma mater, as well as friends, foundations, and corporations, to grow philanthropic support for the School of Business to support strategic priorities. As VCU is in the leadership phase of a campaign set to launch in fall 2025, one of the exciting opportunities the Dean will have is to envision work toward transformational opportunities for our students, faculty, staff and community.
Facilitate Enhanced Engagement and Partnerships with the Greater Richmond Business Community
The capital city of Virginia, Richmond is home to a diverse mix of companies, from established Fortune 500 corporations to startups, with sectors including banking and finance, insurance, , technology, healthcare and biotechnology, manufacturing and distribution, professional services, and others. The Dean will actively engage with the business community by forming strategic partnerships and facilitating student internships and experiential learning opportunities that address real-world challenges. By strengthening these ties, the Dean will aim to make the School of Business a vital resource for business, fostering an ecosystem of shared knowledge, innovative solutions, and collaborations that fuel sustainable economic growth in the community
Embody Collaborative Leadership
The Dean will embrace a collaborative and inclusive approach to leadership of the School of Business and foster a culture of integrity and transparency in all areas of the School’s operations and activities. The Dean will foster a synergetic environment where faculty and staff work in unison toward shared objectives, creating a unified vision that aligns academic excellence with student-centered support. Additionally, the Dean will support the development and career progression of both faculty and staff.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
The Dean will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in academic programs and research within the School of Business and across VCU, fostering innovative approaches to address complex challenges. By fostering a School of Business culture of collaboration with other academic units and VCU Health, the Dean will assure that the School of Business harnesses its full potential to make a broader and more significant impact on society and provide students with academic and research experiences that will enrich their education and best prepare them for their future endeavors.
Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
The successful candidate has a record of distinguished academic leadership, research and teaching and/or strong leadership experience in corporate and industry. Applicants should have experience in business and management in an academic and/or professional environment including planning, budgeting, team building, problem solving and project management.
Candidates should have a proven record of professional accomplishments and effective leadership, and have demonstrated the ability to foster a climate where learning and discovery flourish. The Dean will have the ability to balance strong academic and intellectual leadership with effective external relationship-building and resource development, and will be a leader able to articulate the narrative of the School of Business’s diverse accomplishments and aspirations with a sense of common purpose and pride.
This is an exceptional opportunity for an individual with the drive, skill and experience to bring creative leadership to a distinguished organization and to play a critical role in shaping its future. In addition to academic and/or industry experience, preferred qualifications include a record of distinguished public service; substantial administrative experience; demonstrated leadership and results in fostering equity, diversity and inclusion within organizations and communities; proven success in external fund development; a strong commitment to shared governance; and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor in the school.
In addition, the Dean will have the following preferred qualifications:
● An earned post-graduate degree in a discipline represented or related to the School of Business
● A demonstrated commitment to developing and promoting quality research and scholarship
● A student-centric focus with a deep investment in student outcomes, from academic performance to career placement
● A strong record and commitment to continuous improvement of student learning and faculty teaching
● A strong commitment to fostering community/university collaboration and partnerships
● A demonstrated commitment to faculty and programmatic development
● Demonstrated leadership in infrastructure development and organizational maintenance
● Familiarity with the processes for maintaining AACSB accreditation
● Experience with developing partnerships and working with international programs
● Deep understanding of contemporary and emerging issues in business to integrate them into the School of Business’ curriculum and research agendas
● Proven strong communication, management and organizational skills
● The ability to articulate the School of Business’ vision, goals, accomplishments and needs to constituents
● An entrepreneurial, innovative and global orientation
● Proven abilities and experience in fundraising
● A record of exemplary personal and professional integrity
● A demonstrated commitment to cross-disciplinary programs
Specific Responsibilities
● Serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School of Business at VCU, reporting directly to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
● Supervise all full-time instructional faculty, faculty in affiliated centers and staff members within the School
● Create a climate that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and meets the goals and vision of the School’s diversity plan
● Support student success at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, focusing on quality of students and diversity; provide services to ensure their success and support innovative teaching that prepares students for success
● Provide leadership in the advancement of a strategic vision for the School of Business and take responsibility for effectively articulating a shared vision to both internal and external constituents.
● Provide leadership in the advancement of a strategic vision for the School of Business and take responsibility for effectively articulating a shared vision to both internal and external constituents.
● Oversee curricular planning and development, budget management, external resource development, including extramural research funding and development, and alumni relations.
● Recognize, reward, facilitate and advance the scholarship and research endeavors of the School of Business.
● Establish new and expand existing corporate partnerships.
● Establish and create relationships with diversity focused business organizations in the local and state business community.
● Develop a global strategy for student pipeline and faculty research collaboration with international partners.
● Develop long-term planning for faculty and staff recruitment, professional development and evaluation.
● Represent the School of Business on the Council of Deans and to all external constituents and partners of the school.
● Participate as an active voting member of the VCU School of Business Foundation Board of Trustees
For more information, please see the full position description here.
Applications, Nominations and Expressions of Interest
AGB Search is pleased to assist Virginia Commonwealth University with this leadership search.
For best consideration, applications should be submitted by January 10, 2025, to the AGB Search Portal: VCU Dean, School of Business. Candidates are requested to submit the following:
1. A curriculum vitae or resume,
2. A letter of interest that addresses the leadership opportunities and desired experiences and attributes in this profile, and
3. Contact information for five references (to be contacted at a later date with candidate’s permission).
Nominations and expressions of interest in the Dean, School of Business position are encouraged. Please direct them to VCUDeanBusiness@agbsearch.com or to the AGB search consultants listed below.
● Kimberly Templeton, JD, Principal
● kimberly.templeton@agbsearch.com / 540.761.9494
● Frederick Moore, JD/MBA, Senior Executive Search Consultant
● Anne Hoffman, Executive Search Associate
● anne.hoffman@agbsearch.com / 805.490.9161
Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Professor
Months: 12
Department:School of Business
Salary: Commensurate
Contact Information:
Contact Name:
Contact Email: VCUDeanBusiness@agbsearch.com
Contact Phone:
Source : Virginia Commonwealth University