RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION
Reporting to the provost and vice president of academic affairs, the dean of the W. Fielding Rubel School of Business (Rubel School) serves as the school’s chief academic and administrative officer and is responsible and accountable for its operations’ strategic and academic direction. The Rubel School dean works closely with key stakeholders to develop and implement a compelling and ambitious vision for the school’s future within the context of the institutional strategic plan. The dean will set and implement The Rubel School of Business’ strategic direction, support faculty development, build and refine academic program offerings, advance academic excellence, foster external relationships and partnerships, and advance fundraising and alumni relations. The dean has responsibility and oversight of the curricula, programs, courses of instruction, teaching, academic advising, school budget, and certification and accreditation of all programs.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The dean of the Rubel School of Business will be a leader capable of inspiring faculty, staff, students, and business leaders to build on the school’s reputation to create innovative business curricula and programs that graduate students ready for the business world. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to excellence in undergraduate liberal arts and professional and graduate education. Candidates must have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to define a vision for the Rubel School while developing support for common goals and building relationships across the university. The next dean will have experience with program development for enrollment growth and familiarity with AACSB standards and regional accreditation. Candidates must be capable of supporting a diverse faculty, staff, and student body. A record of accomplishment in both professional and academic circles is required. An earned doctoral degree and qualifications for tenure at the rank of professor are preferred, but candidates with records of significant accomplishment outside of higher education will be considered.
Successful candidates will be:
- Visionaries who can facilitate collaborations that enhance the Rubel School’s reputation, creating curricula and programs that meet 21st-century business needs.
- Community builders who successfully cultivate business leadership networks and create productive relationships across campus.
- Effective decision-makers with strong organizational and strategic abilities.
- In tune with changes in the higher education business market and the changing expectations of business leaders on needed learning outcomes and skills of business school graduates.
- Experienced leaders and administrators with knowledge of curriculum and program development and accreditation standards.
- Visible advocates for the Rubel School and its faculty, staff, students, and graduates.
- Leaders who facilitate and support faculty development.
- Knowledgeable about faculty tenure and review processes, with a demonstrated record of ensuring transparent and equitable policies and procedures.
- Able to partner with enrollment management to increase enrollment and student retention.
- Collaborators who work effectively with department chairs to create effective goals and metrics for recruitment and assessment.
- Capable budget managers who are also knowledgeable in human resource management.
- Well-versed in fundraising best practices, with a track record of seeking and leveraging new resources.
HISTORY OF THE POSITION
The former Rubel School dean resigned to create a business; she has since accepted another deanship. Interim Dean Daniel Petree, a Registry placement, has capably continued to move the Rubel School forward, working with the faculty on priorities that include revising the master’s degree in business program.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE
Bellarmine offers the Rubel School dean a unique opportunity to connect with business leaders. Louisville offers ready networking opportunities with executives from major regional, national, and global industries. The president, trustees, and the Rubel School advisory board members are willing and able to assist the new dean in making connections. The dean will need to take advantage of these opportunities while balancing them with the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the school.
The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, in combination with the Rubel School leadership turnover, calls for a dean capable of rebuilding the community and improving faculty morale. Students express a strong need for a present dean, a good listener, and a transparent communicator.
The Bellarmine president and board have committed to increasing investment in business and healthcare academic programs. However, university-wide budget cuts have led to lower staffing levels and operational budgets in some areas. The new dean must strategically utilize existing resources and identify areas for further investment and growth.
The Rubel School of Business has a strong reputation for academic excellence within the university and as a producer of leaders within the business community. Recent losses of accounting faculty have threatened the Rubel School’s reputation in that area, but Bellarmine successfully hired an endowed chair of accounting to rebuild the accounting programs. The new dean should identify other areas for curricular innovation and improvement of student outcomes.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
After an appropriate interval of time, the success of the new dean will be measured by the following metrics. The new dean will:
- Develop a plan to maintain and then grow enrollments and revenue.
- Establish relationships with business leaders in Louisville and beyond.
- Assess resources needed to maintain academic excellence and grow the school, advocating for them and establishing fundraising priorities with an outreach plan.
- Improve faculty morale through inspirational leadership, clear communications, improved faculty development opportunities, and collaborative work developing a vision for the Rubel School’s future.
- Provide visible leadership for the Rubel School on and off campus.
- Partner effectively with campus leaders to ensure synergies between plans for the Rubel School and Bellarmine’s institutional strategic plan.
- Oversee a successful AACSB accreditation review.
OVERVIEW OF THE W. FIELDING RUBEL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
The Rubel School of Business’s mission is to provide inclusive, student-centered business education in the Catholic liberal arts tradition that educates the whole person and leads to impactful careers.
INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW
Bellarmine University is the premier independent Catholic university in the South. Founded in 1950, Bellarmine is committed to educational excellence and ethical awareness and consistently ranks among the nation’s best colleges and universities. Bellarmine has an undergraduate and graduate enrollment of almost 3000 students and continues to add new academic programs while maintaining small class sizes and personal attention to students. The Rubel School of Business is the only private university in Kentucky accredited by AACSB International. It is recognized by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review in their lists of “Best Business Schools.” With its beautiful residential campus located on the edge of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and situated as a gateway to the South and a crossway in the Midwest, Bellarmine is an engaged partner expanding learning opportunities, enhancing career networks and economic growth, and advancing equity and quality of life. The Rubel School aims to attract and support talented students with an innovative curriculum developed in dialogue with business leaders, providing outstanding preparation for business careers.
THE STUDENT BODY
Fall 2022 Total Headcount: 2,970
Female: 1,864 (63%)
Male: 1,106 (37%)
Full-time: 2,722 (92%)
Part-time: 248 (8%)
Under-represented Minorities: 688 (23%)
International: 61 (2%)
INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Susan M. Donovan, president
Susan M. Donovan, PhD, became Bellarmine University’s fourth president in February 2017 following a 32-year career at Loyola University Maryland. She had been executive vice president since 2011 and served as acting president in 2015. In Donovan’s first year, Bellarmine improved undergraduate retention; reduced debt and increased the endowment; saw record-breaking fundraising; and expanded its campus by purchasing the Watterson Medical Center, an 80,000-square-foot healthcare facility on seven and three tenths acres at 3430 Newburg Road that is adjacent to Bellarmine’s new sports park.
Donovan also pushed for increased shared governance and transparency and began a comprehensive strategic planning process. The result was 2019’s “Tradition and Transformation,” a plan that clarifies and affirms Bellarmine’s long-term vision, strategies, and goals and provides direction for the next five to seven years as the university moves toward even greater prominence and impact locally, regionally, and nationally.
Paul Gore, vice president for academic affairs and provost
As vice president for academic affairs and provost, Dr. Paul Gore provides leadership across divisions on curricular programming and innovation, learning assessment and accreditation, institutional assessment and effectiveness, faculty hiring, support, and professional development. Before he arrived at Bellarmine, Gore served as the dean of the college of professional sciences at Xavier University, the director of institutional research at the University of Utah, and the director of career transitions research at ACT, Inc. Gore has held primary faculty appointments since 1995 in the area of counseling psychology and has published over 70 research articles, book chapters, and books in the area of career development, student success, and statistical analyses. Gore earned his PhD in counseling psychology from Loyola University – Chicago, an MEd in community and family counseling from Northeastern Illinois University – Chicago, an MS in applied biopsychology from the University of New Orleans, and a BS in psychology and biology from Saint Louis University.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT
“Bellarmine University is a community of compassion, but we too can do our part to improve the lives of all members of our community, to work to understand and rise above our own prejudices, and to embrace the inherent dignity of each individual person.” — President Susan M. Donovan
Bellarmine is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants with diverse backgrounds to apply.
BENEFITS OVERVIEW
All full-time regular employees are eligible for fringe benefits on the first day of the month following date of hire. For information on the benefits offered at Bellarmine University, see here.
Review of applications will begin March 31, 2023, and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Sharon Meagher at smm@spelmanandjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email info@spelmanjohnson.com.
Public salary range available on request. Please contact search consultant Sharon Meagher.
Visit the Bellarmine University website at https://www.bellarmine.edu/
Bellarmine University is committed to core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Bellarmine will demonstrate a fully realized and lived commitment to equity and inclusion, empowering all members of its increasingly diverse community and supporting them to achieve their full potential.
Bellarmine is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants with diverse backgrounds to apply.