Dean, School of Management

Boston, MA, United States

The Opportunity

Simmons University seeks a new Dean for its School of Management (SOM) to build on its pioneering history as home to the first MBA designed specifically for women, and reestablish its unique, women-centered leadership role in the field of undergraduate and graduate business education. The successful Dean will be an entrepreneurial and visionary leader, with a track record of championing gender equity in organizations and building successful and innovative programs from the ground up. The new Dean will join a dedicated faculty of scholars and practitioners committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service and eager to launch the new chapter of undergraduate and graduate Management and Leadership education at Simmons University.

Simmons University: An Overview

Located in the heart of Boston, Simmons University is a private, not-for-profit university, home to a respected women-centered undergraduate program, as well as coeducational graduate programs in nursing and health sciences, social work, public health, library and information science and liberal arts.

For more than a century, Simmons has offered a pioneering liberal arts education integrated with professional preparation and education. Since its founding in 1899, Simmons has been at the forefront of expanding opportunities for women and pioneering fields that advance equity and justice locally and globally. Founder John Simmons was a prominent Boston clothing manufacturer who provided in his estate funds to establish a "female college best calculated to enable the scholars to acquire an independent livelihood." His commitment to women's professional success in business has a long legacy within the institution:

Simmons' School of Salesmanship was founded in 1915, eventually evolving to become the Prince School of Retailing in 1941;

Simmons School of Business was founded in 1942;

Simmons Graduate School of Management, founded in 1974 by Margaret Hennig and Anne Jardem, launched the world's first Masters in Business Administration designed specifically for women.

Simmons has established a model of higher education that colleges and universities today are only beginning to emulate: the combination of education for leadership in high-demand professional fields with the intellectual foundation of the liberal arts. The result: a Simmons graduate prepared not only to work, but to lead in professional, civic, and personal lifea vision of empowerment that Simmons calls preparation for life's work.

In the more than one hundred years since its founding, Simmons has changed dramatically, but the mission and commitment to helping its undergraduates and graduate students find meaningful work is as strong as it was at its founding.

The Simmons Vision: Rooted in an age-old fight for equality, we envision a future where our historic foundation as a women's college offers scholars an opportunity to pursue their life's work; where our expertise in fields that improve the human condition serves as a resource for the nation; where the relationships that are formed through teaching and learning are a cornerstone of our success; and where our home in the city of Boston welcomes all genuine forms of intellectual curiosity, imagination, and self-expression.

From College to University: A Decade of Growth

In the summer of 2018, Simmons College became Simmons University - a transition that resulted from many years of planning and reflected the institution's growth over the previous decade. As part of that process, the University renewed its commitment to maintaining a diverse portfolio of offerings, including online and on-campus undergraduate and graduate programs, and a partnership with 2U that expanded on-campus program offerings to its online platform. Today, Simmons offers its unique women-centered undergraduate degree completion program, CompleteDegree, and five online master's degrees in partnership with 2U, with students from all 50 states enrolled.

In addition, a new master plan includes state-of-the-art science facilities, and, starting summer 2023, the building of a "Living and Learning Center" that will house students and student-facing services.

Simmons School of Management

Building from its anchoring in sales and retail management, the University's first School of Business was established in 1962, and offered undergraduate majors in Retailing, Management, and Finance. Undergraduate majors in International Management, Accounting, and Marketing were added later, with the undergraduate program anchored on the historic Academic campus at 300 The Fenway.

The Graduate School of Management (GSM), joined Simmons to offer its signature MBA designed for women. The GSM was operationally and physically distinct from the School of Business, housed in its own three-building campus in Boston's Back Bay. In 2009, as part of a long-term effort to unite the campus community, the graduate programs were relocated to Simmons' US Green Building Council Platinum certified building, embodying the renamed School of Management's commitment to principled leadership: leadership anchored in values, accountable to all stakeholders - present and future - and centered in equity. This School of Management (SOM) united undergraduate and graduate business programs in one physical and administrative unit for the first time in Simmons' history.

In 2010, the SOM launched two new graduate programs to expand its ability to support women's professional success: The Masters of Business Administration in Healthcare Management (Healthcare MBA) was designed to expand on the University's strong undergraduate and graduate health professions programs as well as the legacy women-centered MBA to offer students distinct expertise in the management and leadership of healthcare organizations. The Masters of Science in Management was launched with distinct tracks in General Management, Nonprofit Management and Communications Management, with the goal of offering early career professionals the foundational business and management skills necessary for progression in their careers.

With ever increasing competition in the Boston higher education landscape, however, these programs struggled to maintain financially sustainable enrollments, and, as a result, in 2015 the Administration suspended on-campus enrollment in the legacy MBA, the Healthcare MBA and the Masters of Science in Management, and transitioned the two MBA programs supported by 2U.

In February 2020, Simmons' Board of Trustees made the historic appointment of nationally renowned organizational development and transformation scholar Lynn Perry Wooten as its 9th President. President Wooten brought a reimagined vision for Simmons as an institution that anchors the liberal arts and the professions in our historical commitment to social justice. This vision champions leadership education throughout the curriculum and reaffirms the institution's commitment to women-centered business education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Today, the SOM currently has over 80 undergraduate students majoring in Accounting, Business & Management, Finance, Marketing and Retail Management, in addition to a joint Public Relations and Marketing Communications major in partnership with the Communications faculty. These programs yield strong post-graduate career placements at national and international firms, including CVS, EY, PwC, Nike, Massachusetts General Hospital, State Street, Arnold Worldwide and Akamai Technologies, in addition to numerous small to medium sized firms.

The SOM operates these programs for traditional campus-based undergraduate students as well as a Business and Management program within Simmons CompleteDegree program, which is designed for adult learners completing their undergraduate degrees online. Enrollment in this program began in 2021 and enrollment in the Business and Management program is currently small but with substantial potential for growth. Added to this growth potential is the integration of Economics into the SOM adding 20 majors in Economics to the School. Additional growth through the development of a Masters program in Management will reestablish our delivery of dynamic graduate management programs centered in gender equity that prepare even more Simmons students for their life's work.

The Role

President Wooten's vision for revitalizing women-centered business education at Simmons is reflected in reestablishing a School of Management, led by a Dean. Reporting to the Provost, this Dean will work closely with Deans leading five other Schools: the School of Science and Health Professions, the School of Nursing, the School of Library and Information Science, the School of Social Work, and the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and innovative leader committed to excellence in business education to rebuild a School of Management that has a distinct track record of providing excellent and inclusive business education to women, non-binary and transgender students. The new Dean will lead a full-time faculty of eight across the legacy disciplines of Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, and newly joined by faculty from Economics.

Priorities

During this transformative time in the history of Simmons University, the next Dean will have the chance to focus on the following exciting opportunities:

Provide visionary, entrepreneurial leadership

Cultivate a climate of intellectual and creative vitality that unifies constituents around a shared vision for the School;

Launch new Masters in Management graduate programs designed for early career women, non-binary and transgender professionals and their allies, particularly targeted towards industries where opportunities exist for improved gender equity and inclusion;

Develop opportunities to partner with the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership in support of academic programs and alumnae/i engagement;

Foster an integrated academic community, collaborating with the deans of the other schools to enhance interdisciplinary opportunities, such as in inclusive leadership, global engagement, social justice, and accelerated graduate programs (the "Simmons Edge");

Work with the Office of Admission to increase enrollments, currently at the undergraduate level and eventually at the graduate level once programs have been launched; and

Ensure undergraduate and graduate programs remain current and market-relevant.

Raise recognition and resources

Build and promote the reputation and name recognition of SOM in alignment with Simmons University's vision for and commitment to Inclusive Leadership;

Proactively engage, develop and strengthen external relationships with employers in the greater Boston area, and beyond, which are critical to student internship and applied learning project placement and career progress; and

Work closely with University Advancement to support fundraising and growing engagement with SOM alumnae/i.

Oversee and, as needed, Expand Academic Operations

Work closely with University Administration to launch and grow Simmons accelerated masters degrees;

Work with Faculty leads for undergraduate and graduate programs, the Dean will ensure students across all SOM programs receive exceptional advising, academic opportunities, co-curricular support and pathways to career success;

Coordinate with faculty member liaisons for curriculum, research, assessment of learning and strategy to ensure ongoing progress supporting excellent academic, research and operational outcomes;

Manage deployment of full-time and adjunct faculty across all SOM and shared programs across campus; and

Recruit, interview, hire and evaluate adjunct faculty as needed.

Key Qualifications

The next Dean of SOM will be an experienced and entrepreneurial leader, whether from industry, the social impact sector, or higher education. They should have at minimum an MBA or Masters degree in a discipline currently housed within the SOM, though a doctoral degree is welcome. They should have a proven track record of building and growing lean and innovative programs or initiatives with sustained positive social impact, preferably centered around gender equity.

Strong candidates will also demonstrate excellence in most or all of the following:

Collaborative leadership and management skills, centered around championing the individuals and the group they manage;

Knowledge of the higher education landscape, including both on-campus and online learning;

Demonstrated history of creating and supporting a workplace committed to collaboration, teamwork, diversity, equity and inclusion;

Ability to seize opportunities for the School to partner with industry to support the success both of students and of industry partners;

Proven track record as a creative problem solver;

Demonstrated experience building consensus, nurturing relationships, and collaborating across campus units;

Ability to manage change deftly, including comfort leading within an evolving institutional environment;

Demonstrated commitment to the education and empowerment of women, non-binary and transgender professionals;

Focus on recruiting and retaining a culturally diverse faculty, staff, and student body;

Ability to recruit, retain, mentor and support faculty and staff from underrepresented groups;

Track record of fostering innovation and collaboration across disciplines; and

Strong communication skills, both in writing and public speaking, with a variety of audiences, both external and internal.

Procedure for candidacy

Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Consistent with our goals to achieve diversity at all levels of university leadership, Simmons welcomes nominations and applications from individuals in traditionally underrepresented groups and those dedicated to building a culture of inclusive excellence at Simmons.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Candidates should provide, as two separate documents, a resume and a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Specification.

Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed to:

Dr. Diane Grossman, Search Committee Chair

Interim Dean, Ifill College of Media, Arts and Humanities

[email protected]

Simmons University

300 The Fenway

Boston, MA 02115.

Salary Grade

Annual Compensation Grade

Instructions to Applicants : Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual's community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices-at all levels, for all positions-ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.

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