Texas A&M University-Commerce seeks an outstanding and experienced leader to serve as Dean of the College of Business (COB).
The Dean, who reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, is responsible for all aspects of the College, including teaching, research, personnel matters, enrollment, and external relations such as alumni, donors and the business community. The Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the COB, and oversees all operational, fiscal and strategic matters of the College. The Dean develops and maintains the highest standards for academic excellence and accomplishment and serves as the spokesperson of the College to external partners.
This search is in partnership with AGB Search.
To ensure full consideration by the Business Dean Search Committee, applicants should apply by September 20, 2024. The search will continue until a new Dean is appointed.
Interested applicants should submit:
All application materials should be submitted through the AGB Search Portal System at Texas A&M University-Commerce – College of Business.
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to TAMUC-COB@agbsearch.com.
Nominations and inquiries should be directed to:
A&M-Commerce, AACSB accredited, is a rapidly growing university, with a rising profile, making positive strides toward innovation and the future. Driving the ascending trajectory is the university's commitment to providing high-quality educational opportunities that prepare students for success, including those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds. A student-ready university leading in social mobility and achieving academic excellence in a wide range of traditional and interdisciplinary programs, the university is recognized nationally for an innovative spirit and unique rural-urban identity, providing access and opportunities to ensure student career preparedness and professional development for all members of the university community.
Located just outside of Dallas, the university offers 130 affordable degree programs and is becoming the school of choice for urban and rural Northeast Texas. The university supports a thriving Greek system and more than 140 clubs and organizations. The Lion Athletics program recently joined NCAA Division I, competing in 14 sports.
Embracing a mission to transform lives, A&M-Commerce has seen an increase in overall enrollment with 12,094 students in Fall 2023, including over 3,700 graduate students. The most significant increase was among first-time freshmen, a remarkable 22.1% increase over last year and one of the highest overall percentage enrollment across the state of Texas.
The main campus, located in the city of Commerce, covers 2,094 acres. The new 8750 North Central Expressway location in Dallas invites an urban audience, for whom convenience and accessibility are important considerations. Additional education sites include Bryan, Corsicana, Mesquite and online.
Students work with world-class professors who dedicate themselves to excellence in teaching, research and service. The university maintains strong relationships with local and regional industries to create relevant academic programs and valuable internship and networking opportunities that prepare career-ready graduates. As an Adobe campus, focus is given to digital literacy, with an approach to career preparedness that begins at the time of enrollment. Student success remains at the core of this university, offering students the opportunity to work with academic advisors, college life coaches, career navigators and money managers.
The institution’s mission is to transform the lives of students, as well as faculty and staff. All employees enjoy the opportunity to continue their education and take advantage of professional development opportunities, such as the courses offered each semester through the Presidential Initiative, “Investing in Us.”
The College of Business aims to inspire transformational learning, create applied knowledge and forge impactful connections in order to transform minds, businesses and lives. In support of this mission, the college values the following:
The COB typically enrolls 2,100 to 2,400 students each semester, with over half at the graduate level.
The student population is 51% female, and over 70% identify as first-generation. Almost one-third identify as White, 20% as Hispanic, 20% as African American and 7% as Asian, with 16% being international students.
For additional information on the COB, please visit https://www.tamuc.edu/college-of-business/
The city of Commerce is located in Northeast Texas, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas. With a population of 9,293, Commerce is a close-knit community of involved citizens. The city’s historic downtown features family-owned boutiques, a coffee shop and eateries. Commerce has a high school, middle school and elementary school close to A&M-Commerce’s campus. The area is a peaceful and rural region.
Texas A&M University-Commerce’s Division of Academic Affairs oversees administrative support and results-based accountability to ensure academic excellence and nurture a sense of belonging for all. The mission is to empower individuals to explore and pursue their passions, transforming their lives for the better. This is achieved by investing in an array of teaching, classroom experiences, research, service, partnership and professional development initiatives that encourage innovation. We strive to create a conducive environment where our faculty and staff can prepare students with the necessary skills and behaviors to become career-ready graduates of the 21st century. Through our collaborative efforts, we aim to add value and impact to the Northeast Texas region and beyond.
Four competencies (observable skills and behaviors) anchor our collaborative efforts and decision-making:
The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs has published seven clear expectations for leadership at the Dean level. Expectations for driving results through ambiguity to bring about change are:
Deans are expected to embrace these expectations in the course of making difficult choices, implementing effective budget strategies and facilitating professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. The goal is leadership that is proactive and adaptable, able to achieve positive outcomes in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.
Recent years have marked a period of significant change for higher education across the nation and in Texas. External stakeholders are paying greater attention to the operations of universities, questioning curriculum decisions and raising free-speech issues.
Students – and their families – are more likely to think of themselves as customers and consumers. COVID has changed attitudes toward online and hybrid education. Convenience may now be of greater value than residing on a rural residential campus, especially for working adults.
The new dean will provide transformative leadership for the College of Business at a time when increased competition for students and funding renders “the way we’ve always done it” unsustainable.
The dean will provide leadership to initiatives such as the development of the Dallas site that fosters and enhances student and faculty engagement with the urban community. The dean will engage academic and non-academic stakeholders in planning for the future. The dean will be a representative and enthusiastic spokesperson for the College of Business and the university at the local, regional and national level.
Within the college, the dean will provide leadership and mentorship to department chairs, faculty, staff and students. The dean will foster an environment of integrity and united purpose that contributes to the development of new academic programs within the college and interdisciplinary pursuits across the university.
The College of Business is AACSB accredited. Scholarship, in the form of academic research, is a focus of faculty attention.
At the same time, achieving student success requires a focus on teaching and learning, that requires engagement with students who may have non-curricular needs.
Service to the business community is also a priority, which may require programs that produce certificates and badges, rather than degrees. Contracted applied research may be more effective in meeting business needs than traditional academic research.
Each of these areas is important. Each will have champions within the faculty.
The dean must be prepared to champion a diversified academic and service portfolio that balances research, teaching and service, while meeting program goals and objectives.
The faculty understands that the dean must make difficult decisions and it is not expected that there will be universal agreement when decisions are made. Respectful engagement where opinions are sought, listened to and considered will be the key to initiating and implementing new ideas.
Achieving a consensus that supports an atmosphere of adaptive change will be a major task of the new dean.
The dean and the business program are officially headquartered in Dallas, as the market represents a great possibility for program growth.
TAMUC occupies space in a Class-A high-rise facility in Dallas. Included at that location are all necessary student services, designed to provide a one-stop shop. The facility is strategically located to accommodate in-person classes at times convenient to students and there are plans to acquire additional space.
Yet to be determined is TAMUC’s market niche in the Dallas business community. What is its most effective mix of program delivery; in-person, hybrid, online synchronous and online asynchronous? How should faculty be assigned and how should they engage students and businesses?
The dean will be an active presence in the metroplex business community, with significant time spent in the greater Dallas area identifying ways TAMUC can meet its needs and develop relationships, agreements and contracts that position the Business College as an effective partner. The dean will also reach out to students to determine how to effectively serve them.
A&M-Commerce is on a growth trajectory. It is expected that enrollment will continue to grow.
To do this, the dean will need to actively engage in recruitment and retention through graduation. This will include promotion of experiential learning opportunities, expansion of student internships and successful job placement efforts. The role of faculty in achieving these outcomes will need to be defined and necessary changes implemented.
The dean will identify, attract and strategically manage financial resources for the College of Business. This begins with effectively managing an approximate $6.8 million annual budget, a faculty of 68 and a staff of 8.
Understanding that maintaining state-of-the-art programs and facilities is essential, the dean will assume responsibility for community outreach and engagement on a significant scale. TAMUC has an active development operation and the dean can expect assistance in developing relationships. The dean will be able to build on past successes as he/she actively engages in fundraising.
The dean will apply cutting-edge knowledge of national trends and priorities in business to develop new and improved academic programs and continuing education opportunities. This includes focused efforts to attract and retain quality faculty and students.
The dean will ensure that all regional and peer accreditation (AACSB) requirements continue to be met.
The dean will ensure ongoing quality and continuous improvement in the school’s academic program array at both the undergraduate and graduate level and in in-person, hybrid and online programs, by supporting and advancing progressive assessment efforts and strategies. The dean will continue to build the College’s research portfolio while enthusiastically supporting the school’s teaching mission.
The successful candidate will be an entrepreneurial, innovative visionary who values students, faculty and staff, and celebrates their successes. Candidates with significant academic leadership success are welcome to apply. A terminal degree in an appropriate discipline is required, as are credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor. An understanding of AACSB accreditation is a priority. Business experience outside of the academy is considered a plus.
The Dean will practice results-based accountability, drive engagement by empowering others, drive vision and purpose to achieve excellence and promote access through customer focus.
In addition, the new dean will exhibit the following qualities and experiences: