Associate dean - school of business

The University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin) invites nominations and applications for the position of Associate Dean to lead its School of Business. The School of Business, which houses all of the AACSB-accredited business programs and faculty within UT Martin’s broader College of Business, seeks an innovative, collaborative, and visionary leader to partner with the dean and others to advance the College's mission of excellence in business education, research, ethical leadership, and experiential learning.

About the University of Tennessee at Martin

UT Martin is a public, regional comprehensive university in the University of Tennessee System that includes the main campus, and six regional centers located throughout West Tennessee. Located in rural Northwest Tennessee, UT Martin is a small-town University for people with big dreams. The main campus is located in the welcoming community of Martin, Tennessee and offers more than 140 academic areas of study in a traditional college setting. UT Martin students experience high-quality academic programs, excellent facilities, and outstanding faculty members whose primary focus is teaching. Fall 2026 enrollment totaled 8,253 students who came to the University from 91 of Tennessee's 95 counties, 43 states, and 20 countries. The University competes in NCAA Division I in both men's and women's athletics and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.

About the College and School

The College of Business at UT Martin supports the regional and global economy through business education, outreach, policy engagement, societal impact, ethical leadership, and community-based partnerships. Through its School of Business, the College offers AACSB-accredited business programs, including undergraduate programs in accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, and marketing, and an online Master of Business Administration program that prepares students for leadership in an interconnected world. The School enrolls approximately 850 undergraduates and 130 graduate students, and its MBA program is ranked highest among colleges and universities in Tennessee and tied for 59th place nationwide. The new Associate Dean will have the opportunity to work closely with other parts of the College, including the Regional Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (REED) Center and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC), which foster regional economic development by supporting prospective entrepreneurs and owners of existing small businesses with individual consultant services, group training services, and associated technical resources. The new Associate Dean will have a significant opportunity to meaningfully influence the future of the College, including through the development of a new $57.5 million building that is expected to break ground in 2027.

The Opportunity

The Associate Dean provides strategic, operational, and academic leadership for the School of Business at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin), an AACSB-accredited business school comprising undergraduate and graduate programs. The Associate Dean is responsible for the School’s academic quality, accreditation and continuous improvement activities, resource and personnel management, and successful academic operations. Through strategic and mission-centered leadership, the Associate Dean drives performance, enrollment, and student success; facilitates a positive work and learning culture; fosters excellence in teaching, research, and service; and cultivates strong relationships with external partners that will benefit the School and its students. Reporting to the Dean of the College of Business, the Associate Dean works collaboratively with discipline leads, program directors, faculty, staff, and students to plan, coordinate, and advance the School’s academic priorities, ensuring they are effectively implemented and sustained over time.

To Apply or Nominate a Potential Candidate

To nominate a potential candidate or to inquire further about the position, contact Dr. Tim Todd, Interim Dean of the College of Business, at ttodd12@utm.edu.

Applications for the Associate Dean will be considered until the position is filled; however, for full consideration, application materials should be submitted by November 28, 2026.

Applicants should submit:

• a substantive letter of interest stating how the candidate’s experience and qualifications connect with the desired leadership attributes and themes stated in this profile;
• a curriculum vitae; and
• names and contact information for four professional references, including a faculty and staff member who have experienced the candidate’s leadership, a supervisor or administrator who directly observed the candidate’s leadership, and another reference who can speak to the candidate’s leadership and potential in the role of Associate Dean. References will be contacted only if candidates reach the interview stage.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated record of strong leadership qualities and success in managing academic quality and operations in AACSB-accredited undergraduate and graduate business-related programs. Preferred candidates will also possess a successful record of managing budgets/resources, positive faculty/staff and culture, curriculum, AACSB accreditation, enrollment and student success, student engagement, external relations, and fundraising.

Specifically, the successful candidate will demonstrate that they possess a record of leadership reflecting the following desired attributes and experience:

• Sound judgment, high integrity, credibility, transparency, fairness, empathy, responsiveness, and trustworthiness
• Exceptional organizational, communication, time management, and problem-solving skills
• An ability to build and lead organizational systems, coordinate complex multi-stakeholder initiatives, and consistently deliver measurable results in an academic environment through practical solutions, proactivity, and the removal of barriers to effective change
• Recruitment of students to undergraduate and/or graduate business programs
• Promotion of effective shared governance structures, including appropriate faculty participation in decision making and responsiveness to strategic direction from senior leadership
• Cultivation and management of a positive culture for work and learning that fosters collegiality and collaboration
• Experience advancing an environment of high engagement and accountability among faculty and staff, including fostering a strong culture of engagement with students and external stakeholders
• Effective day-to-day administration of academic programs (e.g., oversight of course scheduling and delivery at multiple sites and across various delivery modes, academic policies, catalog updates, transfer credit evaluations, articulation agreements, student requests, etc.)
• Management of faculty and staff, including recruitment, onboarding, and mentoring; setting clear behavioral standards and performance expectations; evaluation of performance (including evaluations related to faculty tenure and promotion); recommendation of salary adjustments; workload management; faculty and staff development; and ensuring employee compliance with policies, standards, and administrative directives
• Strategic leadership to foster curricular innovations, development, and improvements, especially related to student success, career readiness, continuous improvement, experiential learning, and alignment with workforce and employer needs
• Data-centered decision making and improvements
• Strategic leadership supporting successful AACSB accreditation, including planning, monitoring, or reporting related to Assurance of Learning or Continuous Improvement Reviews, translation of accreditation standards into sustainable organizational accountability systems and continuous improvement practices, and evaluation of faculty qualifications and sufficiency processes
• Development and administration of budgets and donor funds to facilitate instructional quality, enrollment growth, student success and career readiness, faculty excellence, effective data and technology infrastructure, and community engagement/outreach
• Fundraising through grants, sponsorships, and philanthropic support
• Support for strategic initiatives that enhance student retention, progression, academic success, and career outcomes
• Promotion of student engagement activities (e.g., support of undergraduate research, study abroad, service learning, internships, business student organizations, case competition teams, professional fraternities, consulting clinics, physical and/or digital hubs for peer-to-peer networking, student ambassador programs, pitch competitions, student recognition events, networking events, career development activities and fairs, etc.)
• Partnership with, and stewardship of, alumni, business and industry leaders, community organizations, and/or donors
• Experience with cross-disciplinary collaborations, especially to foster innovative curricular development or community engagement
• Representation at internal and external meetings, events, and forums, including recruiting and advising events, career fairs, Advisory Council meetings, and community meetings for professional associations, business groups, and civic clubs to promote School initiatives
• Collaboration with School and senior administration leadership on policy development and implementation, including compliance with university policies and procedures

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will have a minimum of five years of relevant experience in higher education, a record of successful and progressive academic leadership, an earned Ph.D. or other terminal degree in a discipline represented in the School of Business, and a record of teaching and scholarly achievement that is aligned with AACSB faculty standards and suitable for tenure at the full or associate professor level.