Job Description

Title: Dean, College of Business
College/Unit: College of Business
Campus Location: Normal, IL

Job Summary

Illinois State University seeks a leader who combines academic credibility, strategic vision, operational excellence, and a genuine commitment to developing people and strengthening organizations.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished scholar, an experienced academic administrator, and an exceptional relationship builder who leads with integrity, humility, and purpose. This individual will understand the evolving landscape of higher education and business education while demonstrating the judgment, curiosity, and courage necessary to guide the College through future opportunities and challenges.

The next dean will be expected to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement while serving as both the chief advocate for the College of Business and a trusted institutional leader

Additional Information

The dean leads in the context of shared governance, working collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, alumni, employers, corporate partners, community leaders, and University colleagues to shape the future of business education. The successful dean will balance academic excellence with operational effectiveness, entrepreneurial thinking with thoughtful stewardship, and innovation with a deep respect for the college’s traditions and values.

While the dean serves as the chief advocate for the College of Business, Illinois State also expects its deans to serve as institutional leaders. The next dean will contribute to university-wide initiatives, collaborate across colleges and divisions, and help strengthen Illinois State as a whole. Opportunities for collaboration include partnerships with the new College of Engineering, the Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management and its connections to actuarial science, and the School of Information Technology in the College of Applied Science and Technology. These partnerships offer opportunities to advance interdisciplinary initiatives in areas such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, risk management, and innovation.

The University is not seeking a leader who simply manages an excellent college. We seek a leader who will elevate it.

The next dean joins the College of Business at a pivotal moment for both business education and higher education. Rapid advances in technology, changing workforce expectations, demographic shifts, new models of learning, and increasing demands for public accountability are transforming the role of colleges of business. These changes present an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine how business education prepares graduates, supports organizations, advances scholarship, and contributes to economic and community vitality. The next dean will have the opportunity to build upon the college’s many strengths while leading its next phase of growth and distinction.

Build an exceptional college
The next dean will continue building a culture characterized by trust, transparency, collaboration, accountability, and shared purpose.
The successful dean will invest in leadership development throughout the College of Business, empowering department chairs, faculty, and staff while fostering an environment where innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement become part of the college’s everyday culture.

Prepare students for the future
Business education is evolving rapidly. Employers increasingly seek graduates who combine technical expertise with adaptability, ethical judgment, systems thinking, communication skills, and the ability to lead in environments characterized by uncertainty and rapid change. The next dean will position the College of Business to prepare graduates not simply for their first job, but for careers of continuous learning and leadership.
Student success will remain the college’s highest priority, encompassing recruitment, retention, graduation, career readiness, and lifelong engagement with the University.

Elevate scholarly impact
Illinois State is committed to expanding the impact of faculty scholarship and creative activity.
The next dean will build upon the College of Business’ scholarly strengths by fostering an environment in
which faculty pursue ambitious ideas, collaborate across disciplines, secure competitive external funding, and produce research that advances business knowledge while addressing the challenges facing organizations and society. The dean will support the development of a thriving scholarly community by investing in faculty success, mentoring emerging scholars, strengthening research infrastructure, and celebrating scholarship that demonstrates meaningful academic, professional, and societal impact. Success will be measured not only by scholarly productivity, but also by the influence that scholarship has on business practice, public policy, entrepreneurship, organizations, and communities.

Become an indispensable business partner
The College of Business enjoys long-standing partnerships with employers, alumni, professional organizations, and business leaders throughout Illinois and beyond. The next dean will strengthen these relationships while cultivating new opportunities that enhance student learning, faculty scholarship, workforce development, and economic growth. As the college’s chief ambassador, the dean will represent Illinois State with authenticity, credibility, and enthusiasm while building enduring relationships with alumni, donors, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, policymakers, and community leaders. The successful dean will position the college as an indispensable partner in advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, talent development, and economic vitality throughout the region and beyond.

Lead the comprehensive campaign
The next comprehensive fundraising campaign represents an important opportunity to advance the College of Business’ aspirations.
Working closely with University Advancement, alumni, faculty, and community partners, the dean will articulate a compelling vision that inspires philanthropic investment in scholarships, faculty excellence, research, student opportunity, facilities, and strategic initiatives. The successful dean will cultivate enduring partnerships rooted in shared purpose and long-term engagement.

Build the college of the future
The strongest organizations continually evolve. The next dean will help ensure that the College of Business remains agile, innovative, and well positioned to respond to future opportunities and challenges. This includes thoughtfully integrating emerging technologies, strengthening organizational effectiveness, simplifying processes, developing future leaders, making evidence-informed decisions, and strategically investing resources where they will have the greatest long-term impact. The dean will foster a culture that embraces thoughtful experimentation, continuous learning, responsible stewardship, and organizational adaptability while preserving the college’s enduring commitment to academic excellence.

Ultimately, the opportunity is not simply to manage change, but to build an organization capable of thriving through change.

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

$310,000 - $340,000 annually

University Benefit Highlights 

- Insurance benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life  
- Retirement and supplemental retirement planning options  
- Tuition waiver benefits available to staff as well as their eligible dependents  
- Paid holiday/administrative closures during Fall and Winter Breaks  
- Paid benefit time  
  
Additional University Benefit information, including information regarding eligibility to participate in the State Universities Retirement System and the State of Illinois Group Insurance program, can be reviewed here: https://hr.illinoisstate.edu/benefits/ 

Required Qualifications

• An earned doctorate or other terminal degree in a discipline appropriate for appointment within the College of Business from an accredited institution or its international equivalent
• A distinguished record of scholarship, teaching, and professional achievement that merits appointment as professor with tenure in the College of Business at Illinois State University
• Experience serving in a full-time administrative leadership role (dean, associate dean, assistant dean, department chair, etc.) within an AACSB-accredited college of business
•Demonstrated success providing collaborative leadership within a shared governance environment, working collegially with faculty, staff, students, other deans and administrators, alumni, and external stakeholders in developing goals and programs.
• A record of aligning fiscal resources with strategic priorities and managing budgets effectively in support of high-quality undergraduate and graduate instruction, scholarship, and outreach
•  Demonstrated experience in making meaningful contributions to AACSB accreditation processes, including assurance of learning and continuous improvement
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in undergraduate, graduate, online, and international education.
• Demonstrated success in supporting faculty engaged in the teacher-scholar model that balances high-quality instructional practices with meaningful peer-reviewed contributions to disciplinary knowledge.
• Experience with faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, promotion, tenure, and mentoring.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, diversity, access, and belonging in support of student, faculty, and staff success.
• Experience developing strategic partnerships with business, industry, government, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, donor engagement, corporate relations, or resource development.
• Experience with strategic planning, organizational change, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading AACSB accreditation efforts or serving as a peer review team member
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to build relationships across stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing Illinois State University’s core values as articulated in our strategic plan, Excellence By Design 2024-2030.
• A record of securing or supporting externally funded research and sponsored programs.
• Experience supporting graduate education and program innovation.
• Experience leading organizational transformation during periods of significant change.
• Experience working within a unionized faculty environment.
• Demonstrated success using data to improve student success, organizational performance, and strategic decision-making.

Work Hours

A fast-paced, productive office environment where work demands may extend beyond traditional hours of operation. Must possess the ability to work well with colleagues as well as the ability to move easily from one task to another. Must be capable of making independent judgements that represent the mission, values and priorities of the University. Must reflect the collegiality, competence and professionalism of a senior administrator in the Division of Academic Affairs.

Functional Expectations

Must be able to complete the following with or without a reasonable accommodation:
1. Remain at a workstation for extended periods
2. Move about in various locations on and off campus as needed to complete day-to-day work
3. Effectively communicate on a daily basis

Proposed Starting Date

July 1, 2027

Required Applicant Documents

Application materials should include the following:
1) A letter of interest that includes a leadership/administrative philosophy statement and describes how the candidate's experience aligns with the leadership opportunities and expectations outlined in the Leadership Profile
2) Current and complete resume/CV
3) Names and contact information for three business references

Please Note: These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Special Instructions for Applicants

Greenwood Asher & Associates is assisting Illinois State University in this search. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. Inquiries and nominations should be directed to Kyle Pybus-Jerome (kylepybusjerome@greenwoodsearch.com), Denice Perdue (deniceperdue@greenwoodsearch.com), or Jeremy Duff (jeremyduff@greenwoodsearch.com) from Greenwood Asher & Associates. The full leadership profile can be found HERE.

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311.