Dean, School of Business The George Washington University

Dean, School of Business

The George Washington University

The George Washington University’s School of Business (GWSB) seeks a collegial academic leader who will prioritize fundraising, and who brings a track record of catalyzing research impact, delivering operational excellence, and building a vibrant organizational culture as its next Dean.

The Dean will join at an exciting and critical moment for the University. With the recent inauguration of a new President and the University’s recent inclusion in the Association of American Universities (AAU), there is a window of opportunity to position the School of Business as an integral part of the University’s elevated research mandate and further raise the School’s own national and international research profile.

GWSB, founded in 1928 and accredited by the AACSB in 1977, is the largest business school in metropolitan Washington and is recognized as a leading business school. GWSB comprises eight academic departments: Accountancy, Decision Sciences, Finance, Information Systems and Technology Management, International Business, Management, Marketing, and Strategic Management and Public Policy. GWSB supports scholars whose work appears in top-ranked business journals, including faculty members listed among the most-cited scholars in their fields. GWSB houses 13 research centers and institutes, including one of the country’s 16 federally funded Centers for International Business Education and Research. Its 115 full-time faculty are innovators on business and social issues, offering cross-disciplinary solutions for a rapidly changing business environment and informing local, state, federal, and international policy on a range of issues.

GW is the largest university in the nation’s capital and the only D.C. institution of higher education in the Association of American Universities (AAU). Chartered in 1821 by the U.S. Congress to fulfill President George Washington’s vision of a premier institution for higher learning in the U.S. capital, GW has evolved into a major, urban-centered research university with two campuses located in Washington, D.C. (at Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon), and a third in Loudoun County, Virginia.

The University is a private institution consisting of approximately 2,600 full-time faculty members. Its approximately 11,600 undergraduate students and 15,000 graduate and professional students presently come from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and 130 countries. Among the finest public and private research universities, GW is a comprehensive university with broad responsibility for education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of GWSB and reports to the Provost. The next Dean will inherit a school that is well-positioned to continue its success in a competitive, changing market. Sustaining this momentum going forward will require new investments in faculty, research capacity (including doctoral programs), and undergraduate and graduate student recruitment. The Dean will have an opportunity to leverage GW’s platform as the largest research university in Washington, D.C.—including strong engineering, law, international affairs and health sciences programs.

The next Dean will be adept at making connections between the School’s signature research areas and donors and funding providers. The Dean will lead a continued drive to excellence at GWSB with its programs and scaling those programs where appropriate; forge innovative partnerships with other schools at GW; leverage local and international business, policy, and government relationships; and fundraising that keeps pace with the advancement trends across business education. Finally, GWSB’s strong alumni base means the Dean will have the opportunity to tap into significant potential for support on profile-raising and strength-building.

The Dean will bring a successful record of collegial decision making relevant to a complex academic setting and an outstanding record of scholarly achievement and an international reputation in the broader scholarly community. This is a tenured faculty position, and the successful candidate must have a record of scholarship deserving of tenure within one of GWSB’s eight departments. Consistent with GW’s culture of faculty governance, it will be important that the Dean values and upholds that tradition and approach in all decisions. The successful candidate will also demonstrate a commitment to engagement with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders, as well as advancing the School’s culture of diversity, inclusion, and belonging in a meaningful way.

Initial screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The George Washington University will be assisted by Jackie Zavitz and Meghan Ashbrock of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc. Nominations and applications should be directed to:  GWSBdean@heidrick.com  

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.