The University of Denver (DU) invites applications and nominations for the next Dean of the Daniels College of Business (“the College” or “Daniels”).

Daniels is nationally recognized as a leader in providing an immersive and engaged business education for its students. It is also known for innovative programming across business disciplines. The incoming dean will be building on a strong foundation as they move the Daniels College of Business into its next chapter, strengthening its reach and impact nationally and making it the destination for a high- quality, business education in Denver, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Region.

The Daniels College of Business is one of the largest degree-granting colleges at the University of Denver. Daniels currently enrolls around 2,300 students, divided between graduate, undergraduate, and dual undergraduate/graduate programs spanning four schools: the Reiman School of Finance, the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management, the School of Accountancy, and the Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management as well as the departments of Business Ethics and Legal Studies, Marketing, Management, and Business Information and Analytics. Multiple programs span units, including four MBA programs and an Executive E.Ph.D. program. Daniels is consistently ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally for its graduate and undergraduate programs by U.S. News & World Report, Poets & Quants, and Bloomberg Businessweek.

DU is a private, doctoral-granting university enrolling more than 13,500 students from all regions of the United States and 83 foreign countries in its distinguished undergraduate liberal arts and sciences, graduate, and professional programs. The University’s holistic 4-Dimensional Experience (4D) aims to redefine the purpose of higher education and shape a new kind of humanistic, character-driven leader. With two campuses – the Denver campus and the recently opened James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus – DU’s experience is unique in higher education.

It is an exciting time to join the University of Denver. In January 2022, DU was reclassified as a Research 1 (R1) university in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The DU community is excited about the reputational and material benefits of its new R1 classification while also maintaining the University’s commitment to the “teacher-scholar model.” To address the distinctive identity DU possesses, the University has launched a series of funded initiatives to support teaching and scholarly excellence at DU known as “R1 Our Way.”

The College seeks an inspiring, visible, and collaborative leader to set a dynamic course for the future. The new Dean will bring high academic standards, strong management and leadership skills, and an appreciation for transparency and shared governance. They will have exceptional communication skills, political aptitude, and the capacity to raise the visibility and to amplify the impact of the College to local, regional, national, and international constituencies.

To be successful, the Dean will be expected to address a number of opportunities and challenges, listed below, and outlined in detail beginning on page 6 of the document:

• Design and advance a bold vision and strategic plan to further the Daniels College of Business’ local and regional reach and impact in alignment with the University’s strategic plan.
• Serve as a visible leader and strong advocate for the Daniels College of Business internally and externally.
• Foster a culture of shared governance through empathetic and collaborative communication and management.
• Manage and grow resources for the College to realize the strategic objectives co-created with the Daniels community.
• Strengthen critical relationships across the Daniels College of Business, the University of Denver, and with external stakeholders.
• Advance equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.
• Recruit, retain, delegate to, and inspire a talented faculty and staff.

A list of desired qualifications and characteristics of the Daniels College of Business Dean can be found at the conclusion of this document. All confidential applications, inquiries, and nominations should be directed to the parties listed at the conclusion of the document.

Five Strategic Imperatives

The University of Denver has a bold and courageous vision for higher education in the 21st century, aiming to create substantial changes that will impact its students, the research of its faculty, and the community, all framed by the strategic plan, DU IMPACT 2025. DU will continue to innovate around its strengths in teaching, learning, and discovery, while supporting its faculty and students in their efforts to accelerate the ways in which research can be used to address society’s most vexing problems.

Chancellor Jeremy Haefner has emphasized Five Strategic Imperatives that will accelerate DU’s progress toward the goals of DU IMPACT 2025. These are:

1. Ensure a bold, enduring future for DU;
2. Create a unique, global, and holistic 4D experience for DU students;
3. Cultivate an exceptionally diverse, inclusive, equitable, and welcoming community;
4. Define and model a global, engaged research university;
5. Deliver academic excellence with a signature portfolio of academic programs and a relentless pursuit of quality.

These imperatives represent the University’s most pressing priorities and an exciting future. They will enable the University to proactively participate in this time of change, including advances in technology, shifts in demographics, increasingly complicated globalization patterns, expanding inequity, the transforming nature of jobs and careers, the challenges of cultural and political division, new perceptions of the value of college degrees, and competing educational modes.

About the Daniels College of Business

The Daniels College of Business was founded in 1908, is the eighth oldest business school in the United States, and is the oldest business school west of the Mississippi River. In 1989, Bills Daniels, known as the “father of cable television,” gave the college of business a challenge grant to update its curriculum to focus more on business ethics. Based on the success of this revision, Bill Daniels gave a naming gift of $11 million dollars in 1994. This gift helped fund both a new building that opened in 1999 and a continued retooling of curricula to focus on business ethics. Currently, Daniels enrolls approximately 2,300 students, divided between graduate, undergraduate, and dual undergraduate/graduate programs. The College has been continuously accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since 1923. The College is committed to the principles of multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusive excellence through involvement and participation in college and university-wide projects and initiatives.

Academic Programs

The College offers two bachelor’s degree programs (BSBA and BSAcc), four MBA degree programs, seven specialized master’s degrees, and an executive PhD program. Programs include the spectrum of traditional disciplines such as Management, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, and Business Ethics and Law to more specialized disciplines such as Hospitality Management, Business Information and Analytics, International Business, and Real Estate and Construction Management. All programs feature rigorous coursework and hands-on experiences that are continually updated to reflect current business practices. The College also seeks to develop students’ ethical compass, life skills, and professionalism so they are ready to make a positive difference in their careers, their families, and their communities.

Faculty and Staff

The Daniels College of Business’ faculty members are nationally recognized educators and researchers who are deeply engaged in the business world. They excel at helping students apply classroom lessons to real-world challenges. The College also embraces a teacher-scholar model, and has seen a noted increase in the focus on and the quality of faculty research under the previous three Deans. The College’s exceptional staff members support students, faculty, alumni, corporate partners, recruiters, donors, and the community at every turn. The College comprises 62 full-time tenure track faculty, 50 part-time faculty, 15 professors of practice, 28 teaching professors, and 110 staff, including dedicated academic advisors and a career services team focused specifically on Daniels students.

Executive Advisory Board

The Daniels Executive Advisory Board consists of leaders from across a broad spectrum of industries, each bringing unmatched experience and visionary leadership to the table. These exceptional individuals provide insight to the College, act as a sounding board, and share best practices and lessons learned from their respective experiences in leading some of the world’s largest organizations. More information on the Executive Advisory Board can be found here.

Role of the Dean

The Dean is responsible for the Daniels College of Business’ strategic, research, academic, and financial affairs. Reporting to the Provost and serving on the University’s Dean’s Council, the Dean will be an integral member of the University of Denver’s leadership team. They will be responsible for ensuring the vitality and long-term success of the College and engaging with the broader university and beyond to advance an agenda of exceptional teaching, research, and academic excellence.

The Dean currently has multiple direct reports, including associate and assistant deans, executive directors, including center directors and directors of key academic programs, plus an executive assistant.

The Executive Director for Development has a dotted line reporting relationship. The Dean oversees an operating budget of approximately $48 million dollars.

The Dean is expected to be a visible leader, inspiring a talented faculty to foster academic and research excellence, seeking out ways to strengthen the College’s cohesion across its various schools and departments, expanding connections across the University of Denver and the Denver community, and actively pursuing opportunities that bring in additional resources. The Dean will demonstrate a genuine commitment to and aptitude for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, and will balance their leadership in the College with a concurrent obligation as a leader and citizen of the broader University of Denver community. With a strong and committed leadership team in place, the Dean will manage a large and complex organization and will both collaborate and delegate to ensure the College’s priorities successfully advance.

Key Opportunities and Challenges for the Dean

Design and advance a bold vision and strategic plan to further the Daniels College of Business’ local and regional reach and impact in alignment with the University’s strategic plan

Working closely with their leadership team, faculty, staff, students, and other key stakeholders, the Dean will design, articulate, and advance a strategic vision for the College focusing on academic and research excellence in service to Denver, the region, the country, and the world. In addition, the Dean will build on Daniels’ reputation for integrating social, environmental, and ethical issues into innovative curricula. The incoming Dean will join the community and embrace its history and achievements and will work with the College community to advance this shared vision into the future. A key step in this process will be articulating an innovative strategic plan for Daniels. The planning process will enable the Dean to coalesce and broadcast the College’s vision, highlighting Daniels’ unique role in providing a world-class education in one of the nation’s great cities. The Dean will also have a significant role in fundraising by creating initiatives and opportunities that attract philanthropy to support the College.

Serve as a visible leader and fierce advocate for the Daniels College of Business internally and externally

The Dean is the face of the Daniels College of Business, and its greatest advocate. The Dean will be a vocal defender of the power of higher education broadly, and business and management education more specifically. The Dean will need to serve as the lead ambassador and champion for the College to potential and current students, their families, the Denver and Colorado business communities, and other external stakeholders. This individual will be an inspiring and visible figure to the College’s student body. Externally, the next Dean will build coalitions to ally with key stakeholders in the business community, and partner with development staff to cultivate and steward philanthropic donors. A key existing relationship is the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, and the Dean will play a critical role in supporting the relationship with the Fund established by the College’s namesake.

Foster a culture of shared governance through empathetic and collaborative communication and management

As an experienced manager and leader of a complex and decentralized college, the Dean will support Daniels’ high-achieving leadership team, faculty, and staff at all levels. In doing so, this individual will motivate and mentor internal team leaders to support the College’s programs, as well as internal and external efforts. The Dean will foster a positive and inclusive work environment that attracts employees and ensures their professional growth and success. The Dean will oversee the College’s budget and will seek to diversify its resource base to strengthen its financial health. By modeling and promoting empathetic and transparent communication, the Dean will ensure a culture of shared governance permeates the Daniels community.

Manage and grow resources for the College to realize the strategic objectives co-created with the Daniels community

The College aspires to advance a 21^st century business education: prioritize undergraduate student retention and academic success; enhance graduate student excellence; advance equity, diversity, and inclusion; and advocate for resources to support the College’s facilities and academic programs. As the College and University continues to emerge from the effects of the global pandemic, the Dean will need to address strategic investments while diligently managing complex fiscal realities.

Located in the heart of Denver, Daniels operates in a dynamic environment. The incoming Dean is well positioned to take advantage of the city’s local business communities, philanthropic sources, and a growing alumni base. Responsible for creating and participating in activities that support fundraising, the Dean will have ambitious fundraising goals and should be skilled in stewarding donors and securing resources from a wide range of sources. The incoming Dean will work with their advancement team to identify and support the needs of the College, including student scholarships, endowed faculty lines, classroom technology, capital projects, interdisciplinary programs with other colleges, and other key initiatives. They will use their financial acumen to effectively manage resources and ensure the College has a healthy and sustainable future.

Strengthen critical relationships across the Daniels College of Business, the University of Denver, and with exernal stakeholders

The Daniels College of Business is part of a university striving for the highest standards of academic, research, and teaching excellence. Collaboration is critical to the College’s success. The Dean will continue to build strong relationships with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and leaders within the broader College and University community. To help all units within the College tell the Daniels’ story and share its vision more effectively and cohesively, the Dean will examine existing organizational structures to fully leverage the power of the team while ensuring alignment, productivity, and efficiency. The work of the Dean will extend beyond campus to include local and regional industry partners as they seek not only to extend the College’s reach, but to have a broader impact on the Rocky Mountain region.

The College is uniquely poised to assist in the continued growth of Denver’s economy. The incoming Dean will work to further students’ immersive and interdisciplinary exposure by utilizing the city and its resources and by emphasizing both theory and practice. Through the development of mutually beneficial partnerships with business and industry across the city, the Dean will ensure that students gain the creative confidence and the skills needed for the deep understanding of the contemporary business practices that will support the economic health and vitality of Denver and the Rocky Mountain Region.

Advance equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts

The Daniels College of Business takes pride in its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion within and beyond its academic environment. The College upholds the strategic imperatives defined by the University of Denver through teaching, research, and commitment to the public good. Supporting a diverse community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni to achieve inclusive excellence is a priority at the College. The Dean currently chairs the Daniels Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and will work with this committee, student groups, and other key stakeholders to support its community from diverse backgrounds. By bringing an awareness of and critical consciousness to inequities within business education, the incoming Dean will work to break down barriers to success and to foster a learning environment where students, staff, and faculty feel welcome and supported.

Recruit, retain, delegate to, and inspire a talented faculty and staff

The College’s committed faculty and staff are indispensable to its mission. As the College continues to further its reach and impact, the Dean will oversee recruitment and retention of talent. They will invest in employee retention efforts and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff recognizing that their work can be taxing.

The Dean will display exceptional interpersonal and management skills and will be an accessible and visible leader. They will inspire loyalty and dedication to the College’s mission and will further boost and enhance morale for faculty and staff at all levels. This individual will be committed to ensuring a healthy workplace environment and will have experience mentoring, managing conflict, and empowering employees. The incoming Dean will seek to create more transparency and equity within the College and will work to examine what drives faculty and staff satisfaction, including but not limited to compensation, increasing efficiencies while limiting burnout, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and other key policies and procedures.

Qualifications and Characteristics 

The successful candidate will be an experienced leader with a high level of energy and drive. The Dean must thrive in engaging with all cohorts of the College community, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, corporate partners, and donors. While no individual will possess all the qualifications in equal measure, the successful candidate will bring many of the following experiences and values to the role:

• An exceptional record of academic and/or industry achievement;
• Demonstrated fiscal acumen and sophisticated fundraising abilities;
• A proven commitment to the values of equity and inclusivity and the willingness to create an inclusive and equitable community, as evidenced by past accomplishments;
• A record of providing inspirational, visible leadership and effective management of a sizable and complex organization;
• Proven ability to create a strategic vision and implement a strategic plan in an academic setting or similarly complex environment;
• An entrepreneurial spirit;
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills;
• Proven collaborative and decisive leadership ability;
• Intellectual depth and strategic abilities;
• The capacity to translate ideas into actions;
• Perceptive listening skills;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence. The ability to use these skills to unify, build trust, and heal divisions;
• The desire to embrace and engage with the greater Denver and Coloardo communities and other stakeholders;
• The ability to work on the achievement of a future vision while maintaining the operational and financial excellence needed today;
• A doctorate degree or terminal degree is strongly preferred.