Job Description

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 is a full-time, 12-month appointment, providing strategic operational and academic leadership for the School of Business, an AACSB-accredited business school comprising undergraduate and graduate programs. The Associate Dean is responsible for the School’s faculty and staff, academic quality and effective operations, accreditation and continuous improvement activities, and resource and personnel management. 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 faculty and staff, students, discipline leads, program directors, and senior-level administrators to plan, coordinate, and advance the school’s academic priorities, ensuring they are effectively implemented and sustained over time.

General Qualifications

The Associate Dean holds faculty rank, with a minimum of five years of relevant experience in higher education, and has a demonstrated record of successful and progressive academic leadership. The Associate Dean possesses an earned Ph.D. in a discipline represented in the School of Business, and a record of teaching and scholarly achievement that is aligned with AACSB faculty standards. It is expected that the Associate Dean holds tenure in the School of Business. An Associate Dean hired through an external search is expected to apply for Tenure Upon Initial Appointment immediately.

The Associate Dean exhibits exceptional organizational, communication, time management, and problem-solving skills, and leads with the following qualities: sound judgment, high integrity, credibility, transparency, fairness, empathy, initiative, responsiveness, and trustworthiness. Through respect, practical solutions, proactivity, and the removal of barriers to effective change, the Associate Dean works well with a variety of stakeholders, builds and leads organizational systems, coordinates complex multi-stakeholder initiatives, and consistently delivers measurable results in an academic environment.

Job Duties

• Teach at least one 3-4 hour course per semester (i.e. Fall/Spring) in the School of Business
• Administer the School’s diverse array of academic programs on a day-to-day basis (e.g., oversee the effective administration of academic policies, catalog updates, transfer credit evaluations, articulation agreements, student requests, facilities, course scheduling and delivery at multiple sites and through a variety of delivery modes, etc.)
• Manage faculty and staff (e.g., set behavioral and performance expectations, ensure teaching excellence, oversee service to the School and research/scholarly activities of the faculty, recruit/onboard/mentor faculty and staff, facilitate professional development, drive performance, manage workloads, ensure compliance with policies/standards/administrative directives, handle grievances/disputes and performance interventions, etc.)
• Evaluate the performance of faculty and staff, including for purposes of annual review, enhanced tenure track review, tenure and/or promotion, periodic post-tenure review, graduate faculty status, etc.
• Cultivate and manage a positive culture for work and learning that fosters collegiality and collaboration, and advance an environment of high engagement and accountability for faculty and staff, including high engagement with students and external stakeholders
• Promote effective shared governance structures, including appropriate faculty and staff participation in decision making, and responsiveness to strategic direction from senior leadership
• Collaborate with faculty and staff, students, discipline leads, the Dean, and other senior administrators on strategic direction, goal setting, and policy development and implementation
• Foster curricular innovations, development, and improvements, especially related to student success, career readiness, continuous improvement, experiential learning, and alignment with workforce and employer needs
• Drive enrollment through strategic planning, recruitment in the School’s undergraduate and/or graduate programs, and student success initiatives (e.g., for student retention, progression, on-time graduation, academic success, and career outcomes)
• Promote student engagement activities (e.g., support of undergraduate research, study abroad, service learning, internships, business-related professional student organizations, case competition teams, 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.)
• Engage in data-centered decision making and improvements that drive success in the School
• Lead successful continuous improvement and accreditation activities, especially as related to AACSB, such as planning, monitoring, or reporting related to Assurance of Learning or Continuous Improvement Reviews, the translation of accreditation standards into sustainable organizational accountability systems and continuous improvement practices, and the evaluation of faculty qualifications and sufficiency processes
• Develop and administer School budgets and related donor funds to ensure instructional quality, enrollment growth, student success and career readiness, faculty excellence, effective data and technology infrastructure, and strong community engagement
• Facilitate external funding in the School through grants, sponsorships, and donor support
• Develop and steward partnerships with alumni, business and industry leaders, community organizations, and/or donors to support the success of the School and its students
• Facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations, especially for innovative curricular development or community engagement
• Represent the School and/or its programs 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
• Produce reports related to the activities of the School
• If designated, serve as acting Dean when the Dean is not available
• Fulfill other duties as assigned by the Dean, Provost, or Chancellor

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.

The salary range for this role is $150,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

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 30, 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.