Allan D. Spritzer
Allen and Ruth Harris Chair of Excellence in Business
Professor of Management and Former Dean
College of Business and Technology
East Tennessee State University
P.O. Box  70619, Johnson City, TN 37614
Phone: 423-439-4700
Fax:  423-439-6671
E-Mail: Spritzer@ETSU.edu

In May 1999, after 18 years as dean of the College of Business at East Tennessee State University, Al Spritzer was appointed to an endowed chair, the Allen and Ruth Harris Chair of Excellence in Business at ETSU. The purposes of the Harris Chair are to help
strengthen the management expertise of students and practitioners, to help strengthen the links between ETSU and the regional business community, and to help strengthen the reputation of ETSU as a high quality regional institution.

Al has been heavily involved in AACSB International accreditation and professional development activities for almost two decades. His school received initial accreditation of is baccalaureate and master’s programs in business administration and accounting in 1987 and 1990, respectively. Reaffirmation was achieved in 2001. Al served as a member of the AACSB Candidacy Committee for five years, the last two as chair. Previously, he was a member of the AACSB Initial Accreditation Committee. He served for two years on the Business Accreditation Committee. From 2000 to 2003 he served on the Accreditation Application Review Committee.

Al has served as chair, business advisor, and member on a number of accreditation peer review teams. In addition, he has provided other assistance for schools seeking initial accreditation and for schools seeking maintenance of accreditation. 

He has appeared on the programs of a number of AACSB International and other conferences and seminars addressing topics related to the management of business schools and to accreditation. Since 2001, he has led the development and presentation of AACSB’s highly successful New Deans Seminar for which he produced and directed the widely acclaimed video, “Deans on Deaning: Secrets of Success.” His popular article, “It’s Not Easy Being Dean,” appeared in the November/December 2004 issue of the AACSB publication BizEd.

Dr. Spritzer received his Ph.D. from Cornell University and his master’s degree from the University of Illinois in the field of industrial and labor relations. His bachelor’s degree in economics is from City College of New York. He served on the faculty of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa for thirteen years. His writings have appeared in such journals as Industrial Relations, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Labor Law Journal, the Alabama Law Review, the Journal of Collective Negotiations in the Public Sector and the Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences. He has experience as an arbitrator of labor disputes and has served as a consultant to many private, public and educational organizations. 

Al has served on a number of boards of directors in Tennessee. These currently include: First Tennessee Bank; the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation; the Johnson City Development Authority; the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Economic Development Board; the Northeast Tennessee Economic Development Corporation; the Harris Fund for Washington County; and the Sequoyah Council of the Boy Scouts of America. 

For more information see http://www.etsu.edu/cbat/HarrisChair 

January 2007