Lessons for Aspiring Deans Seminar

This virtual seminar will take place each day 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

The role of a business school dean can be both challenging and rewarding. Before embarking on your professional journey, you will have many unanswered questions that need to be answered prior to developing the most efficient strategy.

The Lessons for Aspiring Deans Seminar clearly describes what a deanship entails, from the rewards to the not so obvious challenges, and how to select the most complementary school environment for your skill set.

You will learn the most effective interviewing tips and strategies from a facilitator who has successfully gone through the process and knows what qualities are considered important for a dean candidate. An experienced dean will give an insider view of what to expect, how to avoid being overwhelmed by the diverse duties, and what is critical in the first 90 days as a new dean.

This unique, interactive seminar will provide you with the necessary tools to navigate the career search process, achieve success, and thrive in your new role.

Learning Objectives

• Understand what a deanship entails, including rewards and challenges
• Identify important skills necessary for ideal candidates and how to present them in a compelling manner
• Learn how to compare schools and ask the best questions to ensure the school is the right fit for you
• Acquire the necessary tools to navigate the entire process from career search to negotiating a mutually beneficial contract

Facilitator

Lynne Richardson, Iona College

Lynne Richardson is dean of the LaPenta School of Business at Iona College (NY).  Previously, she served as dean of the Colleges of Business at the University of Mary Washington (VA), Mississippi State University, and Ball State University. She began her career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a marketing professor. Lynne holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Alabama. Active in her communities, Lynne is a three-time Rotarian, has served on United Way Boards in two communities, and has been a leader in United Way campaigns in two communities.  She also served as president of the Birmingham American Marketing Association and was a Girl Scout leader in three councils.  Lynne has been a board member for both a hospital and a publicly traded bank. In 2003 she founded and continues to facilitate AACSB’s Lessons for Aspiring Deans Seminar. She has served two nonconsecutive three-year terms as a member of the AACSB International Board of Directors and served on the Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors.  She has served AACSB as chair of the Small Schools Network and Women Administrators in Management Education affinity groups.  Lynne has served on 25+ peer review teams for AACSB and has currently an institution seeking AACSB initial accreditation.  In 2018, under her leadership, the University of Mary Washington’s College of Business received initial AACSB accreditation. In recent years she has been leading strategic planning sessions for business schools, helping schools in the early stages of accreditation figure out their paths, and coaching university administrators. Lynne has been married to Woody, a retired strategy professor, for 30+ years; they have three adult children who are all independent!  Woody has retired to Gulf Shores, Alabama, where he can fish every day.  He and Lynne are doing the commuter-thing for the next several years.   

Who Should Attend

Faculty, department chairs, associate and assistant deans, business professionals, and those who aspire to be dean of the business school. 

"The content was excellent, relevant, and extremely helpful. I would recommend this seminar to anyone thinking about being a dean."
—Wendy Boland, Associate Dean, Kogod School of Business, American University

"Attending the AACSB Lessons for Aspiring Deans Seminar was a transformative experience for me, as it provided me with a balanced and realistic perspective of the challenges and opportunities inherent in the Dean's job in an AACSB-accredited business school. The hands-on practical tips and the reading materials were very useful. Attending the seminar helped me to get two dean position offers from AACSB-accredited schools."
—Avinandan Mukherjee, Dean, College of Business, Clayton State University

"This was the very best seminar with AACSB I have ever attended."
—Leslie K. Wilson, Dean, College of Business Administration, University of Northern Iowa

Contact Us

For more information, please contact [email protected].