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Outreach tops new business dean’s agenda |
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Dr. Sue Lehrman reports she is making steady progress in consensus building with faculty, students, and the state’s business community in her new role as the founding dean of the School of Business.
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Steady Wins the Race.
That’s the approach the College’s founding dean of the School of Business is using to guide her through her first months on the job.
When Dr. Sue Lehrman officially began at PC on January 1, she believed it would take about 100 days to get an idea of what opportunities lay ahead for her and the school.
Now that she has her roots firmly planted in Koffler Hall, Lehrman said she’s been pleased with the reception she has received, both personally and professionally, and thinks the school is tracking toward success.
“Everyone I have talked to in the community has been extremely interested and very anxious to help in any way possible,” she said.
The School of Business was established on July 1, 2007. Its predecessor, the Division of Business Administration (DBA), was headed by a director, but the College Corporation approved the organizational change to a business school that would be directed by a dean.
The school incorporates the undergraduate programs in accountancy, finance, management, and marketing, as well as the Graduate Studies Program’s M.B.A. Program.
Ever since she took over, Lehrman said she’s been focused on reaching out to all the parties with a stake in the School of Business. This has meant meeting with faculty members and with representatives of the state business community to identify the “niche opportunities” that the School of Business provides, Lehrman said.
“In every case, I’ve found the people I’ve spoken with excited about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity facing the School of Business as we simultaneously create a new school, inaugurate a new dean, and actively pursue accreditation,” said Lehrman, noting the multi-year effort to meet the accreditation requirements of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Dr. A. Cemal Ekin, associate professor of marketing, is one of the people who has appreciated Lehrman’s approach in their early meetings.
“Judging from my meeting with her as one of the faculty members, I can say that I have found her approachable and interested in learning about the environment from different perspectives,” Ekin said.
Ann Galligan Kelley, C.P.A., associate professor of accountancy and director of the Business Studies Program, called Lehrman “a collaborator” who has made tremendous efforts to reach out to her colleagues.
“She has an open-door policy, and faculty feel very comfortable walking into her office to discuss anything,” Kelley said.
Although this is unchartered territory for the School of Business, Lehrman isn’t unfamiliar with the challenges the new school faces. Before coming to PC, she was the founding president and dean of the faculty at Union Graduate College in Schenectady, N.Y. Prior to that, Lehrman served as dean of graduate education and director of MBA programs at Union College from 1998 to 2002.
“In such a short period of time, she has demonstrated tremendous leadership in the School of Business,” said Dr. Thomas R. King, assistant professor of management. “There isn’t a person I know of in the four departments that does not feel part of what we are creating.”
Students Will Play Important Role
Besides meeting with faculty and leaders from the business community, Lehrman has been focused on speaking with as many students and student groups as possible. These meetings, she said, have been instrumental in helping her understand what students are hoping to get out of the new school.
“An important part to this process has been speaking to students,” she said. “I want them to know that I’m open to meeting with as many of them as possible. Their feedback is important as we go forward.”
Although other tasks relative to the burgeoning school, such as AACSB accreditation, may take up more of her time, the focus on consensus building will remain at the forefront throughout her tenure, Lehrman said.
“It’s been a steady effort and we’re making progress together,” she said. “We have a plan for the future and we’re sticking to it.”
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