185 Cypress Manor Lane Athens, GA November 13, 2014

Transcription

1 185 Cypress Manor Lane Athens, GA November 13, 2014 Dr. Oliver Schnusenberg, Chair Dean Search Committee, Coggin College of Business University of North Florida 1 UNF Drive Jacksonville, FL Dear Dr. Schnusenberg: I am pleased to submit in confidence this letter of interest and my updated CV to apply for the position of Dean of the Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida (UNF). Why am I interested in this position? I grew up in Jacksonville and worked there for two years between earning my masters degrees and pursuing my PhD degree, and my mother and one of my six brothers still live in Jacksonville. Additionally, I met my wife in Jacksonville, and we are at a stage in our lives where we are ready and willing to return to Jacksonville for the right professional opportunity. Most importantly, I am confident that my twenty-one (21) years on the faculty at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia (UGA), including over six (6) years as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, have prepared me to provide the decisive and dynamic leadership you seek to continue driving UNF to be a preeminent public institution of higher learning serving the North Florida region at a level of national quality. On August 1, 2014, I returned to the School of Accounting faculty after serving 6.3 years as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the Terry College of Business [recently ranked # 21 (up 6 spots) among undergraduate business schools by U.S. News & World Report]. I initiated a return to a faculty role to provide me time to complete several ongoing research projects, reconnect with my School of Accounting faculty colleagues, and spend quality time with my wife since our 18 year-old son started college at Kent State University on June 9, Thus, I am using this year to recharge and prepare myself for the right administrative opportunity. The remainder of this cover letter addresses my credentials and qualifications as they relate to those required of the successful Dean of the Coggin College of Business candidate. Teaching, Research, and Service Experience The UNF faculty are well respected for their high-quality, outstanding research, teaching, and service. Consistent with the UNF faculty, I have a strong commitment to outstanding research and teaching. My research articles have been published in leading academic journals, including Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, and others. I also am very committed to teaching excellence as evidenced by my receipt of seven (7) teaching awards in my twenty years at Terry. Thus, I will be a strong advocate for UNF s research and teaching missions. 1

2 I also have an extensive record of service to the Terry College and the University of Georgia during my faculty tenure, and I was recognized for these activities in 2007 when I received the Terry College Faculty Service Award. I value my professional experiences and relationships as evidenced by my continuing engagement with the Georgia Society of CPAs, and my service as a Diversity Section representative to the American Accounting Association Leadership Council. I maintain the following active professional licenses and certifications: Certified Public Accountant (since 1990), Certified Management Accountant (since 1990), and Chartered Global Management Accountant (since 2012), and these professional licenses and certifications provide strong evidence of my financial, quantitative, and stewardship skills and abilities. As documented in my CV, my extensive service record for UGA, Terry College, Georgia Society of CPAs, American Accounting Association, PhD Project, and the Atlanta and Athens communities evidences my commitment to university and community citizenship and leadership. Administrative Experience I served as Terry s Associate Dean for Academic Programs from April 2008-July 2014, and my responsibilities in this role included the oversight of eight of Terry s nine undergraduate degree programs, as well as all masters programs (MBA, MAcc, MMR, MIT, MA-Econ). With the exception of the undergraduate IB degree program, each undergraduate and masters program is housed in one of seven academic departments, and each department head reported to my office and had direct responsibility for administering the academic programs. Additionally, the directors of the MBA Programs, the Music Business Certificate Program, and the Institute for Leadership Advancement reported to my office, as did Terry s Director of Diversity Relations and Director of Assessment, Rankings, and Undergraduate Programs. My office also handled undergraduate and graduate student grade appeals for the College. Successfully overseeing seven department heads while concurrently supervising five Terry College directors required strong administrative, decision making, strategic, and time-management skills, as well as effective leadership, management, and communication skills. Curriculum Experience While serving as Associate Dean for Academic Programs, I served as the Dean s representative on Terry s MBA Programs Committee and Specialty Certificate Committee (SCC) (the SCC oversees the Music Business Certificate Program and Institute for Leadership Advancement), and from the Undergraduate Programs Committee. In these roles, I had direct responsibility for implementing the Dean s vision with respect to innovation in graduate and undergraduate education, as well as pursuing a commitment to overall academic excellence. Terry s former Dean Robert Sumichrast accepted the Dean position at Virginia Tech s Pamplin College of Business effective July 1, 2013, and Interim Dean Charles Knapp was appointed to the role on July 1, 2013 for a 1-year term. Dr. Knapp is President Emeritus of the University of Georgia ( ) and a professor emeritus of economics. Benjamin Ayers, Director of the School of Accounting for 9- years, was appointed Dean of the Terry College effective July 1, I was integrally involved in undergraduate and masters curriculum changes while serving as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs. Specifically, under Dean Sumichrast s tenure from July 2007-June 2013, the College 1) implemented an undergraduate cohort model requiring juniors to 2

3 take classes together to start networking as soon as possible, and 2) revised the full-time MBA curriculum and concentrations to better match the curriculum to employer needs. Since the full-time MBA Program is the Terry College s flagship master s program, I worked closely with the MBA Programs Director and the MBA Committee to creatively and innovatively continue to improve the program and improve or maintain rankings in spite of an increasingly competitive MBA market. For example, as part of updating the full-time MBA curriculum, I substantially revised my MBA Financial Accounting class when I started teaching the course in Additionally, the College added a Business Analytics concentration to the full-time MBA curriculum effective fall 2013, revised the full-time MBA curriculum into 7-8 week modules effective fall 2013, added an international trip requirement to the full-time MBA curriculum effective fall 2013, and revised the undergraduate cohort model to add a Predictive Modeling and Optimization class effective fall Effective face-to-face and online strategies are critical to the future direction and vision of all business schools and universities, and I was actively involved in helping the Terry College develop plans and secure University approval and support to initiate a fully-online General Business degree program enrolling its first class in January In , I oversaw the College s development of twelve (12) undergraduate online classes that were taught in the summer of 2013 and Faculty Evaluation Experience As the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, I performed annual reviews of the five directors who reported to me. Under Interim Dean Charles Knapp ( ), I participated in the annual reviews of each department head and the faculty members in each department. As an tenured Associate Professor of Accounting, I also participate in promotion and tenure decisions for junior faculty members in the School of Accounting. As Dean of the Coggin College of Business, I know the vital role that I will play in the evaluation of faculty for promotion and tenure. I consider this evaluation process to be among the most important duties that we perform in the Academy, and I promise that I will approach this role with the great care that it deserves. The tenure decision is especially critical because it confers a long-term relationship between the faculty member and UNF, and I will evaluate each case based on recommendations at each level of the process as well as my own professional judgment. Certificate Program Experience The Terry College has two interdisciplinary certificate programs that I oversaw from : the Music Business Certificate Program is a collaboration with the Hodgson School of Music, and the Certificate in Personal and Organizational Leadership is a collaboration with several departments and colleges on campus (i.e., Journalism, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Speech, Sociology, and Women s Studies, among others). The directors of both certificate programs reported to me, and so Terry s collaboration with several departments and colleges on UGA s campus has prepared me to equally represent and advocate for UNF faculty who teach in and students who pursue certificate programs at UNF. 3

4 In 2012, the College also approved and implemented a Certificate in Legal Studies and an Actuarial Sciences Certificate Program, and in 2013 the College approved and implemented a joint interdisciplinary Undergraduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. These certificate programs are administered by Terry academic departments. I am impressed by the Coggin College of Business graduate certificate program in e-business. Search Committee Experience Earlier this year I served on the University-level search committee for the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and this search concluded in the spring of Since 2010, I have chaired and served on multiple University-level and Terry College search committees. For example, in , I chaired the College s search committee for the Director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement; in 2012, I served on the University search committee for the Director of Internal Audit; in , I served on the University search committee for the Associate Provost for Institutional Diversity; in , I chaired the University search committee for the Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Director for Academic Programs for the UGA Griffin Campus; and in , I chaired the College s search committee for the Director of the Music Business Certificate Program. My CV documents my extensive search committee work at UGA, and these experiences have allowed me to effectively interact and collaborate with University-level and Terry College administrative officers, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and employers. Diversity Relations Experience On January 17, 2014, I was one of three individuals University-wide selected to receive the UGA President s Fulfilling the Dream Award for 20 years of dedicated service to promoting and advancing diversity initiatives at UGA. For example, I served as the Terry College s first Director of Diversity Relations ( ), and I am committed to diversity and equal opportunity for all students, staff, and faculty. My CV documents my extensive diversity-related work, which continued through August 1, 2014 (the day I returned to the faculty), via my supervision and close collaboration with Mr. Randy Groomes, Terry s current Director of Diversity Relations. In 2013 and 2012, we secured $100,000/year of funding from Deloitte LLP to sponsor three summer outreach programs for high-achieving high school students: Terry Business Academy (TBA) (2 sessions), Accounting Residency Program (ARP) (2 sessions), and Terry Business Odyssey (1 session). In 2013 and 2012, these programs brought high school students to UGA and engaged them in business or accounting immersion experiences that hopefully will lead most of them to pursue undergraduate business degrees at UGA or other business schools. In 1997, I cowrote the initial proposal to secure ARP funding from the AICPA, and the Terry College has hosted or co-sponsored the ARP since 1998 and the TBA since Student Experience Prior to Dean Sumichrast creating an Undergraduate Student Services and Corporate Relations Office (USSCR) in the Terry College in 2011, my office was responsible for working with the business student organizations to approve budgets and reimbursements. Each student organization has a faculty or staff advisor who works with the student leaders on a day-to-day basis, 4

5 and my office worked with the student organizations on budget expenditures and reimbursements. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs office s continued work with the business student organizations after the USSCR was created evidenced my commitment to faculty and student interaction, collaboration, and engagement. Additionally, Dean Sumichrast hosted an Open Mic session with students each fall and spring semester where they could ask questions or provide feedback to the Dean and Associate Deans, and we in turn provided an overview of the student feedback to each department head and faculty. Interim Dean Knapp continued the Open Mic sessions last year, and Dean Ayers plans to continue the Open Mic sessions going forward. As a faculty member and College administrator, I prided myself on being available for and engaged with Terry and UGA faculty, staff, and students. For example, my wife and I usually hosted 2 socials at our home each year for full-time MBA students: a Welcome Back Social in January for first-year MBA students I taught that fall, and a Graduation Social for second-year MBA students in late-april or early-may prior to graduation. For the past 6 years, my wife and I have also hosted a Holiday Social at our home in December for Dean s Office staff and their families. We started and sponsored this event to recognize the staff for their hard work during the year, and Dean Sumichrast and Interim Dean Knapp sponsored it the last 3 years. Business and Community Outreach Experience The importance of being available and engaged extends beyond students to my involvement with the business and professional community through roles such as serving on the Georgia Society of CPAs Executive Council and Educational Foundation, serving a 3-year term as a Council Memberat-Large for the American Accounting Association ( ), and serving as President ( ) and Vice-President ( ) of the Diversity Section of the American Accounting Association. I currently am the Diversity Section representative to the American Accounting Association Leadership Council (3-year term started in August 2014). I believe it is critical to balance internal and external responsibilities to be a successful business school dean, and my academic and service record at UGA demonstrates my ability to effectively achieve such a balance. Fundraising Experience I am a fundraiser for Terry s Accounting Residency Program (summer accounting camp for high school students), and I am assisted in this effort by Mr. Randy Groomes (Director of Diversity Relations). I was the only fundraiser for Terry s diversity efforts during my tenure as Director of Diversity Relations from The Dean and Development Office regularly asked me to meet with corporate clients, donors and alumni since I am very people-oriented and easily make others comfortable in a business or social setting, and I enjoy these fundraising and development meetings. Some of the meetings were with the Dean, and others were with Development Office staff. My role as a cultivator helped Dean Sumichrast and the Development Office raise $70 million in gifts and pledges in six years. Additionally, the MBA Career Management Center often asked me to represent the Dean s Office for programs and events with MBA recruiters and alumni, and I also met with corporate recruiters at the undergraduate level. Thus, I am always prepared and ready to engage in development activities designed to enhance the academic and financial strength of UNF with the business community, corporations, alumni, employers, donors, parents, friends of the school, and other external constituents. The potential to interact with UNF graduates in the 5

6 southeast and around the world is a strength and advantage for the next Dean of the Coggin College of Business. AACSB Accreditation Experience UNF s Coggin College of Business is AACSB-accredited, as are the Terry College and the J.M. Tull School of Accounting at UGA. The Terry College and J.M. Tull School of Accounting were reaccredited in March 2013 after a site visit in February 2013, so I am very familiar with the new AACSB standards passed in 2013 (we were reviewed under the old standards). I was responsible for documenting faculty credentials and qualifications (i.e., AQ/PQ and Participating/Supporting), and for calculating the AQ/PQ ratios by degree, program, and location. Additionally, I worked closely with the Director of Assessment, Rankings, and Undergraduate Programs to ensure the Terry College fully documented assurance of learning (AoL). I also worked closely with Dean Sumichrast, the MBA Director, and Terry department heads to ensure we were prepared and ready for the site visit in February. The AACSB review team left one day early because they said we were so thoroughly prepared and had fully documented the reaccreditation materials. Interest in Dean of Coggin College of Business Position at UNF I am impressed by UNF s aspiration to be a preeminent public institution of higher learning serving the North Florida region at a level of national quality. The position announcement references opportunities and challenges that I want to discuss in greater detail with the search committee if I am selected for an interview. Several of the opportunities and challenges should align closely with my experiences in the Terry College and at UGA, and I look forward to discussing resources available to expand initiatives to enhance UNF as a national academic institution without impacting current efforts to continue increasing the prominence of existing undergraduate, masters, and PhD programs. In the current climate of economic recovery and business growth potential, Jacksonville is wellpositioned to forge a leadership role in domestic and international business and educational opportunities. UNF s location ten miles from the heart of downtown Jacksonville provides the accessibility, visibility, and resource base needed to facilitate targeted, strategic growth. Guiding these efforts requires an ethical leader with vision, tenacity, creativity, and charisma, and I am prepared to be that leader for UNF. This letter of interest and my CV provide you some insight about my experiences, preparation, and aspiration to become Dean of the Coggin College of Business at UNF, and I hope to have the opportunity to meet with the search committee in person to further discuss the Dean position, my qualifications, and whether I am the right candidate for this opportunity. Sincerely, Mark C. Dawkins Mark C. Dawkins 6