DARRELL RADSON, PH.D N. Fillyside Dr Dunlap, IL Cell:

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1 DARRELL RADSON, PH.D N. Fillyside Dr Dunlap, IL Cell: November 23, 2014 Dr. Jamie Ferrare Ms. Susanne Kelsey AGB Search Dear Dr. Ferrare and Ms. Kelsey: Please consider me in your search for the next Provost of St. Louis University. I am delighted to have been nominated. The position of Provost offers a unique opportunity within a university as primary advocate for academic excellence, faculty development, collaboration, growth, fiscal sustainability, and servant leadership within the university community. This position is an exciting challenge for me and is congruent with my experience and educational goals. My previous experience has convinced me of the many benefits of the Jesuit educational mission that is dedicated to helping all members of the university community reach their intellectual, personal and spiritual potential. I have great interest in being part of a fast-paced, innovative, mission-driven university with increasing national and international recognition. With my skills and strengths, I welcome the challenge of working with President Pestello, the academic leadership, faculty, and staff in moving a university of such caliber to even greater success. My primary interest in this position stems from my strong affinity to universities that emphasize quality education through faculty who are teachers and scholars, produce graduates who will make a positive difference in this world, and are committed to, and firmly rooted in, their communities. A goal of my administrative and academic efforts has been to improve education so that our students will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to meet current and future societal and economic needs. With our country s increasing emphasis on the accountability of higher education and its connection to economic development, universities that possess a focused mission, a solid reputation, and a desire for collaborative learning and innovation are uniquely positioned. They are poised for growth, expanding external funding opportunities, and developing stable and sustainable fiscal and budgetary climates through effective strategic planning. This is an ideal time for St. Louis University to build from its current successes and achieve greater results and recognition through strategic planning and new leadership. With my experience and forward vision, I would be an excellent spokesperson for SLU, a passionate advocate of its Jesuit mission, and a collaborative and innovative leader eager to achieve its strategic direction through clear and measureable goals. The Provost at SLU must advance all academic programs within the university and insure the university develops and achieves its strategic goals. That can only be done with a commitment to the mission and a thorough understanding of the wide variety of academic programs that make up the modern university. An examination of my background will demonstrate that I have experience ranging from liberal arts to engineering to business. Additionally, as a Catholic-raised first generation college graduate, a transfer student to Northwestern University who started in a community college, I have an affinity to the inclusive mission of SLU. Ultimately as a dean with responsibilities for student success, fundraising, enrollment management, faculty development, building innovative programs, leveraging community partnerships, accreditation, and being accountable to an advisory council of high achieving business leaders, I have a comprehensive perspective that is critical to being a successful provost. My experience as a faculty member and administrator has enabled me to provide leadership in different

2 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 2 types of universities with a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs, including Bradley University, Michigan Technological University, Drexel University, John Carroll University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This exposure has given me a comprehensive perspective and understanding of the challenges facing diverse populations and universities in a competitive urban marketplace. It has also afforded me the opportunity to creatively move institutions forward by bringing together units within the university, alumni, donors, community organizations, and businesses. With each position, I have progressed to more responsibility and success. I have learned to be a collaborative leader who relies on the expertise of others and who learns quickly and adapts to new responsibilities while being decisive and transparent. I am now eager and ready to bring my experience and success to the position of Provost at St. Louis University. The Leadership Profile for the position of Provost provides a list of opportunities and focus. In order to provide you with an indication that I possess these necessary skills and leadership abilities to meet these challenges, I summarize my experience below around several themes. Some of these themes come directly from the opportunities listed in the Leadership Profile and others are presented to take into account the list of Desired Attributes also listed in the Profile. While no successful candidate will have broad experience in all of these areas, the examples below and my academic vita provide an introduction to my comprehensive experience and abilities. Academic and administrative experience. I earned my Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where I also earned masters degrees in statistics, political science, and industrial engineering. At Northwestern University, I earned an undergraduate degree in political science. I have served as an administrator and faculty member in schools of business for nearly twenty-five years at large and small, private and public, and technology-based universities. I have achieved the rank of professor, tenure at four universities, and my research was published in leading refereed academic journals and presented at numerous academic conferences. In addition, I was the recipient of teaching awards at two universities. In my current position as Dean of the Foster College of Business at Bradley University, I have been successful in fundraising, enhancing external relations, developing online programs, and establishing the design of other innovative academic programs, particularly with our Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology. The Foster College has six academic departments, nine undergraduate majors, ten undergraduate minors, an Executive MBA, an accelerated MBA, an MS in Accounting, and an MS in Quantitative Finance. As Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Technological University, I was similarly successful in fundraising, establishing endowed professorships, enhancing external relations, developing online programs, building interdisciplinary academic programs, and advancing the reputation of the School. The School has seven undergraduate majors, a campus MBA, an online cohort MBA, and an MS in Applied Natural Resource Economics. In my roles as dean and in my department head position at Drexel University, I have worked to build innovative complementary programs in both undergraduate and graduate education that crossed traditional academic boundaries. Additionally, I have been an administrator and faculty member at universities with doctoral programs and advised PhD students.

3 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 3 Provide Trusted Leadership for the Faculty. Foster Collegial Relationships, Synergies, and Shared Governance. I have successfully managed in a variety of universities and colleges (both public and private) all with shared governance procedures, cultures, and mandates. In these settings, I have demonstrated success in bringing people and resources together within colleges and across the university to create new synergy, opportunities, and program development. Managing a diverse group of talented individuals to work for the greater good of the institution is a key (and a continual challenge) to successful leadership. The provost plays a key role in building the culture of one university committed to growth and improvement. I possess a positive, open and transparent management style, and enjoy working with others to further develop the university. Consultation with my faculty and administrative colleagues will demonstrate that I am a leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment yet possesses a creative team-oriented management style. I adhere to a high standard of ethical practice in all efforts and actively promote ethical behavior for faculty, staff and students. With all of my administrative positions, I have managed with the goal of achieving a balance between attention to details and the delegation of authority and responsibility. I strive to be a leader who keeps up-to-date on higher education trends and challenges, and who understands the roles individual units and colleges play in furthering the larger goals of the university. A provost must clearly articulate these important roles to insure that everyone understands and appreciates the hard work and efforts of all. To better describe my leadership qualities, I include below my personal list of academic leadership characteristics. Created years ago, I continue to use and refine it as a personal leadership guide. Academic Leadership Characteristics: Strive to address and balance the needs of multiple constituency groups including students, faculty, staff, senior administration, alumni, and the community. Be an articulate spokesperson and advocate for the university s mission to its multiple constituency groups; effectively communicate the university s strengths and successes to these same groups. Build on the university s strengths and successes, insure a foundation of academic excellence, and be responsible for the development and implementation of a clear vision for the future based on the university s mission. Manage the university with an overall goal of growth, financial stability, and cost control to insure educational affordability. Continually work to develop innovative curricula and programs that cross traditional academic disciplinary boundaries to meet the needs of students, employers and society. Develop effective communication channels with advisory boards and the community for program innovation and improvement. Develop a community of ideas within the university to promote creativity and innovation. Strive to reward and properly compensate faculty and staff for their contribution and hard work. Possess the ability to achieve a shared vision among the university s internal stakeholders through effective communication, leadership, and shared governance. Achieve a balance between attention to details and the delegation of authority and responsibility. Insure that mission is translated into curricula through curriculum review and program innovation. Demonstrate enthusiasm and a sense of humor.

4 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 4 Maintaining and Strengthening SLU s Jesuit Character and Mission. In the Ignatian tradition, I firmly believe that university graduates have the responsibility to use their education and skills to make a difference in the world. One vital area for university graduates is for them to grow and challenge the institutions and firms of their employment with the goal of improving our economy and society. Being raised in a Roman Catholic family from Chicago with strong faithbased values, and through my experience at John Carroll University, I would be a strong advocate for the Jesuit mission. As provost, I would insure that the mission is the foundation of the curricula and action. With the first lay president of SLU, I would work hard to build the foundation of strong lay leadership while maintaining and strengthening the Jesuit character and mission through the help and guidance of the Jesuit community. Broaden the Reputation Nationally and Internationally. Focus on Student Needs and Campus Diversity. The nation and, thus, its universities are becoming increasingly diverse and the awareness that global perspectives are vital for success has taken hold. This is a reality to be embraced and welcomed. In all of my positions I have strived to promote diversity and cultural awareness. I have successfully hired 20+ faculty (including endowed professorships) of the highest academic and professional quality with diverse backgrounds as dean at Bradley University, Michigan Tech, and as department head at Drexel University. In the Foster College of Business, we are proud that approximately 40% of our students complete at least one international experience before graduation. I initiated Dean s Student Advisory Councils at both Bradley University and Michigan Tech comprised of undergraduate student leaders to provide advice on student issues, build community, advance student organizations, and improve the overall student experience. In the last two years, I traveled to Botswana to evaluate the feasibility of new academic programs and to Brazil to enhance and grow our executive management programs that the Foster College faculty provide to Caterpillar. I recently traveled to the University of Cambridge in the UK to further the three-university consortium formed to deliver executive education to Caterpillar (Bradley and Peking University are the other members). As dean at Michigan Tech, I designed the international residency in India as part of the new Tech MBA Online and traveled to Bangalore, India, to personally establish relationships with technology-based firms for student projects and visits. As provost at SLU, I will use existing relationships to further the international education of the undergraduate and graduate students while exploring international expansion opportunities. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve as dean at Michigan Tech while the university received an NSF ADVANCE grant to improve faculty recruiting and diversity. Although the NSF ADVANCE program is specifically targeted to increasing diversity in the STEM disciplines, Michigan Tech decided to use their grant to increase diversity throughout the entire university. The deans played key roles. I was an active member of the Accountability Committee, which studied the facility hiring process throughout the university, developed process changes, and instituted polices to insure accountability towards diversity and best practices. An important lesson learned was the need to be data driven in all aspects from providing recommendations to insuring accountability. A part of this grant involved the deans and other administrators being trained on faculty hiring practices based on the University of Michigan STRIDE program. This program resulted in our

5 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 5 university developing its own training programs on hiring practices and legal aspects of hiring. As a dean, my role was to not only to insure our faculty received the training, but to serve as a role model for the new practices we were adopting. This was a perfect time when lead by example provided the best mechanism for change. Commitment to Developing and Enhancing Accountable Leadership at all Levels of the University. I firmly support the Jesuit-inspired principle of subsidiarity. Although there are numerous reasons to support this principle, I would consider three to be basic. First, leaders have the responsibility of developing others as leaders. Individuals are developed as leaders when they are given the opportunity to demonstrate their responsibility and grow with confidence, encouragement, and mentorship. Second, the organizational culture will improve if individuals feel responsible, supported and rewarded for their efforts in their own areas of responsibility, and understand how their work leads to the greater good of the organization. Third, it is good management practice to have individuals take responsibility for areas where they have the most knowledge and expertise rather than be micro-managed from above. Recently, universities have struggled in this area with respect to budget and fiscal responsibility. Under the broad RCM label, deans and directors have been given greater responsibility to manage their units with creativity, accountability, and respect. As a member of the recently formed Presidential Finances and Budget Advisory Group at Bradley University, I am actively working to access and redesign our university and college budgeting procedures, fiscal structures, and financial processes. Although a solid data-driven basis for decision making is vital, achieving the right level of responsibility and accountability is equally important. The provost must be an effective leader, delegator of responsibility, communicator, and data-driven decision maker to successfully meet these challenges. Strengthen a Firm Commitment to Academic Excellence. SLU is operating in a highly competitive academic environment. I have held leadership positions in private institutions with similar competition. At John Carroll University, Drexel University and, currently with Bradley University, I have worked to enhance the strengths of these institutions while being conscience of the need to develop innovative, collaborative and professional programs, market them in attractive ways, while keeping the focus on academic excellence. Examples include developing new innovative academic programs and new interdisciplinary programs (for example, business and engineering collaborative programs, online programs) along with promotion through various forms of marketing and messaging. I have led curricular revisions and enhancements for both undergraduate and MBA students to increase student success. I believe that universities must continually assess and revise curricula to insure student success for it is an integral part of the university s success. As a business school dean, I am highly aware of the need to effectively meet changing market demands, the value of aggressive and focused marketing, while maintaining the goal of academic quality. In the Foster College at Bradley, I created a new undergraduate recruiter position and refined our recruitment activities. This resulted in the largest percentage increase in new freshman for Fall 2013 and Fall 2014 among all colleges within Bradley. For the academic year, the Foster College is the only college at Bradley to demonstrate positive enrollment growth. With these growth efforts, the focus has always remained the quality of our students and our academic programs.

6 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 6 During my career, I have chosen to work in universities that are student-focused, dedicated to clear and measureable career outcomes, and promote experiential learning. For example, we are very proud that undergraduate students in the Foster College of Business at Bradley have a 95% six-month job or graduate school placement rate. Additionally, 85% of our students complete at least one internship before graduation and all of our undergraduate students complete a team-based consulting project with a business client. At Drexel University, I was actively involved in promoting the co-op opportunities for our students, a hallmark of Drexel. Academic excellence leads to student success, the ultimate goal of a university. Enhance SLU s Status as Global Leader in All Facets of Research and Scholarship. Research and scholarship are essential to every university that strives for recognition, effective faculty recruitment, and revenue enhancement. I have been a dean and department head at two universities listed in the Carnegie Corporation category Research Universities (high research activity) among doctoral-granting universities. But, at SLU, where both research and high-quality teaching are both essential elements of success and brand identity, research should be linked to teaching as appropriate. Research can enhance the student classroom experience for number of reasons. First, the classroom is enhanced when the faculty remain current in their chosen disciplines. Secondly, faculty are typically excited to talk to about their research and this is clearly evident to students. Third, linking the course topic to the research of the faculty helps to make the subject matter come alive and increase its relevancy. Fourth, when faculty demonstrate their passion for research in the classroom, it presents to students the opportunity for research as a career. For these reasons and others, it is the role of administrators to promote, provide resources, and appropriately reward research and scholarship. As dean, I have actively supported research and scholarship and I will continue to do so as provost. Effective communicator and spokesperson for the university and its mission. I have demonstrated that I can clearly articulate the vision and path for our educational future to our external constituents, particularly alumni and donors. A clear example of my effectiveness in communication is fundraising. I have been successful in fundraising where clear communication of vision and making the case for results leads to donor support and, ultimately, financial contributions. It is vital to the survival of any academic institution today that financial resources be clearly and thoroughly cultivated and diversified. A successful provost must be able to translate passion into words and then into financial support. My success in this area entails a broad set of activities. I have a strong track record in fundraising including a recent $10 million pledge for the convergence center, a planned 380,000 sq. ft. facility to contain both the Foster College of Business and the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology. In addition, I coordinate and collaborate with the advancement office and the university president to plan and implement a silent campaign with a $60 million goal to build the convergence center, being directly involved in donor proposals totaling over $18 million. I also achieved the largest 3-year total and 3-year average in monetary gifts and pledge payments in the history of the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech. I secured the Rick and Jo Berquist endowed professorship in innovation and entrepreneurship at Michigan Tech and reestablished the funding for the Gates endowed professorship in innovation and entrepreneurship.

7 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 7 Additionally, my alumni involvement activities go beyond fundraising and include engaging our graduates in activities from program development and student recruitment through formally organized boards and alumni networks to one-on-one engagement and specific engagement events. Promote Program Development and Assessment. I actively encourage and support program development, growth, and pedagogical innovation. The role of a provost or dean is to provide the resources and structure to allow for development, growth, and innovations to occur. They cannot be forced. The creativity of the faculty must be encouraged, supported and rewarded. The focus must always be on student learning and the most effective ways to enhance learning. My personal emphasis has dealt with enhancing and improving experiential learning opportunities and development new programs. At Drexel University, I was actively involved in maintaining and enhancing the effective co-op experience for our students. At Michigan Tech, I initiated the projectbased learning with firms in India through the new Tech MBA Online I developed and promoted. At Drexel, Michigan Tech and Bradley University, I initiated and remain actively involved in the ongoing development of innovative interdisciplinary opportunities for students in both the business and engineering colleges. Through the newly formed Institute for Innovation Through Collaboration at Bradley, senior students in both business and engineering work together in new product development teams advancing new technologies in partnership with our corporate sponsors. These latest efforts were the result of listening to prospective employers on the knowledge and skills necessary for today s graduates to be successful while maintaining the goal of improved student learning. Online programs are a vital component of any successful university. My involvement with online education began in 2001 when I was appointed by the associate provost to be a member of the campus E-Learning Strategy Group at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In later years, I taught online as a member of the faculty in the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University. At Michigan Tech, I designed and proposed the new Tech MBA Online that included an international residency in India focusing on technology-based firms with project-based learning. In only its third year, the Tech MBA Online was ranked by US News & World Report in the top 25% of online MBA programs. In my current position as dean at Bradley, we are planning for the online delivery of the MBA and a specialized masters degree using the assistance of a third-party firm specializing in online delivery services. I have been directly involved with assessment and accountability at a variety of levels. I have served as dean with two business schools accredited by AACSB with requirements for documented and effected Assurance of Learning practices. As dean at Bradley and Michigan Tech, I have been involved in programmatic and assessment decisions to follow new requirements for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission including AQIP and Open Pathway. Early in my career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I was actively involved in our university-wide assessment of AQIP and our decision whether or not to pursue this alternative path to regional accreditation. Connect a Vibrant Campus Life to the Academic Experience. Formal instruction and education is a part of the entire educational experience of our students. I am proud to have worked at universities, like SLU, that are committed to providing students with

8 Darrell Radson, Ph.D. Page 8 opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. The goal is to build and maintain a community where learning and personal development is a part of everything we do. I have witnessed effective collaboration between student affairs and the academic units for effective programming and development. Likewise, I have witnessed universities where this collaboration was not effectively built or has broken down. As provost, I would be committed to effective collaboration. In the end, students will be the beneficiaries of these efforts. In my course of nearly twenty-five years as an academic, I have continued to look for new positions that are challenging, rewarding, and fit with my experience and interests. I am now ready to take on the full responsibility of a provost. I would bring commitment, integrity, passion, and enthusiasm to St. Louis University. I would work diligently to develop and achieve strategic goals, promote the Jesuit mission, maintain and advance student success, strengthen academic programs, insure faculty growth and development, manage with innovation yet with sound budgetary decision-making, and enhance the overall success of the university. I look forward to these leadership challenges and believe that I have the ability and desire to successfully meet them. Your consideration of my candidacy is most appreciated. Sincerely, Darrell Radson Enclosures