Dean, Katz School of Business at InsideHigherEd

The Dean of the Katz School of Business at Fort Lewis College (FLC) provides leadership, vision, and direction for the Katz School to ensure effectiveness and continuous improvement. The mission of the Katz School is to develop career-ready students in an inclusive, experiential, and student-focused environment by facilitating and strengthening our commitment to innovative business education and diverse scholarship through faculty members’ engagement in the community. The Dean leads the school’s academic programs in Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Marketing, Accounting, Economics, and Quantitative Business Analysis, as well as minors and certificates. The successful individual will provide internal leadership on curriculum, instruction, scholarship, and adherence to internal policies and procedures while at the same time continuing enhanced collaboration on campus and in the Durango and Four Corners communities. In 2023, the Katz School of Business secured a $10.40 million charitable contribution. This transformational gift funds a wide range of initiatives, including a student-run marketing agency, a faculty and student development fund, an endowed deanship, and three endowed professorships, with the goal of providing robust student support and exceptional leadership in business education. The successful individual will continue a track record of fundraising and sponsorship revenue and will have the ability to manage a sizable endowment for the benefit of faculty, students and staff. We are seeking a leader to continue this exciting momentum and build on this culture of excellence reflected in student enrollments and innovation. The Dean maintains the integrity of the school’s academic programs, while at the same time advancing its stature as an AACSB accredited school since 1974, and its role within the campus and larger communities. The Dean reports directly to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and works directly with the Associate Provosts, other Deans, and the Division of Student Affairs. The Dean also is an active member of the President’s cabinet.

For more information regarding this important search, please see:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/dean-business

Job Description:

Required Qualifications:

The required qualifications for this position include an earned doctorate or terminal degree in business or a related field; a distinguished record of teaching and scholarship; as well as a promise of successful leadership in academic administration.

Preferred Education, Specialized Skills and Experience: 

• Progressive experience in academic administration and demonstrated ability to provide leadership, strategic thinking and to articulate a clear and compelling vision;
• Evidence of a collaborative and collegial leadership style with strong communication skills, including the abilities to listen and advocate for the Katz School of Business.
• Active involvement with AACSB accreditation and its associated processes;
• Demonstrated track record as an innovative thinker in the development, enrichment, and assessment of programs;
• Demonstrated commitment to professional ethics and integrity;
• Student-centered, with an appreciation of the mission of a teaching institution;
• Experience with a diverse student body, faculty and staff.
• A record of building partnerships across the disciplines and collaborations with external organizations and institutions;
• A talent for collegiate fundraising and promise of or proven experience with donors;
• Strong organizational, personnel management, fiscal management and budgetary skills;
• The ability to steward the Katz endowment and create new opportunities for growth;
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering strong relationships and active engagement with the local business community, ensuring reciprocal partnerships that benefit both students and the region’s economic vitality;

• Credentials commensurate with the rank of full professor in one of the programs of the Katz School of Business

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that an employee can expect while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic). 

• Ability to work in a confined area. 

• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time. 

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to, stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone or keyboard  

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work 

• Light to moderate lifting is required  

Salary

The salary range is $173,000 to $192,000, with an additional annual $20,000 endowment salary supplement, and a comprehensive benefits package

Application Process 
A complete application packet includes: 

• Cover letter addressing interest and qualifications for the position
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Names and contact information for three current, professional references

Application Deadline

Application materials received by 11:59 p.m. on January 4, 2026, will receive full consideration.

Questions and inquiries

CBIZ Higher Education is partnering with Fort Lewis College on this important search. Please direct nominations and inquiries about this opportunity to:

Pelema Ellis, Ph.D., EVP & Head, Higher Education Practice
[email protected]

The successful candidate will be required to submit official transcripts

and pass a background check.

About Fort Lewis College:

On a sage-brushed mesa overlooking downtown Durango and the La Plata Mountains, Fort Lewis College is Southwest Colorado’s premier public undergraduate research institution. With more than half of the 3,300 students identifying as people of color, FLC’s academic programming and campus life thrive on nurturing safe, diverse spaces for intellectual exploration and helping people achieve their career goals. A Native American-serving, Non-Tribal Institution, FLC is committed to promoting economic development in neighboring tribal communities and connecting students with the education they need to be the change in the world they want to see. Degree programs span the arts, business, education, health sciences, humanities, and social and natural sciences. Coursework builds on the natural, cultural, and historical resources found around the Four Corners region. Students work closely with faculty on research projects with real-world implications. Like the mountain town it resides in, FLC promotes a culture of work-life balance for students, faculty, and staff. Skyhawks enjoy unparalleled access to a healthy outdoor lifestyle thanks to 300 days of sunshine a year and more than 300 miles of hiking and biking trails in and around Durango

Notice to Prospective Employees:
 The Fort Lewis College is required by the Clery Act of 1990 to notify prospective employees, current employees, students and applicants where to access our Campus Security Report.  The report is updated and published annually in accordance with the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Federal Student Right-to-Know, the Federal Drug-free Schools and Campuses Act of 1989. This report contains information about:

• Fort Lewis College's alcohol and other drug policy

• Sexual assault policy

• Campus security policies

• Campus/community resources

• The Colorado Riot Offense Statute restriction on enrollment

• Where to find registered sex offender information

• Crime statistics for the previous three calendar years

• Reporting crimes

 
 The Campus Security Report can be accessed in two ways:
By going to the internet website at:   www.fortlewis.edu/AnnualSecurityReport Fort Lewis College Student Affairs Office will also provide a paper copy of the annual security report upon request.   You can reach them at (970) 247-7331.

Equal Opportunity
Fort Lewis College does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, sex*, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family or domestic status, political beliefs, veteran status, pregnancy, or genetic information. Accordingly, equal opportunity for employment shall be extended to all persons. The College shall promote equal opportunity, equal treatment, and affirmative action efforts to increase the diversity of students, faculty, and staff. The College is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. To file a report, get resources, read policies, or make an appointment, See www.fortlewis.edu/CARE.

Discrimination Questions?

Office of Compliance and Community Standards
David Pirrone, Director of Compliance
210 Berndt Hall
1000 Rim Drive
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 247-7182 [email protected]

Questions about Title IX sex discrimination?    
Office of the Title IX Coordinator
Madeleine Gillman, Assistant Director of Compliance and Title IX Coordinator
210 Berndt Hall
1000 Rim Drive
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 247-7049 [email protected]

Information about Fort Lewis College’s alcohol and drug policy, sexual assault policy, campus security policies, campus crime statistics, fire safety procedures and fire statistics, and campus/community resources can be found in the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. Hard copies are available upon request.

* Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Part 106 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, including in admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and CFR 106 to Fort Lewis College may be directed to FLC's Title IX Coordinator and/or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education.

ADAA Accommodations
Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact Kristin Polens by phone 970-247-7459 or email [email protected] at least five business days before the assessment date to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.