Mary Gowan, the fourth and final business dean candidate, will be on campus today after meeting with community members Wednesday in Koury Business Center.

After months of seeking candidates and looking at applications, the search for a new dean for the Love School of Business is coming to a close. The search committee will soon make a decision about which of the four candidates to hire.

While the Love School of Business is already prestigious, the committee, composed of professors in the school of business as well as professors in the school of arts and sciences and a student member, has high hopes that the new dean will add more to the school.

Dr. Steven House, chairman of the search committee and dean of Elon College, hopes the new dean will bring a vision of where to take the school next. House speaks of a goal to have “excellence everywhere” and the new dean is expected to make this a priority in the school of business.

The need for a search committee arose when Dean John Burbridge announced that he would step down as dean of the Love School of Business to take a sabbatical. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Gerald Francis appointed a committee in September 2006.

The committee came together and created a job ad with the help of EFL Associates, an executive search firm, and posted it in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The committee also put out calls to other candidates.

After going through many applications, the committee narrowed the applicants to four candidates: Lynne Richardson, Joe Alexander, Donna Mottilla and Mary Gowan.

The everyday job of the new dean will include interaction with both students and faculty. The dean must have an understanding of how the arts and sciences fit in with the business education and work to incorporate the liberal arts into the school of business.

The dean is also expected to interact with the local business community and raise funds for Elon. All these administrative duties need to be met while the dean holds a full time professor position.

While the new dean will not always be in direct contact with students, he will affect them. The dean is the person who makes sure that faculty members have resources and uses them to stimulate students’ minds, according to House.

The goal of the committee is to find a dean who desires actively involvement with students. The real impact of the dean, however, comes in directing the vision of the school.

The committee will make its final decision after the Feb. 14-15 visit of the final candidate. The new dean will start duties on June 1, 2007.

Business Dean Candidates

Lynne Richardson – Dean, Miller School of Business, Ball State University

Joe Alexander – Dean, Monfort College of Business, University of Northern Colorado

Donna Motilla – Dean, Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business, Christopher Newport University

Mary Gowan – Associate Dean for Undergaduate Programs, School of Business, George Washington University

Correction 02/16/07: Mary Gowan's flight was delayed and will be meeting with students and faculty on the 19th

Reporter: Alex Walton - 02/15/07