The UND College of Business and Public Administration, will soon have a new dean as Dean Dennis Elbert announced that he will be stepping down. Photo by Jennifer Friese/The Dakota Student.

Recently, UND began the search for a new dean for the College of Business and Public Administration after the current dean, Dennis Elbert, announced that he will be stepping down from the dean’s position and returning to being a faculty member within the college.

The search is being conducted by a search committee with the help of the national search firm Funk and Associates. The search committee is chaired by Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Thomas DiLorenzo and includes 11 other members.

“We have a great business school,” DiLorenzo said. “But we are looking to move to the next level and build on our strengths and provide a first rate strengths and provide a first-rate business school in the northern plains area.”

Members of the search committee were chosen after information and nominations were solicited from across the university in order to get a wide range of people. They include faculty, staff and students that had a wide reach across campus, the region and the world.

“It’s a rather diverse and strong group,” said professor Paul Sum, chairman for political science and public administration. “This is a pretty good team. They are people I really respect and I was happy to be named among them.”

The committee held its first meeting Jan. 28. The committee members plan to work together to consider what type of candidate they are looking for to choose a new dean. With the different type of work and specialties that each member contributes, the committee as a whole should have an idea of what type of person would best fill the position.

“I hope to bring in a new dean that will continue to grow and expand what we have been able to do,” said DeAnna Carlson-Zink, Executive Vice President & CEO of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation. “I want someone who has a great vision for the future and is excited for UND and understands the importance of the university and the college to the region and the world.”

DiLorenzo said the university is interested in constructing a new business school building and would like the new dean to help with the design,  build entrepreneurship in the school and work well with faculty and staff.  DiLorenzo also said he would like someone to help bridge the college with other units on campus such as the law school, the College of Engineering and Mines school and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Sum said that using a search firm is pretty routine for high level academic positions. The search firm will help by expanding the pool of candidates for the position.  It is able to find and reach individuals who fit what the university is looking for and that the university may be unable to reach by itself.  The position will still be open to the public and anyone can apply, but by using a search firm, the options grow.

Elbert, who has served as the dean for the College of Business and Public Administration for 16 years, announced last year that he would like to return to being a faculty member, the position he held before becoming dean.

“Dean Elbert has a real love for being an instructor and an educator,” Sum said. “I am happy he is not retiring, and I think he will do an outstanding job as a teacher.”

DiLorenzo said Elbert has done a fantastic job and has built the school to what it is now. Elbert will join the faculty in the fall of 2014.

DiLorenzo hopes to have a new dean hired by summer 2014.

Ashley Marquis is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]