Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist Sacred Heart University in their search for a new Chair for the Accounting and Information Systems Department. The University seeks a motivated and experienced administrator to provide exceptional leadership and guidance as the next Chair.

The Jack Welch College of Business is experiencing tremendous growth, doubling in size in the past six years and adding six graduate programs. All academic program offices and classrooms will be relocating to the brand new, state-of–the-art West Campus in August of 2019.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a mission driven, strategic thinker with vision and innovation to guide program growth and research and help chart a course for accounting education. This role offers a rare opportunity to play a major role, interacting widely across campus, and positively impacting the course of the College.

The successful candidate is a proven change-agent with a successful history of program development, teambuilding, strong industry partnerships, faculty mentorship and a commitment to teaching and student success.

Reporting to the Dean of the Jack Welch College of Business, the Chair will work closely with the Dean, Associate Deans, Department Chairs, and other key members of the College. The Chair will be an active participant of the College’s Administrative Council, which engages in college-wide strategic planning and development.

As a faculty position, the role is tenure-eligible and offers excellent benefits.

Responsibilities:

• Provide academic and administrative leadership to the department’s faculty and staff
• Promote high standards of performance in teaching, service and scholarly activity
• Provide high quality service to students
• Foster interdisciplinary and collaborative activities at program, college, and university levels
• Demonstrate leadership through work in local and national associations, organizations, and agencies to promote the program’s reputation of excellence

Essential Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in Accounting or closely related field from an AACSB institution
• AACSB Qualified
• Proven record of teaching, research and scholarship, service, appropriate for an appointment to the faculty as a tenured associate or full professor
• Successful experience in academic administration at Department Chair, Program Director level or equivalent
• Working knowledge and commitment to AACSB accreditation standards and expectations
• Proven record in academic program development
• Ability to make effective public presentations and communicate university and college of business vision and mission to corporate partners
• Proven history and success in developing strategic relationship with councils, committees, and organizations to strengthen ties with the community and enhance the college and programs
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills
• Record of strong, consistent, and successful collaboration with faculty, administrators, staff and students
• Strong commitment to high standards and rigor in teaching and research
• Commitment to student learning and success
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and fairness, and the promotion of academic values
• Strong commitment to continued diversification of the WCOB faculty and student body, especially regarding the recruitment and retention of women and under-represented minorities
• Demonstrated knowledge of higher education issues at the national and global level
• Must believe in, and persuasively articulate the mission and values of Sacred Heart University

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional designation as a CPA
• Experience working in the field of accounting
• Experience developing and growing traditional and online academic programs
• Background in accounting analytics

About Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University, the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Conn.,. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Luxembourg and Ireland. It comprises more than 300 acres of land, including an 18-hole golf course and the former global headquarters of General Electric. Rooted in the 2000-year-old Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, Sacred Heart embraces a vision for social justice and educates students in mind, body and spirit to prepare them personally and professionally to make a difference in the global community. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s six colleges: Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; Nursing; the Jack Welch College of Business; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; and St. Vincent’s College. Consistently recognized for excellence, The Princeton Review includes SHU in its guides, Best 382 Colleges–2018 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 267 Business Schools–2018 Edition. It also placed SHU on its lists for “Best College Theater” and “Most Engaged in Community Service,” each of which comprises only 20 U.S. schools. U.S.News & World Report ranks SHU in its Best Colleges 2018 guidebook and calls SHU the fourth “Most Innovative School” in the North. The Chronicle of Higher Education also names SHU one of the fastest-growing Roman Catholic universities in its 2016 almanac. Sacred Heart has a Division I athletics program. www.sacredheart.edu

About the Welch College of Business

The AACSB-accredited Jack Welch College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Undergraduate programs are offered in accounting, business economics, finance, management, marketing and sport management. The College offers a Master of Business Administration degree, five additional Master’s degrees, a Doctorate of Business Administration in Finance, and numerous certificate programs.

Living in the Area

Located less than 60 miles from Manhattan and approximately 150 miles from Boston. With its five miles of shoreline, marinas, parks, open space and plenty of shopping and fine dining, Fairfield is consistently recognized as a top community in the Northeast in which to live. In 2018 the town earned an A+ in a ‘report card’ by Niche on “Best Places to Live” in Connecticut. Fairfield County offers options for urban, rural and shoreline living. Six of the “Top Ten Towns to Live in Connecticut” (as voted by Movoto) are in Fairfield County. Considerations included quality of life (cost of living, median home price, median rent, median household income, and student-teacher ratio), total crimes, tax rates (sales tax and income tax), unemployment, commute time and weather (temperature and air quality). Forbes ranks Fairfield County as 10th in the country in Education.

The region includes easy access to thirty miles of coastline, shopping, restaurants, museums/galleries and some of the best areas for hiking and cycling. New York City is easily accessible utilizing the Metro North train line.

Review will begin immediately, for fullest consideration, applications should be submitted by 2/28/19. Inquiries, referrals and nominations are treated confidentially and can be sent to: Jennifer Muller, Academic Career & Executive Search at Jennifer@ACESrch.com.

Sacred Heart University, rooted in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the Liberal Arts, embraces a vision for social justice, educates students in mind, body, and spirit to prepare them personally and professionally to make a difference in the global community.

Sacred Heart University aspires to achieve prominence through innovative teaching and learning while cultivating a campus community that is recognized as caring and creative.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Sacred Heart University encourages qualified members of underrepresented groups to apply.