UC Restructures School of Business and Leadership, Adds New Dean
To better accommodate continued enrollment, programmatic, and staffing growth, the University of Charleston will transition from a single School of Business and Leadership to two separate schools – the UC School of Business and the UC School of Leadership.
Consequently, UC will now have five distinct schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, Health Sciences, Leadership, and Pharmacy. Degree programs in both the School of Business and the School of Leadership will maintain Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accreditation as appropriate.
The School of Business will oversee the current Bachelor of Business Administration Degrees (which includes 11 different majors within the degree program), Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science in Business and Data Analytics degrees – including both in-seat and online programs.
The School of Leadership will have responsibility for the associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in leadership and cybersecurity, as well as certificate programs in these and related areas that focus primarily on online delivery designed for adult learners.
“Establishing a separate School of Business and School of Leadership, selecting new Deans to lead these schools, and dedicating more focus on strategic growth initiatives will enable UC to attract, enroll, educate, and support students in preparation for their personal goals and professional success,” stated university president Marty Roth. “Each of these proven leaders brings deep industry and higher education expertise to their positions and shares our core values of student focus, quality, and integrity. I am excited to work with Drs. Barnette, Dugan, and Stone and their colleagues as we continue to grow our business and leadership programs.”
A new Dean of the School of Business has been selected, and two current leaders will assume new roles with the transition.
Dr. Cedric Stone, selected through a national search, will join UC as Dean of the School of Business. His extensive corporate and small business backgrounds combined with business school faculty and leadership roles will be ideal to drive innovation and growth for our business programs.
Dr. John Barnette will become UC’s Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. In this role, he will leverage his institutional knowledge and extensive professional network to help UC deliver innovative career-relevant programs attractive to students and employers. He will report to the President and the Executive Vice Presidents and be a member of the University Leadership Team along with the University’s Vice Presidents and School Deans.
Dr. Kristen Dugan will become Dean of the School of Leadership. She is currently the Program Director of the university’s DEL (Doctor of Executive Leadership) program and has extensive experience serving in other program director roles and on various committees at UC, as well as industry experience.