Dean Search

The University of North Dakota is seeking candidates for the position of Dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration.

Reporting directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean is the leader of a distinctive and thriving academic unit. The Dean will provide leadership and facilitate an environment for accomplishing strategic goals, as well as aligning the functioning of the College with UND’s broader strategic planning: UND LEADS. The Dean is responsible, in cooperation with the Provost, for academic and administrative planning; budgeting; administration and implementation of College and university policies; and fundraising and external and government relations.

The Dean, in partnership with the faculty, is responsible for academic program development and review; faculty and staff recruitment, development, and evaluation; and student relations. UND seeks an exceptional, focused, and creative leader who will build upon Nistler’s strengths to continue its growth and expansion, provide world-class educational experiences, recruit and develop outstanding faculty, and promote faculty-driven scholarly and creative endeavors within the College.

The next Dean will be a committed team player who is devoted to communication,excellence, and shared governance. The selected individual will be a consultative decision-maker and will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, and community and industry partners. The Dean will have unquestioned integrity and exemplary interpersonal and communication skills.

The anticipated starting date of the new Dean will be January 1, 2027, or as soon as reasonable thereafter.

To find out more about the opportunity, the position qualifications, and how to apply please visit the position profile with Academic Search. 

Position Profile

Applications

Applications should include a letter of interest (not more than three pages) specifically addressing the applicant’s background in relationship to the qualifications described in the position profile, a current curriculum vitae, and a list of five professional references with full contact information and a note indicating the nature of the working relationships with each. No references will be contacted without the explicit permission of the candidate.

• Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest can be submitted electronically, and in confidence, to: UNDDeanNistler@academicsearch.org
• Applications received by Monday, August 10, 2026 are assured consideration.
• The UND Dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration Search Committee is being assisted by Academic Search. Confidential discussions about this opportunity may be arranged by contacting consultants Ann Hasselmo at Ann.Hasselmo@academicsearch.org and Chris Butler at Chris.Butler@academicsearch.org.
• Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in this application process should contact Academic Search at 202.332.4049.
• Additional University information may be found at on UND's career website.

Search Committee 

Committee Charge

The search committee is charged with conducting the search, evaluating candidates, conducting initial interviews, hosting finalists, and submitting an unranked list of acceptable candidates to the provost. 

The committee, with assistance from the executive search firm, will ensure that all  stakeholder groups have the opportunity to participate in the process and provide feedback on the finalists. That feedback will be documented, preserved, used by the committee in its deliberations, and included in the final report to the provost.

Search Timeline

About the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration

The Nistler CoBPA is the largest school of business in North Dakota, serving over 2,100 undergraduate and graduate students. Committed to providing educational and social opportunities to all its students, the College offers more than 25 student clubs and organizations. Students can also take advantage of many cooperative employment and internship programs throughout the year. The College is extremely proud of its students, alumni, and nationally accredited programs, as well as its first-class facilities, notably the College’s home in Nistler Hall, which opened its doors in 2022 and is one of the signature buildings on a vibrant, modern, growing campus.

The Nistler CoBPA is the first accredited business college in North Dakota and holds accreditation through AACSB International, which establishes standards to promote the highest levels of educational quality. The Nistler CoBPA has three departments and two schools. These academic departments and schools offer a wide variety of academic programs, including 17 undergraduate programs, 4 graduate programs, 14 undergraduate minors, and  9 certificate programs.

• Herr School of Accountancy
• Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management
• Fransen Department of Real Estate, Economics & Finance
• Department of Marketing
• Department of Political Science & Public Administration

The Nistler College of Business & Public Administration is dedicated to preparing students for the next generation of business and public leadership. The College’s approach to offering a professional education for undergraduate students emphasizes experiential learning and includes:

• A core of business with essential studies in arts, sciences, and humanities
• A common body of knowledge in business and government
• Specialized courses which provide a greater depth of understanding of business and/or public administration/political science

Among the many opportunities students have to enhance their coursework through high-impact learning practices are several experiential learning opportunities including signature speaker series and symposiums; real-world opportunities such as the Student Managed Investment Fund, which allows students to manage and administer an over $2 million investment portfolio; and the Dakota Venture Group, which gives students the opportunity to review and fund entrepreneurial business ventures; along with study abroad and internship opportunities the Pancratz Career Development Center also works with students to define their professional goals, provides them with personalized, progressive professional development, and cultivates mutually beneficial partnerships with employers and  alumni, all in order to help students better transition to successful careers after graduation.

UND and the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration are the hosts of three federally funded business assistance and resource programs for the state of North Dakota. The college’s UND Center for Business Engagement & Development is the administrative home of the ND Small Business Development Centers, the ND APEX Accelerator, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Dakotas (serving ND & SD). Through these outreach programs, the network provides services to more than 2,500 individuals and businesses annually throughout the entire state. By design, they offer support in areas that are commonly taught subjects by the host institution. Students engaging with the Center’s programs work on real-world applications and gain practical insight and experience with the disciplines that they are studying through service and experiential learning. Collaboration creates mutually beneficial outcomes for faculty and the programs. A strong relationship between these programs and the institution helps spark the entrepreneurship conversation on campus and builds stronger bonds between the campus and the community, leveraging federal, state, and higher education resources to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses and drive direct economic development and growth.