Tippie Magazine (Summer 2021) - Tippie College of Business

You were nominated to become
interim dean in the fall of 2019
and officially took the position
in March 2020. Not to put too fine a
point on it, but a few things changed
in those months. What did it feel
like to be in your shoes when you
took the helm?
AKB I had been shadowing former dean Sarah
Fisher Gardial in January and February, and I
stepped into the interim role March 1.
By March 13, we had closed everything
on campus.
There wasn’t much time to think about the
enormity of what was going on. There were
just decisions that had to be made. Crisis
leadership requires you to move quickly.
One thing that was helpful was I already
knew the college. We could make decisions
about expanding programs and going directly
to donors to ask for support. There was a
clarity of focus. Everyone started pulling in
the same direction.
At the same time, I knew the faculty and
staff really well. I was hearing from people,
and I knew the anxiety was building. I also
knew the resources we had to draw on. I
empathized with them: we were going
through this together.
Our leadership team would help them get
through it. That’s what we’re here for.
Can you give examples of key
decisions you made during those
early days of the pandemic?
AKB There were three big ones. First, we
worked to equip our faculty with what
they needed to teach online. Some of them
literally had to make the switch overnight.
The Stead Technology Services Group
was instrumental in quickly equipping
READ
BETWEEN THE LINES
(2) Tippie
partnered with
the University
of Iowa Center
for Advancement
and raised
$116,000
IN THREE
WEEKS
to support student
grants and
scholarships.
REFERENCE
“ During the
search process
for a new dean,
I remember
thinking: we
were searching
for what we
already had.”
YVETTE TAYLOR
(MBA92), Tippie
Advisory Board
member
DYK?
AKB and her husband
recently purchased
an RV from Iowabased
Winnebago.
Look for them on the
road this summer!
faculty to teach online. We had access to
the University of Iowa Center for Teaching,
but we also found 40 faculty members who
were willing to mentor others on online
teaching. We came out of the gate so
quickly because of that.
Second, we got resources out to students.
We made sure that students got the
technology they needed. We also worked
on getting financial support to students—
particularly for first-generation and
underrepresented minority students
who weren’t sure if they would be able to
come back without it. (2)
Third, our Online MBA, which we had
launched in the fall of 2019, was staffed to
support 40 students. We worried that we
might lose 20 percent of our undergraduate
enrollment in the fall, or we might lose
funding if the state budget collapsed.
We dropped our GMAT requirement and
waived application fees. We got more than
four times as many applicants as normal
and we ended up admitting 160 students in
the summer. The quality of this group was
incredible: by undergraduate GPA, we had
one of the most qualified classes ever.
What were some
of the lessons
of this crisis?
AKB I would highlight the importance of
a dedicated team. We have a tremendous
group who understood the fundamentals
of the college and what we could do to
support each other and our students.
That includes Senior Associate Dean Barry
Thomas, Associate Dean for Research and
Ph.D. Programs Nick Street, Associate Dean
for Graduate Programs Jennifer Blackhurst,
and Associate Dean for Undergraduate
Programs Ken Brown. [In July, Brown is
returning to faculty in the management
and entrepreneurship department.]
12 TIPPIE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021