UAF School of Management Dean Steps Down

Submitted by Tammy J. Tragis
Phone: (907) 474-7119
11/17/03

James Collins, dean of the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Management, will step down from the position effective June 30, 2004.

Collins plans to resume his teaching and research career as a tenured professor in business administration.

"Ultimately it’s a personal decision," Collins says. "But it’s also with the knowledge that change is important in the business school." A national search for a new dean will begin immediately. The School of Management has 312 students and 42 faculty and staff.

Collins was appointed dean in 2000 after serving as director in 1999 and interim director in 1998 when the School of Management was included in the College of Natural Resource Management. Collins was integral in the decision to return the School of Management to an independent school within the university system in 2000. Collins began teaching at UAF in 1991.

During his tenure as dean, the School of Management hired 13 new faculty in three programs to meet undergraduate needs and increasing enrollment. Under Collins’ guidance, the school has successfully received funding for several initiatives, especially in finance.

When asked what he plans to do after he steps down, Collins replied he is going to spend time with his new granddaughter and enjoy his summers off.

For more information, contact Tammy Tragis, UAF School of Management Information Officer, at (907) 474-7119.

CONTACT: Tammy J. Tragis, School of Management information officer, at (907) 474-7119 or e-mail: tammy.tragis@uaf.edu for more information.