Department Chair, Business Management

Department Chair, Business Management

Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech), the state’s only public polytechnic university, invites nominations and applications for the position of Department Chair, Business Management within the College of Engineering, Technology and Management (ETM). This role offers a compelling opportunity to lead a high-impact academic department at a moment of strategic possibility and institutional evolution.

As Oregon’s only public polytechnic university, Oregon Tech is nationally recognized for its applied, hands-on approach to education - preparing graduates who are not only career-ready but positioned to lead within their professions. The Business Management Department sits at the intersection of business, technology, and innovation, making it central to the university’s mission and future growth.

The Department serves a substantial and professionally focused student population across Klamath Falls and the Portland-Metro campuses, as well as online. Students are highly intentional in their educational pursuits, drawn to Oregon Tech for its seriousness of purpose, close faculty engagement, and practical orientation. Faculty-student relationships are a defining strength of the department and frequently endure long after graduation, reflecting a culture of mentorship, accountability, and mutual respect.

Industry engagement is deeply embedded in the educational model, with experiential learning, applied projects, and professional preparation serving as cornerstones of the curriculum.

At the same time, there is an opportunity for the department to elevate its visibility, voice, and influence within the institution and beyond. While Business Management is housed within the College of Engineering, Technology & Management, there is growing recognition that business and management education at Oregon Tech has reached a level of maturity, scale, and strategic importance that warrants stronger advocacy and clearer identity.

The next Chair will play a pivotal role in articulating that identity, serving as a champion for the department in institutional decision-making, and helping to shape its long-term academic direction.

Recent organizational changes – including the transition of IT and Cybersecurity programs into their own department – is allowing the Business Management Department to redefine its focus and future. Faculty and academic leadership see opportunity to sharpen the department’s mission around innovation, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinary collaboration, while continuing to deliver rigorous, applied business education infused with technology. Initiatives such as the development of an Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub, along with continued strengthening of IACBE-aligned assessment and accreditation practices, signal a department poised for thoughtful growth and renewed momentum.

The Chair will inherit a department with strong foundations: committed faculty with significant industry experience, motivated students, established programs across multiple modalities, and meaningful connections to regional and statewide partners. The opportunity ahead lies in moving from strength to distinction - by recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty, strengthening and expanding industry partnerships, enhancing enrollment and student success, and advancing applied scholarship that reflects Oregon Tech’s polytechnic mission.

Importantly, this role calls for a leader who can thoughtfully balance excellence in teaching with leadership in scholarship and research as defined within a polytechnic context. Oregon Tech values scholarly activity that is applied, industry-engaged, pedagogically grounded, and responsive to workforce and societal needs. The successful Chair will support faculty in advancing a broad and inclusive view of scholarship - encompassing publications, conference presentations, applied research, professional practice, and industry-supported projects - while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accreditation integrity, and academic rigor.

Ultimately, the Department Chair of Business Management is not simply an administrative appointment, but a…