- September 29, 2011
- 12:01 am
- Jessica Reynolds
- no comments
New leader of the SBA
The Loyola community welcomes Kathleen A. Getz, PhD, dean of the School of Business Administration (SBA), to our University. Getz was hired in May at the conclusion of the spring 2011 semester. We recently sat down with Getz to discuss her goals for the business school and to learn more about her life outside of the office.
Describe your professional life before coming to Loyola.
I was most recently the senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Kogod School of Business, American University. During my five years in that job, I was responsible for faculty recruitments and development and program review and improvement. In total, I worked at American University for 20 years, starting as an assistant professor. When I was senior associate dean, many senior administrators and faculty encouraged me to consider becoming a dean. I enjoyed the associate dean role but thought I might find the challenges of a deanship even more exciting.
What motivated you to join the Loyola community?
What appealed to me about Loyola was that the values and mission seemed to go beyond words to actually influence behavior. I really like that reason and faith are both considered to be fundamental. Further, in my view, students and their learning should be at the center of any academic institution. I needed to be in an institution that understood the primacy of students. In terms of dedication to students, I saw that Loyola’s values were consistent with my own.
As dean, what are your top three goals for the School of Business Administration?
First, we will improve the student experience across the board, with a focus on co-curricular activities. I want students to be excited about the business school and all they can learn and do with us. Second, we will make true on our commitment to international business. Right now, we have a piecemeal approach, but we can do better by embracing the talents of our faculty, encouraging and organizing their initiatives strategically, and better utilizing the resources of Chicago. Third, we will make the SBA a better workplace for faculty and staff by deploying our resources more thoughtfully and enhancing collaboration across all boundaries.
In your opinion, how does Loyola’s SBA match up to other nationally acclaimed schools?
The school is doing very, very well on a lot of dimensions, and our rankings attest to that. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Loyola’s SBA at #81 with additional recognition for accounting (#21) and finance (#18). Last week, the Aspen Institute ranked our MBA program at #16 internationally in terms of sustainability, values, and ethics. These rankings reaffirm other recognition of graduate and undergraduate programs. However, expectations continue to escalate, so we must continuously improve.
When you’re not busy in the office, how do you spend your time?
I enjoy playing the piano and singing, which is something I’ve done since I was about eight years old. I was a choir director for the last eight years in Fairfax, VA. I’ve been looking for a place to sing in Chicago and just last week, I signed on to sing at the Sunday Mass in the Quigley Center.
So far, what do you appreciate most about Chicago?
I previously lived in the suburbs of Washington DC. What I enjoy most about Chicago is the urban lifestyle. My husband and I have just decided to buy a place that’s two blocks from the office. Walking to work is so much better than driving 25 miles. Chicago is a very livable city!
