As business schools across the country begin a process of self-examination regarding the role of women, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School quietly stepped to the front of the pack. The school announced that Dr. Erika Hayes James will join Emory as dean of Goizueta on July 15.
“Erika James has all the qualities that we want for a leader at Goizueta,” said Provost Claire Sterk in a press release. “She brings a background of impressive scholarship and strong skills in academic administration, and she will work collaboratively with faculty, students, staff, alumni and supporters to take the school to the next level — all the while honoring the principled leadership of Mr. Goizueta’s legacy.”
Goizueta’s appointment of an African-American woman as dean is a first for top business schools nationwide. According to the 2014 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Business School Data Guide, only 22 percent of American business schools have female deans while only 3.8 percent of full-time business faculty identify as Black.
While indicating that she is “flattered and humbled” by her new role, James is focused on Goizueta’s increasingly bright prospects.
In 2012, Goizueta had the most success placing its MBA graduates of any of the top 25 business schools.
“One of the first things over the longer periods of time that I would like to do is showcase to the world the value that the Goizueta Business School has,” said James. “Not only the students that come through at the undergraduate and graduate level, but to demonstrate the leadership that exists among the faculty, and the contributions that we can make across a variety of outlets within the business sector.”
Goizueta’s undergraduate business school program is ranked ninth nationally by Bloomberg Businessweek, while the full-time MBA program is ranked 22nd. “[The undergraduate business school] is perennially a top 10, and we would like to make it perennially a top five,” said James. “I think we can easily do that. We’ve got really talented faculty and terrific students that are attracted to the school, and that’s true at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
