Lehrman is named first dean of PC business school

Providence College has appointed the first dean of its School of Business, which was formed last year as the school prepared to obtain a key business program accreditation.
Susan Lehrman, formerly the president and dean of the faculty at Union Graduate School in Schenectady, N.Y., took the job on Jan. 2, according to announcement made last week by the Rev. Brian J. Shanley, president of PC, and Hugh F. Lena, vice president for academic affairs.
A college spokeswoman said Lehrman was out of the office late last week and was not immediately available for comment.
Since January, Lehrman has been focusing on getting the School of Business accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. The University of Rhode Island and Bryant University have the only business programs in the state with that accreditation now.
PC said Lehrman also intends to reach out to business community leaders, students and alumni for input on how the School of Business should be developed.
“There’s a unique niche that we’re filling and continuing,” Lehrman said in statements that accompanied her hiring announcement. “This is a high-quality business program that turns out alums who are well-rounded leaders with a strong professional ethic. Those are the types of students who have and will continue to graduate from here.”
“I’m looking forward to creating a family for myself on campus,” Lehrman said. “Not only will that benefit me personally but I think it’s an important part of getting the job done. The more we’re integrated, the stronger we’ll be.”
The School of Business was formally created last July, replacing the Division of Business Administration. Shanley said at the time that forming the School of Business led by a dean would have a few benefits. “Having a school will allow us to draw better students and more easily attract outside funding,” he said in a news release “Also, we have been grappling with governance issues regarding a ‘division’ within the college.”
The college conducted a national search before appointing Lehrman.
At Union College, Lehrman was responsible for the development of three new degree programs, including a joint master of science in bioethics program with Mount Sinai School of Medicine, according to PC.
Under her guidance as director of MBA programs and dean of graduate education at Union College, the school’s MBA programs achieved AACSB standards and the college achieved accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, PC said.
She also taught courses in management, marketing, strategic planning, and health care management, attaining the rank of full professor in 2003.
A graduate of Oregon State University, Dr. Lehrman holds both a doctorate and a master of public health degree from the University of California at Berkeley’s Program in Health Services Administration and Policy Analysis.
Before her appointment at Union College, she held various management positions during 13 years of service with a San Francisco-based hospital system, Seton Health Systems (now Ascension Health). She has done extensive research, publishing and consulting in the areas of HIV/AIDS case management and assessing and managing organizational outcomes, PC said. •