Dr. Paul Jarley: First generation college student turned dean

He is a first generation college student, who has now spent 25 years in higher education –behind the big desk as a PhD graduate. Paul Jarley, the Dean of the Lee Business School at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was the second candidate to meet with the new dean search committee at UCF and today, he is UCF’s College of Business Administration’s dean.

Among meetings, interviews and, well, his job Jarley blogs. He writes about current matters and informs students of changes that affect them, but in a way Generation Y can relate – through witty, Snooki references.

“I love to write. I especially like to write pieces, which challenges people’s view of the world and encourages them to think and act differently,” Jarley said in e-mail. “The blog is about how students can get the most out of their college experience and the challenges higher education faces in providing students with the knowledge, skills and experiences to compete in today’s world.” 

Personal:

Birthplace:  Norway Michigan, a small town about 100 miles north of Green Bay Wisconsin.

Education: Bachelors in economics, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Masters of public policy, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; PhD Industrial Relations, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Fun, obscure fact: I once owned a white leisure suit. Every generation has the right to be badly dressed, but only for about five years.

Business

Basic philosophy: There is no substitute for actually knowing your customers, employees and stakeholders and listening to their needs and aspirations.

First job: As a stock-boy in a small grocery store growing up. I was sixteen.

Favorite quote:  It’s a three- way tie.

• “Fortune favors the bold,” Roman Poet Virgil;
• “The reason so many people miss opportunity is that it tends to be dressed in coveralls and looks like work,” Thomas Edison;
• “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Albert Einstein.

Accomplishment you are most proud of: Achieving a state of positive restlessness among faculty, students and staff, regarding the nature and the quality of the student experience at the Lee Business School and how we might create a unique environment, which will differentiate us in the marketplace and in the minds of high achieving students. I know I just said a mouthful of dean-speak here, but changing an organization’s culture is the most difficult thing to do.  We still have a ways to go, but we have made great strides in getting people to talk about and help create a different student experience without eroding our research mission.

Definition of success: Earning a living doing what you love.

Future goal(s): Helping redefine the business model for American public research universities.  We have to find a financially viable and engaging way to expose all students to the benefits of being taught by research active faculty, who are shaping the future of professional practice and the world around them.  It is this type of student experience that will ensure we graduate people ready and able to ensure the U.S.A.’s position of leadership in the world.