David Kidwell announced his resignation as head of Carlson School of Management in February after leading the business school for 10 years.
Soon after, school officials hired a search committee from the consulting firm Korn Ferry to find a replacement.
On June 6, administrators announced they will hire Associate Dean of Faculty and Research Lawrence Benveniste as interim dean, effective September 1.
“Being an associate dean, it was natural for me to move into the interim position,” Benveniste said.
He added he wants to continue his predecessor’s work in making a strong commitment to the students of the Carlson School.
Benveniste and other administrators plan to implement a number of improvements, many of which are especially catered toward undergraduate programs.
The school will purchase 40 laptop computers to use for setting up a wireless Internet system that will relieve the congestion often felt in the undergraduate computer lab.
“This will be the school’s first experiment with wireless technology,” said Jerry Rinehart, director of University undergraduate programs.
He added he is “really excited to have support in giving the undergraduates an opportunity to try this out.”
To make these changes, the technology fees for undergraduate students will increase to pay for the new equipment.
In addition to the technological changes, the Carlson School is looking to get more top faculty involved in undergraduate classes.
To facilitate this, a new associate dean position will open to help improve the undergraduate programs and make some changes in the curriculum.
Benveniste also plans to increase use of the school’s business connections to set up programs that give students an opportunity to learn the skills local businesses look for.
Although he mainly focused on the changes that would be made to the undergraduate program, Benveniste said, “We are really committed to elevating the quality of service for all the programs.”
Overall, Benveniste is looking to help improve the student experience at the Carlson School.
“We’re really proud of our students who are among the best in the University,” he said.
Matt Chock covers business news and trends and encourages comments at [email protected]
