Business Dean Sean Reid Named Provost at Providence College

By La Jerne Terry Cornish, May 28, 2020
New appointment will begin July 1.

Dear Campus Community,

Providence College has announced that Sean Reid, who has superbly led our School of Business as dean since 2015, has been named as their new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. He will be joining Providence on July 1. This is an outstanding advancement opportunity for Sean, taking him to the next level in his already distinguished higher education career.

Sean will be leaving Ithaca with a strong record of achievement. This past January, the School of Business had its accreditation extended by AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, considered the hallmark of excellence in business education. AACSB accreditation has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business programs.

three people in front of computer screens

John J. Neeson ’84, Tracy Neeson, and Dean Sean Reid (right) at the dedication of the Neeson Business Analytics Lab and Neeson Digital Marketing and Analytics Lab last fall.

(Photo by Dave Burbank)

John J. Neeson ’84, Tracy Neeson, and Dean Sean Reid (right) at the dedication of the Neeson Business Analytics Lab and Neeson Digital Marketing and Analytics Lab last fall.

(Photo by Dave Burbank)

A sampling of additional School of Business accomplishments under Sean’s leadership includes:

  • The establishment of the Neeson Business Analytics Lab and Neeson Digital Marketing and Analytics Lab, allowing students to gain valuable experience analyzing “big data” and use top-of-the-line analytics software previously unavailable to students and faculty.
  • The launch of the innovative MBA program in Entertainment and Media Management, which leverages the strengths of the School of Business with that of our renowned communications and music schools, so that in less than a year students can earn a degree that provides them with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop, manage, and distribute creative content.
  • The school has regularly been named a Top Undergraduate Business School by “Poets & Quants for Undergrads,” a news outlet that covers business education. The rankings are based on three equally weighted categories of data: admission criteria, alumni satisfaction, and employment results.
  • AACSB selected the School of Business as one of the 25 highlights of its “Innovations That Inspire” member challenge, an award bestowed for the student-led effort in the Department of Sport Management running the on-campus ticket sales operation for the 2019 Cortaca Jug football game, which broke the Division III record for attendance.

In addition to managing the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for the School of Business, Sean has established a number of key relationships and partnerships with alumni, donors, and members of the Ithaca community.

He has also served the college as a whole, as a member of the Institutional Effectiveness and Budget Committee, Enterprise Risk Management Committee, and 2019 Cortaca Jug Steering Committee; participant in the Ithaca Firsts Mentor Program; and chair of the 2018 search for the vice president for finance and administration, among other roles. An officer with the U.S. Navy for over three decades, Sean served as the keynote speaker for the college’s 2016 Veterans Day Celebration.

Sean’s appointment underscores just how well-respected IC is in the higher education landscape. We are so appreciative of the work that he has done for the school and for the college over the past five years, and I know that Providence will greatly benefit from his experience and expertise just as we have.

I will be working with the School of Business to develop a plan for interim leadership, with the intent to launch a national search for a new dean this fall.

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Sean during my first two years as provost. I wish him every success, and will miss him as a colleague and friend.

Sincerely,

La Jerne Terry Cornish
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs