5 questions with Newman University’s new business school dean

Brett Andrews, the dean of Newman University’s School of Business, will begin his new role May 1, a few months before the school officially opens.

An Oklahoma native, Andrews was the dean of what is now the Chesapeake School of Business at Oklahoma Wesleyan University while working at the institution from 2003 to 2013.

The new business school at Newman, announced last year, is scheduled to open for the fall 2016 semester.

Andrews, who currently is employed by Tabor College, talked with Eagle business reporter Bryan Horwath about his new job, the Wichita business community and his faith.

Q: Having a business school is something that will be novel for Newman University, but helping to grow one will not be new to you. Explain.

A: While working at Oklahoma Wesleyan, I was dean for what is now the Chesapeake School of Business. Over the course of my 11 years there, we built it from one of the smallest programs on campus to the largest, enrollment-wise. It had a significant presence within the Bartlesville, Okla., and Tulsa business communities.

I expect we’ll be doing a lot of those same types of things here to help bring a high level of profile to the school of business at Newman University.

Q: You moved to Wichita about three years ago. What have you seen with regard to the business community here since you’ve been in town?

A: I think this is a great community that also has a lot of potential to grow. I’ve done a lot of networking and been involved with the chamber of commerce here. There’s already a conversation happening about how we diversify economically, and the school of business at Newman wants to be a part of that.

The best school of business programs are those that meet the needs of our consumers, both the students and the local business community. We want to be able to produce graduates that meet the needs of the local business community, whether they be large-, small- or medium-sized businesses.

Q: If a young person is considering furthering their education in a business program, why should they think about Newman’s new school?

A: I think you’re going to get a holistic business education, not just one that teaches you how to earn a big paycheck. It’s an education that can teach and equip a person to see, through an ethical lens, how to make decisions on a day-to-day basis. We’re not just teaching students how to be successful, we’re also teaching them how to be significant.

A business school education built on top of a liberal arts education is a very powerful combination. It equips the student not just with practices and skills that are necessary and desirable in the business world, but also helps them how to see God’s revealed truth in every area. A combination of all those qualities is very attractive.

Q: It’s clear that your faith is important to you. How does your faith guide you, both professionally and personally?

A: I’m a Christian, and I’m very unapologetic about it. I think it helps bring me a healthy perspective to my work at a faith-based institution like Newman University. It helps me craft into the curriculum the melding of professional skills, along with the best elements of the Christian faith. Those are things like morality and truth and justice, which we can help inject into the workforce and the fabric of society. I cannot imagine not having my faith a part of my life.

Q: You say that business owners and hiring managers are constantly looking for hardworking people who also practice good ethics. Expand on that.

A: I visit with business people all around the nation. Here locally, it’s similar. They tell me they want people who can work hard, learn fast and be ethical at what they do. That’s huge today.

It seems simple, but, as hiring managers tell me, it’s difficult to find somebody with the right skill set who can bring those things to the table. Those are the things, at a high level, that we want to build into the business program at Newman.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 4:57 PM with the headline "5 questions with Newman University’s new business school dean."