This August we will be running a blog series that feature each of our three Post University Deans. Follow along as our deans share their own unique story and experiences.
Who is Jeremi Bauer?
This July, Dr. Jeremi Bauer became the Dean of the Malcolm Baldrige School of Business. Before he was in his current position he served as an adjunct professor for several years.
Dr. Bauer was actually an Associate Faculty member at Post before he became a Program Chair in the undergraduate marketing program.
A year after he took the position of Program Chair Dr. Bauer accepted the position of Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; the position now held by Dr. Dylan Clyne.
“My background is in sales and marketing, primarily in new business development. After starting out, as most folks do, learning the business in entry level positions I earned my way into more senior leadership roles over time.”
Eventually Dr. Bauer decided to go back to school and further his education. While he was earning his graduate degrees, a few of his professors approached him about a career in teaching, and “the rest is, as they say, history.”
Dr. Bauer also has something in common with the namesake of his school; he spent his spare time during his undergraduate years as a bull rider; and Malcolm Baldrige also spent his spare time as a rodeo cowboy in the roping events.
What do you do as a dean?
“I feel my job is to create, foster, and nurture an environment where the program chairs and faculty have the freedom to truly enrich the lives of every single student that comes into their classes. This requires a constant and consistent flow of information up, down, and across the university. Therefore, in order to achieve such an environment, I spend a good portion of my time on two, in my opinion, critical activities; first, advocating for the needs of the student and by extension the needs of the chairs and faculty in their role as ambassadors; and second, removing barriers to student success in their programs of study and by extension removing barriers for the chairs and faculty to enrich the student experience here at Post.”
Dr. Bauer also applies concepts that he learned while training to become a six sigma black belt to his role as a dean.
“The aim of Kaizen is a long-term approach to work that systematically seeks to achieve small, incremental changes in processes in order to improve efficiency and quality.”
Dr. Bauer isn’t the only one incorporating this into his leadership style, he acknowledges that his peers have been doing that for years. “I’m not really reinventing the wheel; just helping it spin.”
What’s your favorite part of being a dean?
Similar to what some of the other deans said, Dr. Bauer’s favorite part of being a dean is watching the students graduate.
“The exuberance that emanates without command and the joy I hear from the families in the crowd as their loved one’s name is read aloud. There is nothing more prideful than that day. Everything that we do day-in and day-out is focused solely on helping students achieve that crowning moment in their lives. Improving the lives of our students and helping them achieve a life-goal in earning their respective degree, is my ‘why’ I do what I do every day! On graduation day you can tell that students didn’t just ‘get’ their degree at Post; they ‘earned’ their degree.”
How does your routine change in the summer?
Dr. Bauer doesn’t think that there’s much of a difference between the summertime and the academic year.
“My routine doesn’t change because we’re a 24/7, 365 University. Just the weather’s hotter.”
Post’s online classes run through the summer so the deans still have plenty of work to do.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not at work?
Dr. Bauer prides himself in the fact that he goes to all of his daughter’s school and athletic events. “I try my best to never miss a moment.”
“I enjoy reading, a lot! And doing research on anything that grabs my attention. I’ll grab a hold of a burning question and take it as far as I can without having to get another doctorate; and then on to the next burning question. The internet has really made the pursuit of knowledge an easily accessible reality.”
Dr. Bauer also enjoys yard work, “from simple maintenance to overhauling the landscaping to building stuff” and he has been playing hockey for the past five years “which helps me stay in shape, keep mentally sharp, and is rather cathartic.”