Nistler College’s Amy Henley named dean of University of Louisville College of Business

Amy Henley, dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration, has accepted the position of dean at the University of Louisville College of Business in Louisville, Ky.

Henley, who has served as dean of the Nistler College since August 2018, will begin her new role at UofL in July.

“Over the course of seven years, Dean Amy Henley has been a strong, dedicated and effective leader for the Nistler College. She also has been instrumental in helping to position the College for ongoing growth and success. We will certainly miss her at UND,” said Eric Link, vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. “The University of Louisville is gaining an executive leader with incredible experience and a track record of success, and we all want to both express our gratitude for everything she’s done for the students, faculty and staff of UND, as well as wish her ongoing success in her next role at Louisville.”

Henley said it has been a privilege and an honor to serve as dean of the Nistler College.

“Together, with my outstanding faculty and staff, we have accomplished so many remarkable achievements,” Henley said. “I am grateful to the entire UND community for their support over the last seven years. The Nistler College and the University of North Dakota will forever hold a piece of my heart and a part of me will always bleed green.”

Provost Link will meet with the College in the coming days to discuss the process for selecting an interim dean and the national search for Henley’s successor.

Henley’s tenure

During Henley’s tenure as dean of the Nistler College, she oversaw the fundraising and construction of the College’s current headquarters — Nistler Hall — an impressive $70 million structure that towers over University Avenue in the heart of campus. The building carries the namesake of lead donors Werner and Colleen Nistler. Henley also led efforts to establish the Tom and Konnie Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management and the Herr School of Accountancy, in honor of Henry and Judee Herr.

Henley also elevated the Department of Accounting & Information Systems to “School” status, as well as established the Institute of Policy & Business Analytics and launched a new Business Analytics major within the College. Other initiatives included fostering a culture of research by creating a new associate dean of research role, boasting the University’s largest student scholarship endowment, and developing a successful Financial Wellness program.

These initiative and more helped Henley and her team achieve record enrollments for the College.

Henley also helped strengthen connections to the community through partnerships with the UND Center for Innovation and oversaw ramped-up support for and outreach by the UND-based North Dakota Small Business Development Centers.

In 2022, Henley successfully led the College through a reaffirmation of accreditation process through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.

More about Amy Henley

Before coming to UND Henley was executive director of MBA Programs at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. In addition, Henley also was an assistant chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, part of the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State. There, she also taught management, primarily in the master’s and doctoral programs, as well as conducted research and advised doctoral students. She also taught management courses and advised students at the University of Southern Mississippi and University of Texas at Arlington, focusing on organizational behavior and human resources.

Henley holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior and psychology from the University of Texas in Arlington and received her MBA and bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.

She also spent time in Dallas working in transportation logistics and financial analysis prior to earning her doctoral degree.

About the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration

The Nistler College of Business & Public Administration (CoBPA) is the largest school of business in North Dakota and serves an average of 1,425 undergraduate students and 350 graduate students per year. Committed to providing educational and social opportunities to all its students, the College offers more than 25 professional student clubs and organizations. Students can also take advantage of many cooperative employment and internship programs throughout the year. The Nistler CoBPA is the first accredited business college in North Dakota. Our accrediting agency, AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), establishes standards to promote the highest levels of educational quality.

The Nistler CoBPA has three departments and two schools, with several academic programs including 16 undergraduate programs and four graduate programs. The Nistler CoBPA is one of only 986 accredited business schools in the world.