James Guthrie, professor and interim School of Business dean at the University of Kansas, gives a presentation Friday, April 14, at Capitol Federal Hall.

Advancing the stature of the University of Kansas School of Business starts by making an impact at the ground level — with KU’s business students, faculty and staff — according to interim business dean James Guthrie.

“Our stature will naturally rise,” he said. “It’s the dean’s responsibility to create an environment where these three groups of folks thrive.”

Guthrie, the first of three candidates for dean of the School of Business, gave a presentation Friday at Capitol Federal Hall attended by about 90 people.

Guthrie has been interim dean since July 1, when former business dean Neeli Bendapudi became KU’s new provost and executive vice chancellor.

“After trying it out for a while, I kind of like it,” Guthrie said. “It’s the only dean’s job I’m looking for. It’s not something I’m going to use as a stepping stone to something else.”

Guthrie — who has been on the KU faculty for nearly 30 years, since 1988 — said KU is where he wants to be.

Prior to being appointed interim dean, Guthrie served two years as the business school’s associate dean for academic affairs, overseeing curricular and co-curricular activities for undergraduate and master’s programs and the launch of the Davis Center for Figure Sense, aimed at teaching students how to use complex data to make better business decisions.

Guthrie also has been involved in fundraising and was co-chair of the business school’s building committee from 2011 to 2016, when Capitol Federal Hall was completed.

For students, going through the School of Business can be life-changing, Guthrie said. In talking with KU business alumni, Guthrie said he hears less talk about lectures and curriculum and more about experiences they had.

Examples include study abroad, the school’s Business Leadership Program and the Business Communications Center, which offers writing and presentation coaching. Collaborating with other KU schools to offer joint programs is also valuable.

“We have to continuously invest in these kinds of things,” Guthrie said. “These have impact on students.”

Research conducted by the school’s faculty affects KU’s stature, too, Guthrie said.

The more research KU professors are doing, the more likely others are to hear about it and the more visible the school will become.

He said it’s important to allow professors time outside of their teaching loads to conduct their research to avoid “slippage,” or letting it fall to the side over time.

Guthrie said as dean he would expect fundraising to be a major goal. Donations funded the new $70.5 million business building, Capitol Federal Hall, but he said he does not think there’s donor fatigue when it comes to the people and programs operating within.

Guthrie said matching donors to their interests would be a priority. Professorships, research travel, staff development and student programs are among efforts that elevate the school, he said.

“We cannot count on sustainable sources for what we want to get done in the School of Business … We need investors to help elevate our people,” he said. “There are people out there willing to sponsor and support the things that go on inside this great space.”

Guthrie earned his doctorate in human resource management from the University of Maryland. He has an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. According to KU, his research specialties are human resource policies and practices and firm performance, employment instability and reward systems.

Other presentations

Three School of Business dean candidates are to present on the topic “Advancing the Stature and Impact of the KU School of Business.”

Remaining candidates will be named about two days before their respective visits, according to KU. Presentations are planned for:

• Candidate 2, on April 28. Time and location to be announced.

• Candidate 3, on May 2. Time and location to be announced.