Dr. Jeffrey Alves, dean of the Sidhu School of Business, loves to travel the globe and spend time on his small farm when he is not busy meeting with the 17 faculty members and nearly 600 students he administers.
As the Dean of the Jay S. Sidhu School of Business and Leadership, Alves is responsible for overseeing related courses on the campuses in Wilkes-Barre, in the Poconos, and in Mesa, Arizona. In this role, Alves spends much of his working day meeting with people in varying roles to ensure the faculty and the students of his department have everything they need.
“One of my primary roles is making sure that our faculty has the tools and resources that will help them be the best educators they can be,” said Alves.
The current dean was asked to consider taking his current administrative position after years of experience within the classroom. While he said his real passion lies within teaching, Alves stepped up to fill the position during a time of need within the department.
“We needed a steady hand,” said Alves. “We needed somebody who knew the university rather than bringing in someone new from the outside. The faculty decided that was me.”
Despite the addition of added responsibilities, moving into an administrative role has not kept Alves from spending time in the classroom. The dean is still proctoring classes including the entrepreneur capstone this semester.
Alves’ passion in the classroom has been a part of his personality since he was in high school. The current dean began teaching younger children in his congregation when he was 16 years old.
“I was a sophomore in high school when I began teaching Sunday school,” said Alves. “It was then that I realized I had a talent for it and a real passion for teaching.”
While higher education is a large part of the dean’s life, he does find time to enjoy himself. He has visited 38 countries currently, but aspires to reach at least 50 before his travelling days are behind him. When he is not globe-trotting, Alves also appreciates spending time on the small farm property he owns.
“My version of therapy is getting on a big John Deere and just driving in circles,” said the administrator. “I very much enjoy being outside and that’s where you’re likely to find me on the weekends.”
The Dean of the Business School has said he is a man with both a serious side and a more relaxed side, and both can be seen within his professional role.
“The serious side of me wants to challenge and push, not just students, but everybody to be the best that they can be,” said Alves. “The less serious side of me says that you need to have fun along the way.”
