This website uses cookies. Learn more via our web privacy policy. For questions, please email dataprivacy@columbusstate.edu.
CSU’s Turner College Dean Hadley Announces Retirement - Columbus State University Skip to Main Content

CSU’s Turner College Dean Hadley Announces Retirement

March 11, 2021

Dean Hadley

Dr. Linda U. Hadley, dean of the Turner College of Business, has announced she will retire from Columbus State University July 1, after 30 years at the university, following a distinguished career as a teacher, scholar, and leader.


“There are exciting and challenging times ahead for the college,” said Hadley. “I believe it is time for a new leader to direct the future path of this very special institution. I appreciate the opportunity I have been given to contribute to the growth and leadership of this extraordinary place, and value the important work we accomplished together.”


Starting her career at CSU in 1992 as an assistant professor, she has been recognized for her contributions in teaching, administration, and service. She was named dean of the Turner College in 2003.   


As Dean of the Turner College, she made her driving mission to achieve accreditation by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). AACSB Accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide and has long been considered the benchmark for quality in business education.  Her leadership and commitment resulted in the College earning initial accreditation by AACSB International in 2004. Subsequently, Dr. Hadley became a reviewer and consultant for business schools seeking AACSB accreditation in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia.  In 2014, Dr. Hadley was elected to a three-year term representing U.S. business schools on the Board of Directors of AACSB.  She was re-elected to another three-year term in 2017.  In 2019, Dr. Hadley was elected Chair-Elect of the Board of AACSB International, and currently serves as Chair of the Board. AACSB has 1,600 member institutions, including 800 accredited business schools across 53 countries and territories. Closer to home, Dr. Hadley has served as a Board Member and President of the Southern Business Administrators’ Association – a professional association of business deans of the colleges and universities in the southeastern United States. 

“In her years as dean, and during her decades at CSU, Dr. Hadley has been one of the defining leaders in shaping the distinctive character of the Turner College of Business, to include the expansion of the MBA programs, its focus on servant leadership and accreditation from the AACSB ” said CSU President Chris Markwood. “She has also been a strong and influential voice on our leadership team on matters of university concern, and her organizational and financial expertise has long benefited not just the Turner College but the university as a whole.  She leaves a remarkable legacy!” 


“Under Linda’s longtime leadership, the Turner College has become one of the region’s most recognized business schools for its innovative programs and relationships with the local and regional business community,” added Dr. Deborah Bordelon, provost and executive vice president. “We are grateful for her commitment to excellence in academics and service over several decades to the university. We wish her all the best as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.”


Hadley also holds the Bill Heard Endowed Chair in the Turner College. She earned a bachelor’s of arts in economics from Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, Massachusetts), an MBA from Columbus State University, and a Ph.D. in financial economics from Auburn University. She has also completed the Management Development Program at Harvard University.


She is a past recipient of the Turner College’s Excellence in Teaching and Faculty Service Awards. In 2005, she was awarded Columbus State University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Dr. Hadley has been an active member of the Columbus community.  During her career, she has served on the boards of Columbus Bank and Trust, St. Francis Hospital, the Pastoral Institute (Chair), the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation, Historic Columbus, Columbus Public Library, Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, Columbus Museum, Metro Columbus YMCA, Georgia Small Business Development Council and the Columbus Rotary Club. 

Bordelon indicated that the university will announce plans for a national search within the month, with the hopes of having the Turner College’s next dean in place by the start of the 2021-22 academic year.