Dean Perspectives: David Boyd

David Boyd was the Dean of the College of Business Administration (CBA) from 1987 to 1994 – a time he describes as being difficult for business education due to nationwide declining enrollments. Fiscal austerity prevailed, “The college faced budget cuts, and we had to come up with solutions to align our curriculum with the corporate sector's needs and potential emerging trends,” he says. 

Partnerships lead to success

Despite these challenges, Boyd was able to bring notable changes during his deanship. One of his most visible accomplishments was the refurbishment of Dodge Hall, which became the “home” of the CBA. It  was previously Northeastern University’s library, and Boyd worked with University administration to secure $12 million to build a “student-centric building with state-of-the-art classrooms that facilitated team collaboration and included technology support.” “This was our focus: to give the business school a sense of pride and ownership and to have a distinct residence,” he says. He even helped bury a time capsule in the walls during construction to be opened during the school’s 100th anniversary.

Boyd also worked tirelessly to develop the CBA’s external outreach because he believed raising funds is a quintessential responsibility of the dean.  One of the ways he did this was by establishing corporate alliances and new academic partnerships. He was able to double the size of the fee-paying Associates Program, and through CEO Breakfast Forums, Boyd drew speakers to campus like the founder of Apple Computer, the chair of Martin Marietta, and the president of Ford Motor Company. He also created the Board of Visitors who still to this day provide counsel, funding, and partnership for the school efforts. During Boyd’s leadership, its members included the head of The New York Times and The Boston Globe. He also kickstarted global partnerships in France, England, Hungary, Russia, and Singapore. “I  hoped to build a network to give students an education that included collaborative interaction and international exposure,” he says.

A well-loved leader who stays connected 

Despite his retirement, Boyd still stays connected to people and initiatives at D’Amore-McKim, and he has high hopes for the school presently and for the future. He attributes Northeastern’s and D’Amore-McKim’s success to the efforts of its faculty and administration, and he hopes both students and faculty take time to reflect on the role of business. “I believe that businesses should help address pertinent social and environmental issues, and students should be imbued with the mindset to do so,” he says.

Since retiring, Boyd remains busy spending his time mentoring those younger than him. “It is a bilateral learning experience: I learn from them and keep in touch with the views of the generations following,” he says. Boyd has also developed a passion for studying the stock market and building his portfolio, and he recently authored the novel, “The Turnstile of Time.”