{"id":2979,"date":"2015-09-30T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2015-09-30T17:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=2979"},"modified":"2016-01-28T12:01:28","modified_gmt":"2016-01-28T18:01:28","slug":"profile-of-dean-emeritus-barbara-butts-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/profile-of-dean-emeritus-barbara-butts-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Realize Your Dreams: A Capella Dean Speaks from Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many people dream about getting a degree that will change their lives and career. But the barriers and challenges often dissuade people from going more than a few steps down the path to such a goal. Courage and confidence are required, says Barbara Butts Williams<\/a>, longtime dean of the School of Business at Capella University\u2014particularly for women, people of color, and middle-income and working-class individuals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Butts Williams knows what she\u2019s talking about. An African-American woman who grew up in a working-class household in Harrisburg, Pa. in the late 50s and 60s, Butts Williams remembers being told by teachers that she shouldn\u2019t waste her time developing her writing skills or considering a college education. But her father, who always held two jobs, either as a steel worker or with the city\u2019s sanitation department and at the local hospital, urged her to ignore such naysayers. When she asked him why he didn\u2019t pursue a job as a manager or find other kinds of work, he explained that he needed the job protection that came with union membership and the income that would allow him to provide for his family. \u201cHe wanted to ensure that his kids would have a different opportunity,\u201d Butts Williams says. \u201cMy dad told me, \u2018Listen\u2014you become the doctor, lawyer, supervisor, or manager you want to be; I\u2019ll support you 100 percent.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat conversation with my dad changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Butts Williams went on to obtain four degrees: a bachelor\u2019s, two master\u2019s, and a doctorate. She climbed the ladder at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, University of Michigan\u2019s Business School, Control Data Corporation (Ceridian), the St. Paul Companies (Travelers), and Wilson Learning Corporation before joining Capella more than a decade ago. Initially, she thought it would be an interesting but short-term job launching the MBA program; what Butts Williams didn\u2019t realize was how well Capella\u2019s mission aligned with her own values. Because of her upbringing, she believed passionately in helping people who had limited resources. She wanted to assist adult students juggling jobs, families, and finances to obtain the kind of education that would advance their careers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my career I\u2019ve been fortunate to work for organizations with strong purpose-driven missions,\u201d Butts Williams says. In addition, she has mentored and coached many women and men over the years<\/a> and served on the boards of nonprofits that advance causes she believes in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Barbara Butts Williams shares more about her work in civic organizations in a <\/em>July 2015 Star Tribune article<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

In spring 2015, after more than a dozen years in leadership roles in the Business School, as well as serving as Dean of Education and Director of Graduate Programs, Dr. Butts Williams announced that she has accepted a new role: Executive Dean, External Relations & Partnerships and Dean Emeritus of Business at Capella. In her newly created position, she will partner closely with University leadership and key departments to build partnerships with employers, community organizations, thought leaders, and other key stakeholders to support Capella. These ties are expected to benefit both students and faculty\u2014similar to a recent agreement with the Wall Street Journa<\/a>l<\/em> that gives Capella business students access to WSJ.com and other high-value information resources.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Butts Williams says she\u2019s proud of the track record she leaves at the School of Business. In particular, the school\u2019s initial business accreditation and the many accomplishments of her faculty and the students they serve. She enjoyed her interactions with students, whether during a residency, commencement, conference, or the occasional email or phone call; she welcomed the conversations and was always willing to listen. Butts Williams offered four pieces of advice that have helped guide her life:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Be positive, be present, and look forward. <\/strong>Anticipate change.<\/li>\n
  2. Don\u2019t let others define your value.<\/strong> They\u2019ll underestimate your worth.<\/li>\n
  3. Stay focused on your purpose.<\/strong> Know where you\u2019re headed and block the noise.<\/li>\n
  4. Love yourself<\/strong>. Allow yourself to be loved. And believe in something greater than yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Butts Williams says she has no plans to retire anytime soon. \u201cI like being involved in things that make a difference in people\u2019s lives,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve had the opportunity and privilege of getting to work with students at several points throughout their educational journeys, so I\u2019ve gotten to hear lots of stories: about challenges, rewards, moments when students managed to do something they didn\u2019t think they could do. It\u2019s fulfilling, and it reminds me why I do what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Learn more about Capella\u2019s <\/em>online MBA programs<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Capella University Dean of Business Barbara Butts Williams shares how she became a leader in higher education. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":3100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[11,16],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2979"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2979"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3951,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2979\/revisions\/3951"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}