Associate Dean Randle tapped for UNC System leadership institute
Natasha Wilkins Randle is chosen as one of two UNC Charlotte participants for the sixth cohort of the Executive Leadership Institute, a 10-month initiative that is building the next generation of leadership within the UNC System.
As Belk College of Business associate dean for undergraduate programs, Randle is a strategic leader, guiding program and curriculum development and overseeing undergraduate program offerings, including those of the Niblock Student Center. She extends her influence by collaborating with others across the University and the UNC System to advance best practices in undergraduate education, with an intentional focus on student success.
Joining the cohort drawn from across the state offers a unique opportunity to share knowledge from the Belk College and UNC Charlotte and to learn from others’ experiences, Randle said.
“I am eager to explore how this experience can extend my growth as a leader,” she said. “What drives me is a desire to impact lives, particularly through transformational experiences for our students inside and outside the classroom. This is only possible when all in the academic ecosystem are supported — our staff with fruitful careers and continuous relevant career development, and our faculty with support for their groundbreaking research, which they share with students, the business community and the field.”
Work shows impact
Randle has demonstrated considerable leadership since joining the Belk College administrative ranks, shepherding the strategic focus of undergraduate programs and developing the team that supports those programs.
“Dr. Randle’s reputation precedes her, as she joins this cadre of leaders at the UNC System level,” said Belk College Dean Richard Buttimer. “We at UNC Charlotte and in the Belk College will gain from the new ideas she brings back, and others who are part of the Executive Leadership Institute undoubtedly will learn a great deal from her and from the initiatives she has led.”
Belk College Senior Associate Dean Artie Zillante has collaborated with Randle throughout her time with the college. “Our students, faculty and staff have benefited significantly from Dr. Randle’s outstanding knowledge and strategic insights,” Zillante said. “Her focus unerringly is on the growth of students and on support for the staff and faculty who enable the students’ success.”
“What drives me is a desire to impact lives, particularly through transformational experiences for our students inside and outside the classroom.”
– Natasha Wilkins Randle
Team sees successes
In 2023, under Randle’s leadership, the Belk College Academic and Career Coaching team earned the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising, which recognizes sustained efforts that help students achieve their educational and lifelong learning goals. Randle has centered revisions of the structure of the academic and career coaching and professional development teams to imbed systematic career progression opportunities.
Successes of Randle and the team include the launch of the online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree completion program targeting adult learners and the creation of FIT for Business transitional bridge program for incoming first-generation Belk College students. Another focus area has been on efforts to increase experiential learning opportunities, including study abroad and internships, with even more expansion expected in fall 2025.
Randle joined the UNC Charlotte faculty in the Department of Management in 2018 with a primary teaching focus of human resource management and organizational behavior. Prior to her promotion to the associate dean role in 2022, she served as a Dean’s Administrative Fellow and as director of the Business Honors and Belk Scholars programs.
Contributions continue
Randle continues as a member of the University Honors College faculty and as faculty with the Belk College’s Doctorate in Business Administration program, serving as chair and member of DBA students’ dissertation committees. She has taught management/organizational behavior, leadership, human resource management, professional issues, and business theory courses at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate levels.
Her research interests include workplace weight bias, work-life issues, relationships between leaders and followers and teaching pedagogy. Randle has published research in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Psychology and Journal of Managerial Issues, among others.
She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources and SHRM-SCP certifications and previously worked for GlaxoSmithKline, Harris Teeter, Inc. and Saks Inc. She has provided training and consulting services on management topics including fostering a respectful workplace, conflict resolution, leadership, performance appraisals and business etiquette.
Her recognitions include numerous Chancellor’s senior survey recognitions, U.S. Navy Distinguished Visitor and the MSU-Meridian Outstanding Faculty Service, Paul B. Murphy, Jr. State Pride, and International Paper Notable Scholar awards. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies.
Prior to her appointment at UNC Charlotte, Randle spent 13 years with Mississippi State University-Meridian, where she was an associate professor of management and director of the Professional MBA program.
The Executive Leadership Institute, established in 2019, will feature five interactive and experiential immersion modules via a hybrid of virtual and face-to-face instruction at UNC Charlotte, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. A&T State University. Chris Gonyar ’05, ’07, UNC Charlotte associate vice chancellor for safety and security, also was chosen for the program.