Career Center

Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota invites applications for a full-time faculty position in Music at the anticipated rank of either Assistant or Associate Professor with a start date of August 15, 2023. Rank and salary will be commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience. The Ron and Sheilah Gates Department of Music (currently staffed by three, full-time faculty and multiple part-time faculty members) seeks a dynamic and vibrant instrumental music educator with strong recruiting skills to build on the success of the department’s instrumental music program (which was launched in 2015).  

The person will be responsible for conducting both large and small instrumental ensembles (e.g., [non-marching] band, drum line, and pep band) and for oversight of the jazz band (currently directed by a part-time faculty member); teaching instrumental methods, applied woodwind and brass lessons; and teaching courses in the music curriculum according to qualifications, experience, and departmental needs.

The person will join a dedicated and innovative performing arts faculty who have recently completed an extensive strategic planning exercise. One of the outcomes of this work is the hiring of a dedicated talent coordinator for the performing arts who will work collaboratively with faculty members to recruit students to participate in performing arts at the university.

The successful candidate will:

• Hold the minimum of a master’s degree in instrumental conducting (DMA preferred).
• Have successful teaching experience at either the K-12 or collegiate level.  
• Be enthusiastic about approaching teaching and learning in innovative ways that generate interest in the discipline and strengthen student engagement.
• Be comfortable with, or willing to learn, the use of digital technologies to enhance student engagement and learning.
• Be firmly committed to high quality teaching and to active, project-based/applied learning.
• Be committed to mentoring students, including serving as an academic advisor.
• Be committed to growing the university’s instrumental ensembles and to meeting the students who comprise those ensembles where they are with respect to their musical abilities.

After an initial screening of applications, candidates who are selected to move forward in the search process will be asked to provide the search committee with access to video of themselves conducting both a concert rehearsal and concert performance. All candidates are encouraged to provide evidence of successful teaching, including strong professor-student relationships, commitment to student development, and creative pedagogical practice.  All applications must include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae (or resume), and the names and contact information (including phone numbers and email addresses) of four professional references. Original transcripts and background check will be required before the university makes an appointment.

 Please submit materials electronically via email to [email protected].   Please write Music in the subject line. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) is a private, comprehensive university affiliated with the United Methodist Church granting both bachelors and master’s degrees.  The University’s mission is to provide a transformative learning experience that cultivates enduring intellectual growth, ethically grounded leadership, intentional faith exploration, and meaningful service.  The University serves approximately 1,000 students from across the nation and around the world, including a significant number of first-generation students from the Great Plains region.  Dakota Wesleyan’s profile is on the rise both regionally and nationally. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked Dakota Wesleyan as best value school in the Midwest and as one of the best regional colleges in the Midwest.  In the past decade,  university donors have made possible a new health science center; a black box theater and alumni welcome center; a 90,000 sq ft sport and wellness complex; a new residence hall; and the new School of Business, Innovation and Leadership.  In 2018, Dakota Wesleyan introduced its Digital DWU initiative.  This initiative focuses on creating learning opportunities for students that will prepare them to succeed in the digital world they will enter upon graduation.  The initiative provides all students with iPads and supports faculty in utilizing technology to create a more engaging and inclusive educational experience for all students. 

DWU is located in Mitchell,  South Dakota, a community of 15,000, nestled in the heart of one of the country's finest outdoor recreation areas.  Mitchell is the sixth largest city in South Dakota and home to the world’s only Corn Palace. The University is within an hour’s drive of Sioux Falls, one of the Upper Midwest’s largest statistical metropolitan areas.  It is within a six-hour drive of several major metropolitan areas (Omaha, NB; Minneapolis, MN; Kansas City, MO).

Dakota Wesleyan reserves the right to modify all job postings and job descriptions.

Dakota Wesleyan is an Equal Opportunity Employer welcoming and encouraging applications from members of underrepresented groups. DWU is a tobacco free campus.

The successful candidate will:

• Hold the minimum of a master’s degree in instrumental conducting (DMA preferred).
• Have successful teaching experience at either the K-12 or collegiate level.  
• Be enthusiastic about approaching teaching and learning in innovative ways that generate interest in the discipline and strengthen student engagement.
• Be comfortable with, or willing to learn, the use of digital technologies to enhance student engagement and learning.
• Be firmly committed to high quality teaching and to active, project-based/applied learning.
• Be committed to mentoring students, including serving as an academic advisor.
• Be committed to growing the university’s instrumental ensembles and to meeting the students who comprise those ensembles where they are with respect to their musical abilities.