Assistant Teaching Professor of Music – Violin

Position Function:

The Department of Music, in partnership with the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District, seeks an energetic, collaborative, and artistic candidate to build a thriving, dynamic applied violin studio at Mississippi State University, while serving as a teacher-educator in the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District String Program.

The successful candidate will assume this role at an exciting time in the department with new facilities, strong enrollment, a strong relationship with the University administration, and planned growth in curriculum and community relations. The non-tenure-track Assistant Teaching Professor of Music is expected to serve the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District String Program in multiple K-12 settings and bring an innovative and energetic perspective to teaching applied violin, a collaborative approach to chamber music coaching and performance, and a collegial spirit to department and university service. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in teaching and service, and will bring that dedication to our students at the undergraduate and graduate level. A research and/or creative agenda is supported, but it is not within the primary scope of this position. We seek a colleague that values respect, access, and opportunity for all, and will infuse those values into all aspects of their departmental and community interactions.

The position is considered a 9-month, promotable, non-tenure-track line. The candidate will be expected to start July 21, 2025 (temporary Lecturer title) in service to the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District, followed by the Assistant Teaching Professor of Music title starting August 16, 2025. The university has a promotion system in place for non-tenure track faculty to be considered for and promoted to Associate Teaching Professor, and subsequently Full Teaching Professor, after required time in rank and review by the Tenure and Promotion Committee.

Salary Grade:  UC

For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

Mississippi State University is a comprehensive land grant institution ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Very High Research Activity University. The university is a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Department of Music is a part of the College of Education and is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
In the Fall of 2022, the department moved into a $21 million state-of-the-art facility. The 37,000-square-foot facility at 124 Hardy Road includes classrooms, a choral rehearsal hall, faculty offices, sound-proof practice rooms, recording studio, lecture/recital hall, student lounge and administrative suite. 

See https://www.music.msstate.edu/ for more information about the department. Located partly in and adjacent to Starkville, a city of about 25,000 residents, MSU is served by the nearby Golden Triangle Regional Airport, which has daily connections to Atlanta and Dallas.

Area of Specialization:

Music - Violin

Anticipated Appointment Date:

August 16, 2025

Tenure Track Status:

Non-Tenure Track

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

•Ranked, non-tenure-track music faculty teach an ideal 4.4 courseload
•This position expects a 2.2 course release to teach class strings in the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District 20 hours per week. The expectation is the candidate will teach 12 student contact hours per week, in addition to eight hours of service in program administration and development.
•Teach studio violin and string-related courses
•Attend/contribute to string studio classes and coach student chamber ensembles
•Participate in university, college, and departmental committees and service
•Perform with faculty chamber ensembles as Violin I. In addition, the candidate will have the opportunity to serve the Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra, as Concertmaster.
•Exemplify an ideal personality to recruit rapidly for both programs.

Minimum Qualifications:

•Completed Doctorate is required at the time of appointment
•Appropriate performance experience
•Successful experience in teaching studio violin
•Understanding pedagogy for teaching in a youth string program

Preferred Qualifications:

•Ability to work collaboratively in a variety of academic and community settings
•Experience actively recruiting and maintaining a thriving violin studio
•Experience actively recruiting and m