Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership

Salary/Position Classification

• $37,500 Annual, Exempt, Fully Benefited
• 20 hours per week
• This position will work onsite at UND Grand Forks, ND campus

Purpose of Position

The Department of Teaching, Leadership, and Professional Practice (TLPP) invites applications for a part-time (50% FTE) Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership, with a focus on rural teaching and leadership. This position is housed in the Educational Leadership program in the College of Education and Human Development. Greater Grand Forks area is preferred as work location; however, remote work will be considered, with some required in-person expectations for cohort milestone activities on the UND campus and some travel to North Dakota school sites of cohort participants. This is a two-year special appointment beginning January 2027 and concluding at the end of Fall semester 2028, contingent on available grant funding.

The purpose of this position is to support the Rural Master of Science in Teaching & Leadership (MSTL) Tuition Scholarship Cohort, made possible by a grant from the Burgum Foundation, a cohort of approximately 30 rural North Dakota educators earning the MSTL degree from Spring 2027 through Fall 2028. The Professor of Practice is the primary instructional, coaching, and field-connection role for this cohort, serving as the bridge between UND’s Educational Leadership programs and the rural districts, schools, and classrooms where cohort members live, teach, and lead.

Duties & Responsibilities

Teaching

• Teach up to two graduate courses per semester for the Burgum rural cohort and the Educational Leadership program over the term of appointment, in online asynchronous and synchronous formats.
• Adapt course delivery, pacing, and assessment to the realities of full-time rural practitioners, including multi-role educators, multi-grade classrooms, resource-constrained settings, and geographically dispersed participants.
• Design and facilitate synchronous cohort sessions that build a durable statewide network among rural cohort members.
• Maintain skills in rural school and district leadership practice and integrate those skills into instruction.

Coaching and Advising

• Serve as the coach of record for all Burgum cohort participants across the full program, from cohort launch through degree completion.
• Conduct regular individual coaching conversations with each participant, including on-site visits to participant districts where feasible.
• Provide academic advising, including program-of-study planning, specialization guidance, and progression monitoring.
• Monitor participant progress and retention proactively; identify participants at risk of stopping out and coordinate timely support.
• Support participants in identifying, pursuing, and securing teacher leadership, school-based, or district-based leadership roles in North Dakota.

Rural Professional Projects

• Guide each participant in identifying an authentic, high-value professional project rooted in a real challenge or opportunity in the participant’s home district.
• Mentor participants through project design to presentation, ensuring both practical field value and appropriate scholarly rigor for the MSTL professional project requirement.
• Broker connections between participants and district leaders, regional education associations, exemplary rural programs, and state-level partners in support of project work.

District Partnership and Program Service

• Cultivate and sustain relationships with participating rural North Dakota districts, superintendents, principals, and regional education associations to create field learning opportunities and support participant success.
• Collaborate with district leaders to align cohort learning experiences with district needs and participant career aspirations.
• Provide participation, progress, and retention information on the cohort as requested.
• Support cohort recruitment, admissions review, onboarding, and milestone events, including graduation.
• Participate in Educational Leadership program, department, college, and university service appropriate to a Professor of Practice appointment, and in relevant professional associations.
• Represent UND and the MSTL program at North Dakota education conferences, regional meetings, and district events.

Successful applicants should have teaching, coaching, and service interests that align with the Educational Leadership or Educational Administration field and demonstrated effectiveness as an educational leadership practitioner in North Dakota with expertise in school and/or district leadership, school-community partnerships, instructional leadership, and the development of teacher and school leaders. Applicants must also have a commitment to addressing diversity, inclusion, and equity in education.

UND and the College of Education and Human Development value a broad range of perspectives and seek applicants who are committed to helping students from all backgrounds succeed.

Required Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to teach, inspire, and mentor graduate students
• Effective interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, students, and K-12 partners
• Competent in using technology and ability to adopt new tools for course delivery and coaching students
• Willingness and ability to be present on the UND campus for cohort milestone events, and to travel to campus for those events and to participant districts as feasible, consistent with a part-time appointment and the appointee’s location in North Dakota

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or Educational Administration
• At least ten years of documented professional experience in a North Dakota school leadership and/or district leadership role
• Demonstrated experience coaching and mentoring practicing educators
• Successful completion of criminal history records check

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. This position does not support visa sponsorship for continued employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Earned doctorate (EdD or PhD) in Educational Leadership or Educational Administration
• Service as a principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent, or central office leader in a rural and/or small North Dakota school district
• Experience teaching graduate education courses and/or online courses
• Established relationships across North Dakota’s rural education landscape, including districts, regional education associations, the ND Department of Public Instruction, and state professional associations

To Apply

To assure full consideration, applications must be received by 11/09/2026 and include the following materials:

• Cover letter addressing each required and preferred qualification, with specific evidence of effectiveness in a North Dakota school leadership and/or district leadership role
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• A brief statement (no more than two pages) describing the applicant’s approach to coaching and developing practicing educators
• Three professional references with complete contact information

The position will remain open until filled.

Please note, all employment postings close at 11:55pm CST.

Position Benefits

Benefits include single or family health care coverage (UND pays the full premium), life insurance, employee assistance program, retirement plans with generous employer contributions, sick leave in addition to paid holidays.

Optional benefits include supplemental life, dental, vision, flexible spending account, supplemental retirement plans.

UND also offers an employee tuition waiver and a variety of professional development opportunities.

Find out more about UND's great benefits and perks!

Additional Information

All information listed in this position announcement will be used by Human Resources, the Hiring Department, and Civil Rights & Title IX for screening, interviewing and selection purposes.

Need help?

Please email the Human Resources Department at UND.humanresources@UND.edu or contact us by phone at 701-777-4226. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation to participate in any portion of the University's employment process, including completion of the online application process, please contact our office in advance of your participation or visit.

Veteran’s Preference

Veterans claiming preference must submit all proof of eligibility by the closing date. Proof of eligibility includes a DD-214 or a copy of NGB 22 from National Guard or Reserve (with a unit located in ND) or certification from the applicant's unit command that the individual is expected to be discharged or released from active duty in the uniformed services under other than dishonorable conditions not later than one hundred twenty days after the date of the submission of the certification. If claiming disabled veteran status, proof of eligibility includes a DD-214 and a current letter of disability dated within the past year.

Confidentiality of Application Materials

Pursuant to NDCC 44-04-18.27, applications and any records related to the applications that identify an applicant are confidential, except records related to the finalists of the position, which are open to the public after the search committee has identified the top three or more finalists who will be invited to campus.

EEO Statement

The University of North Dakota is an equal opportunity employer (veteran/disability). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin (including shared ancestry/ethnicity), religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, genetic information, marital or parental status, veteran's status, or other protected characteristic. Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Clery Statement

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the University of North Dakota publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report includes the university’s policies, procedures, and programs concerning safety and security, as well as three years of crime statistics for our campus. As a prospective employee, you are entitled to a copy of this report. The report and statistical data can be found online at UND.edu. You may also request a paper copy of the report from the UND Police Department located at 3851 Campus Road, Grand Forks, ND, 58202.