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.