Adjunct Instructor, Music Theory

Location: Hickory, North Carolina

The Lenoir-Rhyne University College of Fine Arts and Communication invites applications for a part-time adjunct instructor of music theory. Appointment begins August 2025.

Essential Accountabilities

• We seek a colleague willing to become an engaged and collaborative member of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s thriving Music community. Primary responsibilities include serving as the lead instructor for our core music theory sequence, a four-semester unified approach to written theory, audiation, and keyboard harmony. The ideal colleague will have a passion for working within a liberal arts context that nurtures the growth of the whole person, and an ability to differentiate learning to students at a wide range of skill levels.

This position offers a semester-by-semester contract based on university need and student enrollment.

Lenoir-Rhyne University promotes a welcoming campus environment that is integral to the university's commitment to excellence in engagement and education. We are particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated experience nurturing a welcoming community, working with faculty, staff and/or students from all walks of life and/or incorporating varied perspectives and traditions in their current or previous positions. This commitment is rooted in our Lutheran tradition of fostering wisdom, nurturing vocation and preparing students for lives of purpose while serving the common good.

Education and Experience

The ideal colleague will have a master’s degree in music, or a related field, plus teaching experience in the theory classroom. Keyboard fluency is highly desirable.

Work Conditions

• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.

Application Process

While completing the application, candidates will be prompted to submit a:

• Letter of Application specifically discussing how one’s professional experiences and perspectives relate to the needs of the position.
• Curriculum vitae or resume.
• Names and addresses of three references.
• Link to website, portfolio and/or performances, if applicable.

The position will remain open until filled. Any questions regarding the position or the search process should be submitted electronically to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, Jennifer Heller, Ph.D., at hellerj@lr.edu.

About the College of Fine Arts and Communication

Members of the College of Fine Arts and Communication are committed to developing well-rounded graduates who are perceptive readers and listeners, persuasive writers and speakers, and skilled artists and educators. Our curricula strive to express, enrich, and elevate the human condition by providing students with interdisciplinary experiences that strengthen their abilities to create, collaborate, and contribute to the public good. Programs in the college include Communication Studies, English, an MFA in Creative Writing, Music, Theatre and Visual Art.

About Lenoir-Rhyne University

Lenoir-Rhyne University is a co-educational, private masters comprehensive liberal arts institution founded in 1891, with its traditional campus located in Hickory, North Carolina, a town of more than 40,000. The university has additional graduate centers in Asheville, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir-Rhyne is less than an hour drive from Charlotte, and the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of about 365,000. The university now offers more than 45 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs to approximately 2,400 students. Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build a sense of community, and promote responsible leadership for service in the world. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lenoir-Rhyne promotes diverse campuses open to people from all religious and non-religious backgrounds. Please visit www.lr.edu/about to learn more about the university.

Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment

Lenoir-Rhyne University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, political affiliation, age, marital status, sex/gender, physical or mental disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran status in any educational programs and activities, including admissions. Lenoir-Rhyne’s policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity extends to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, reassignment, demotion, discipline, discharge, performance evaluation, compensation, and benefits. Lenoir-Rhyne is committed to providing an environment that promotes nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and inclusion for faculty, staff, students, contractors, volunteers, and visitors.

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