About Salem Academy and College:

Salem Academy and College is the oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the country.  Since 1772, the institution has engaged in transformational change to innovate women’s education. Founded with the mission of making education accessible to all, Salem has a rich 253-year-old history and a long-standing track record of educating students who are prepared to make a bold impact locally, nationally and globally through liberal arts education.

Salem Academy is a boarding and day college preparatory school with focus on interdisciplinary learning using STEAM, wellness and leadership. Salem College is the nation’s only liberal arts college exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders. Salem College has more than 40 full-time faculty and over 150 staff members who support approximately 500 students including full-time undergraduates, part-time students and graduate students. In 2023, Salem received a second $5M anonymous philanthropic gift equaling its largest in history focused on enabling our health leadership transformation. Our graduates are committed to making the world a better, healthier and more equitable place.

Niche lists Salem Academy as the No. 1 boarding school in North Carolina; No. 5 college prep high school in North Carolina as well as the No. 1 college prep school in the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC area. Salem Academy has students from more than 10 states and 5 countries. Over 85% of the faculty and staff have a master’s degree or higher.  Courses are taught at the college prep, honors, AP and dual enrollment levels.  The unique partnership and shared campus with Salem College allows for collaboration with college faculty/staff on curriculum ideas, club activities and more.

Recognized by the U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, and the New York Times Magazine as a top liberal arts college in the nation, Salem College continues to lead among liberal arts colleges in social mobility and economic diversity. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Salem College #2 among all national liberal arts colleges in America as a top performer for social mobility. Salem performed as one of the best liberal arts colleges with the highest percentage of Pell-eligible students graduating in four years.  Out of 286 colleges in the country, the New York Times Magazine ranked Salem College as #2 for economic diversity – enrolling more economically disadvantaged students than its peers. This ranking is a reflection of Salem’s commitment to making education accessible and affordable for all students. In another 2023 national ranking, Washington Monthly ranked Salem College as #4 in the nation for Pell-eligible graduation rate, #8 in the country for earning performance, #14 best bang for your buck college in the southeast, and #24 best liberal arts college in the U.S.

Salem Academy and College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant college town known as the “City of Arts and Innovation”. Winston-Salem is a lively academic community, home to six institutions of higher education and more than 26,000 students. Winston Salem has a collaborative and engaged academic community with strong private and public schools, excellent healthcare systems, and affordable housing. The Winston-Salem area also offers a rich variety of cultural opportunities and has a vibrant art and restaurant scene. Within a few hours of campus are mountains for skiing, camping, or hiking; rivers for whitewater rafting; and the beautiful ports and beaches of North and South Carolina.

Position Summary:

Salem Academy and College will appoint a Visiting Director of Choral Activities for 2025-26 Academic year.  This appointment is an adjunct part-time position for the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026. The director will have a firm foundation in classical training with an eye towards the future of innovation in the field of choral music.  The director will organize and direct the Salem College Chorale, which is for credit at the College. The Salem College Chorale is an all-women’s choir. The Visiting Director of Choral Activities should also continue to lead recruitment efforts and community outreach for our choral area. The director will foster and forge relationships with secondary, post-collegiate, and community choral educators as well as local church music directors and other local university and college choral directors to advance choral instruction/relationships in the region. The director must work well with the existing music faculty, Salem College faculty, and Artistic and Administrative Directors of the School of Music. Additional duties will be determined based on the needs of the School of Music and the expertise of the choral director.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Direct the Salem College Chorale (MUS050 Mon and Wed 3-4:50 P.M.)
• Teach music courses aligned with the candidate’s expertise.
• Participate in service to the Academy and College, including recruitment as appropriate for adjuncts.
• Produce a fall concert (usually first week in November.)*
• Coordinate music for the annual Candlelight Service (Thursday after Thanksgiving)
• Produce a spring concert (usually third week in April.)*
  • *The spring concert is named the Mathias Spring Concert, Salem Sings (alternating years) because of the endowment that was established by the family.

Important Note: This is not a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required for this position. Salem College reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in music with an emphasis in choral conducting, or significant professional experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Teaching experience at the collegiate level with demonstrated success.
• Experience with women’s choral repertoire and familiarity with women’s choral composers
• Successful experience in recruiting.

Physical Functions:

While performing the responsibilities of the Visiting Director of Choral Activities the employee is required to sit for varying lengths of time; bend, reach, lift, push, and pull up to 25 pounds; occasionally stand, walk, and kneel and regularly ascend/descend stairs; use hands and fingers to handle or feel and manipulate keys on a keyboard; perform extended periods of work at a computer workstation, view a computer monitor; perceive sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and receive detailed information through oral communication; express and exchange ideas by means of spoken word; and work in an office setting.

Salem Academy and College is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law in its employment practices.

For questions, please contact Brett Woods, Dean of the College at brett.woods@salem.edu