Assistant Professor of Business Law (Tenure Track)

The Ness School of Management and Economics at South Dakota State University (SDSU) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Business Law. The Ness School seeks a dynamic, innovative legal scholar whose research interests include, for example, anti-trust, bankruptcy, corporate, employment, intellectual-property, labor, real-estate, securities, agriculture, and environmental law. Research outcomes associated with this position must satisfy the academic standards the AACSB associates with its faculty-status classification, Scholarly Academic. Teaching responsibilities associated with this position include undergraduate and graduate courses in legal environment of business, business law, real estate, labor law, and agricultural law.

The Ness School, which includes approximately 30 full-time faculty members and a team of academic advisors, embodies an intellectual philosophy that economics and quantitative analysis are foundational to thriving in and critically assessing a modern global economy. In keeping with the land-grant mission of the university, the school is the premier source for economics and business intelligence in the region. The school engages its stakeholders in the classroom, through scholarship, and through outreach—formally through SDSU Extension and otherwise. The school is a unit of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Ness School is in the process of securing AACSB accreditation, managing significant enrollment growth in its majors, and balancing new opportunities in core business fields with its traditional strengths in economics and quantitative analysis. In its research, teaching, and outreach efforts, the school embraces interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration. The roughly 900 students who major in the Ness School complete coursework in intermediate economics, calculus, statistics, accounting, and business finance; and students who major in business economics, agricultural business, or entrepreneurial studies complete a comprehensive suite of business courses, including courses in business law. Meanwhile, thousands of students pursue the school’s minors, including those in accounting, marketing, management, and real estate. Students enrolled in the school’s master’s program in economics complete either an economic-theory option, which emphasizes applied economic research in the form of a graduate thesis, or a business-economics option, which requires courses in managerial economics, advanced business decision science, financial management, marketing strategy and analytics, and a capstone experience that potentially collaborates with industry. A graduate real-estate certificate is available as well.

This is a 9-month, full-time, benefit eligible, tenure-track position. The position is supervised by the Endowed Director of the Ness School of Management and Economics.

We anticipate a start date of August 22, 2023.

South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant mission of access.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The occupant of this assistant professorship in business law must:

• Maintain high research productivity resulting regularly in peer-reviewed, scholarly publications in top-tier academic journals and law reviews, grant funding, and presentations at national or international forums and school-sponsored outreach events that tightly align with the field areas associated with this position, that meet the school’s tenure-and-promotion standards, and that satisfy the academic standards the school associates with its AACSB-faculty-status classification, Scholarly Academic.
• Lead with exceptional pedagogy in the classroom and through undergraduate- and graduate-student mentorship.
• Teach six undergraduate or graduate courses or sections each academic year in conventional face-to face on-campus formats and, potentially, through emerging modes of remote delivery, including hybrid and/or other online format.
• Participate in Ness School and university governance service activities.
• Report to the Endowed Director of the Ness School of Management and Economics.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The occupant of this assistant professorship in business law must:

• Hold a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree by the hiring date.
• Present strong evidence of the potential for effective research, teaching, and outreach outcomes.
• Communicate effectively with a variety of audiences on and off campus.
• Demonstrate excellent organizational, time-management, and interpersonal skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/CAPABILTIES:

The occupant of this assistant professorship in business law has:

• Demonstrated research, teaching, and outreach outcomes that meaningfully advance knowledge in the field of business law, broadly defined.
• Participated in inter- and multi-disciplinary efforts, collaborating with colleagues on research, curriculum designs, and outreach efforts that raise the profile and stature of legal studies in the contexts of economics and business.
• Professional experience in the practice of business law or a related field.
• Admission to the Bar in South Dakota.

SALARY:

Commensurate with qualifications.

BENEFITS:

South Dakota State University offers a wide range of benefits including medical, dental, and flexible benefits, retirement plans, compensation packages, paid holidays, and vacation leave. Employees also have access to internal and state-sponsored training as well as reduced tuition for state-supported courses at all State of South Dakota academic institutions.

THE UNIVERSITY:

South Dakota State University is the state’s largest, most comprehensive university with more than 200 academic programs, an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students, and over $60 million annual research expenditures.

South Dakota State University offers a rich academic experience in an environment of inclusion and access through inspired, student-centered education, creative activities and research, innovation and engagement that improve the quality of life in South Dakota, the region, the nation, and the world. Its employees embrace the university’s core values of being people-centered, expanding knowledge through creativity, embracing organizational and personal integrity, commitment to diversity of thought, and excellence through continuous improvement.

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is the intellectual and cultural heart of SDSU. The college consists of seven interdisciplinary schools—American and Global Studies, Communication and Journalism, Design, English and Interdisciplinary Studies; the Ness School of Management and Economics, Performing Arts and Psychology, Sociology & Rural Studies—additionally, the college includes programs in military science (Army ROTC) and Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC). The college’s unique administrative structure supports and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration among both faculty and students, allowing each unit and discipline to thrive. The college is committed to supporting the Land Grant Mission of SDSU. Our faculty regularly conduct research that directly benefits the people of South Dakota and our region with research that engages our communities, supporting their social, cultural, and economic development.

As the state’s 1862 Morrill Act land grant institution, the work of the university is carried out on its main resident campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre, Rapid City, and Aberdeen, and through SDSU Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across South Dakota.

Jackrabbits Athletics competes as an NCAA Division I member with membership in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the Summit League, and the Big XII.

THE NESS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS:

The Ness School, in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, includes approximately 30 full-time faculty members and a team of undergraduate academic advisors. The school embodies an intellectual philosophy that economics and quantitative analysis are foundational to thriving in and critically assessing a modern global economy; students who major in business economics, entrepreneurial studies, or agricultural business complete a comprehensive suite of business courses, including those in our 42-credit management and economics core.

The Ness School of Management and Economics offers students a high-quality education and excellent job-placement opportunities. Graduates hold leadership and management positions across the northern Great Plains, Midwest, and nationally in banking and finance, processing and manufacturing management, energy and bioenergy, and food and agribusiness management, and in policy, oversight, and regulation; and many are leaders in the broader innovation and entrepreneurship community.

The Ness School is in the process of securing AACSB accreditation, managing significant enrollment growth in its majors, and balancing new opportunities in core business fields with its traditional strengths in economics and quantitative analysis. The school embraces interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration in research, teaching, community engagement, and extension work—in some cases, formally, for the school’s faculty members who hold SDSU Extension appointments. The school enrolls approximately 900 undergraduate majors, including more than 550 students who major in business economics and more than 250 students who major in agricultural business, a degree conferred by the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. The school also offers an undergraduate degree in economics, which includes upper-level coursework in mathematical economics, econometrics, and field areas in, for example, international economics, environmental and resource economics, labor law, public policy, and agricultural policy.

Additionally, the school offers a master’s degree in economics that includes two program options: an economic-theory option that requires courses in advanced microeconomics, advanced macroeconomics, econometrics, and research methods, emphasizing applied economic research in the form of a graduate thesis; and a business-economics option that requires courses in managerial economics, advanced business decision science, financial management, marketing strategy and analytics, and a capstone experience that blends corporate finance, entrepreneurship, and marketing analytics and potentially collaborates with industry. A graduate real-estate certificate is available as well.

The Ness School operates within a rich and supportive corporate-enterprise ecosystem. For example, Brookings is home to Daktronics (DAKT; NASDAQ), 3M (MMM; NYSE), and Larson Manufacturing (Fortune Brands, FBHS; NYSE). Meanwhile, Sioux Falls, a 45-minute drive south of Brookings, is home to several thriving corporate enterprises with which SDSU enjoys productive relationships. Additionally, Innovation Partners and the Enterprise Institute located at the SDSU Research Park Innovation Center in Brookings provide opportunities for networking with regional innovators and entrepreneurs, as well as opportunities for part-time employment and incubator space for students. SDSU enjoys a strong investor and alumni network in the corporate space that is actively engaged in the classroom and in student ventures.

Moreover, the Ness School enjoys generous philanthropic support for faculty development in the form of endowed chairs, professorships, and faculty-scholar appointments. To this end, the current SDSU Bold and Blue comprehensive campaign—the university’s third and largest comprehensive fund-raising effort—endeavors to raise a half of a billion dollars to support the university.

BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA:

Brookings is home to approximately 24,000 residents and is located 60 miles north of Sioux Falls and 200 miles west of Minneapolis. Brookings is listed as an ideal community for families, students, young professionals, and retirees, and is rated among the safest and most vibrant cities in South Dakota.

The Brookings Public School District educates approximately 3,300 K-12 students and ranks among the state’s highest academic achieving school districts. The district includes three elementary schools, an intermediate school for fourth and fifth grade, one middle school, and a high school.

The city also boasts an abundance of attractions and activities, including the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, the Dakota Nature Park, the South Dakota Art Museum, McCrory Gardens, the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, an outdoor adventure center, and the Brookings summer arts festival.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Position is open until filled with full consideration given to applications received by May 31, 2023.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

SDSU accepts applications through an on-line employment site. To apply, visit: https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu, search by the position title, view the job announcement, and click on “apply for this job.” This system will guide you through the electronic application form. This employment site will also require the attachment of a cover letter, which should specifically address how the candidate meets the qualifications as outlined in the advertisement, Curriculum Vitae, statement of teaching philosophy (of 2 or fewer pages, attached as other), and a reference page with the contact information for three professional references. Email applications will not be accepted. Please contact SDSU Human Resources at (605) 688-4128 if you require assistance with this process. 

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by law and/or university policies, including but not limited to, successful completion of a criminal background check.

South Dakota State University is a tobacco free environment. It is university policy to maintain a drug-free environment and to thereby establish, promote, and maintain a safe and healthy working and learning environment for employees and students. This position is subject to South Dakota State University’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy 4:14. 

For questions on the position, contact Nicole Klein at 605-688-4847 or Nicole.Klein@sdstate.edu.

South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant access mission. SDSU is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to, and SDSU prohibits discrimination on, the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, gender, gender identification, transgender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status that may become protected under law against discrimination in the offering of all educational programs and employment opportunities. Arrangements for accommodations required by disabilities can be made by emailing HR@sdstate.edu. Individuals with concerns regarding discrimination should contact: Equal Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, Human Resources, Morrill Hall 100, SDSU, Brookings, SD 57007, 605-688-4128.