Swanson

Our first three webinars have been very student centered. Today we are branching out to discuss the potential impact of COVID-19 on our career paths. Let's start with an administrative perspective. Rollo, how have things changed for you administratively?

Dilworth

Our first priority is student care, making sure that they are where they can successfully engage in the learning process. Budget cuts are likely at my institution, and that will have an effect on hiring, purchases, teaching assistantships. There are lots of implications for tenure-track positions. We have colleagues who are trying to move up, or out of a DMA program. These are very challenging times.

Dower

Our challenges include recruiting for performance-based courses, and how that will impact hiring down the line. If we have a retirement will we hire the same sort of position, or change it to something more appropriate to the current situation? Supporting faculty through this process has been challenging because we are figuring out the needs as we go.

Swanson

Michael, you have DMA students who are entering the job market. How are you advising your students?

Hanawalt

Number one, get good at video and Zoom interviews! Also, adjust expectations going forward. One student was offered a job before the pandemic and turned it down. Fortunately, two weeks later that position was still open and was re-offered it, and accepted. If you're offered a job, take it. Some DMA people may not want to take high school jobs, but may need to in order to have employment next year. My sense is that this whole year will have an asterisk over it. Everyone will understand that this is a strange year, and view future applications accordingly.

Dilworth

I encourage all in DMA programs to expand their educational horizons. Find ways to make yourself stand out by emphasizing a cognate area, a concentration, a certification, whether that is theory, history, applied, technology, or ethnomusicology. More seasoned professors may decide to stay on a few more years than they had planned, as in 2008. Grow where you're planted until job opportunities begin to surface again.