Portland, Oregon
Posted: 01-Feb-23
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Type: Full-time
Categories:
Employment Type:
Organization Type:
Required Education:
Internal Number: 52791
Department Head, Theatre
The University of Northern Iowa's Department of Theatre seeks applicants for Department Head/Artistic Director, starting on August 1, 2023. The Department Head will have either one teaching or one production-related assignment each semester. In addition to traditional Department Head responsibilities, this position will act as the Artistic Director for the TheatreUNI season. This position requires a collaborative facilitator with exceptional communication skills who is conversant with departmental disciplines and the evolving technologies and pedagogies that support them. We value direct significant engagement with the student body.
Department Head responsibilities include long-term academic planning, including curriculum development; scheduling and staffing of courses; recruitment; budget management; establishing best practices for academic advising, alumni relations including newsletters and reunions as well as fostering connections between current students and recent graduates; personnel supervision including hiring, retention, evaluation, faculty development, and mediation as needed; advocating for the interests of the department to upper levels of university administration; overseeing the distribution of departmental scholarships; creating and implementing policies related to participation in production; and supporting equitable and inclusive practices in departmental activities and programming. Artistic Director responsibilities include driving the season selection process and guiding the artistic vision of the department; hiring and supporting guest artists as needed to complement the strengths and expertise of departmental faculty; overseeing marketing material creation and distribution; participating in post-production forums aimed at identifying and rectifying areas of concern; and working with university-wide ticketing division to facilitate ticketing for TheatreUNI productions.
The department is focused entirely on undergraduate students and on producing well-rounded theatre practitioners. In pursuit of that goal, the department mounts two main stage productions per semester, including one musical annually. The department also regularly pursues youth-oriented work as part of the season. The Department of Theatre is accredited through the National Association of Schools of Theatre, and offers emphases in Performance, Design and Production, Theatre for Youth and Communities, and Communication-Theatre-Teaching. The department consistently enjoys a student population of approximately 110 majors distributed across those areas of study, and supports four very active student organizations. Teaching and production work occurs in an excellent facility which has been supported by major upgrades in areas such as audience seating and stage lighting infrastructure in recent years. In addition to having the oldest scholarship fund on campus, the department enjoys an endowment of $1.1 million to support scholarships, guest artists, travel to professional productions, and program enhancements.
The University of Northern Iowa provides a high-quality education, purposefully guiding students to find and develop their strengths and prepare them for success after college. We have a bold vision that we will be a more diverse and inclusive campus community that provides an engaged education empowering students to lead locally and globally. As we advance our work to become a more equity-oriented institution and realize our vision, we seek to elevate the diversity of our faculty across disciplines, departments, and colleges and to build a more inclusive teaching and learning environment.
Building on its historic excellence in teacher education, the university has developed outstanding programs in business, natural sciences, humanities and fine arts, and social and behavioral sciences with advanced degrees available in many programs. The University's attractive size, approximately 9,000 students, allows UNI to offer faculty, facilities, and academic choices characteristic of a much larger university while retaining a friendly, small-college atmosphere on a park-like campus. UNI has been consistently recognized as one of the "Best Midwest Universities" by U.S. News & World Report. Located in Cedar Falls/Waterloo, the campus is comprised of more than 40 buildings on 940 acres. For more information, visit www.uni.edu.
The successful candidate must hold an MFA or Ph.D. in Theatre or related field. Required qualifications include experience suitable to appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor; training or experience in equity and anti-racist theatre practices; previous academic administrative experience; and a record of recent/ongoing research or creative activity in theatre. Preference will be given to candidates with a background in either design or directing; experience in season selection and marketing; past involvement in developing curriculum for undergraduate Theatre majors; experience with fostering substantial community engagement opportunities; and documented success with fundraising efforts.
Applications received by February 20, 2023 will receive full consideration. To apply, visit http://jobs.uni.edu/. Inquiries may be sent to Matthew Weedman at 319-273-6331 or matthew.weedman@uni.edu. Pre-employment background checks required.
UNI actively seeks to enhance diversity and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The University encourages applications from persons of color, women, individuals living with disabilities, and veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other basis protected by federal and/or state law.
The successful candidate must hold an MFA or Ph.D. in Theatre or related field. Required qualifications include experience suitable to appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor; training or experience in equity and anti-racist theatre practices; previous academic administrative experience; and a record of recent/ongoing research or creative activity in theatre. Preference will be given to candidates with a background in either design or directing; experience in season selection and marketing; past involvement in developing curriculum for undergraduate Theatre majors; experience with fostering substantial community engagement opportunities; and documented success with fundraising efforts.
