Position Type:Assistant Professor (tenure track): Theatre,
Performance Studies
Position Type:Regular
Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $83,771 to $93,107, depending
on the successful candidate's years of teaching experience at the
college-level. The position comes with generous benefits
(scu.edu/hr/benefits), including medical, dental, vision, and life
insurance, and university contributions toward retirement.
Recognizing the high cost of housing in the local area, there are
two University housing assistance programs: Rental assistance to
ease the transition into the local housing market, and housing
purchase assistance for tenure-stream faculty. For details, go
to
The Department of Theatre and Dance at Santa Clara University
, a Jesuit, Catholic university located in Silicon Valley on the
land of the Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone, invites applications for a
tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Theatre, Performance
Studies. The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2025,
and be expected to teach, engage in a scholarship program, and do
service for the Department, College, and University. We seek a
teaching-scholar who will conduct applied research at the
intersection of Theatre and Gender and Queer Performance Theory,
Trans Theory in Performance, Critical Race Theory, Social Justice,
and/or Decolonial Praxis. Other areas of expertise might include:
African American/Black, Latin/x, or Asian American Theatre, Digital
Humanities, Feminist Theory, and Indigenous and/or Diasporic
Theatre. SCU is on the quarter system and tenure-track faculty are
expected to teach 6 courses per year (2 each quarter), and engage
in an active scholarship program.
The Department of Theatre and Dance at SCU is composed of
artist-scholars and arts practitioners who produce a fully staged
season of mainstage performances from a varied and diverse canon of
plays, musicals, and originally choreographed dance concerts. The
Department is revising its approach to teaching theatre history and
historiography by decentering Eurocentric and/or Western
chronologies and developing more thematic modules within which
students can consider a range of historical and cultural
interpretations of performance within a more global context. We
aspire to sustain and develop this academic balance between theatre
history, historiography, and performance studies by continuing to
invest in the study of gender, sexuality, and race in performance.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach the universitys
c ore writing and culture sequence, Cultures
and Ideas 1 & 2 , which introduces first-year students to
the usefulness of performance studies methodologies in analyzing
contemporary culture as well as the usefulness of theatre history
and historiography to develop intercultural competencies for global
citizenship. Other courses might include upper division courses in
performance studies or electives in the candidates area of
expertise.
This position is part of an LGBTQ+/Queer Studies Cluster
Hire in the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara
University. The College of Arts and Sciences is building a cohort
of critical LGBTQ+/queer teaching and scholarship as part of an
intersectional body of research, teaching and mentoring at SCU to
contribute to the broader social and political good in light of
increasing anti-LGBTQ+ policies and efforts across the US and in
varied global contexts.
Departments participating in the LGBTQ+/Queer Studies Cluster Hire
are Public Health, Womens and Gender Studies, Theatre and Dance,
and English.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is committed to creating a
diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourages
applications from members of historically excluded groups,
including people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with
disabilities. Over the last decade, Santa Clara University has
recruited an increasingly diverse faculty, enrolled more diverse
and low-income students, and recently committed to becoming a
Hispanic Serving Institution. For more information about our
programs and faculty see https://www.scu.edu/theatre/
Basic Qualifications:
Applicants must have a PhD (completion required by the time of
appointment) in Theatre and/or Performance Studies or closely
related field .
Preferred Qualifications:
Evidence of inclusive pedagogical practices that would advance
SCUs goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Evidence of experience teaching and mentoring a diverse
population of undergraduates.
Post-doctoral research and/or undergraduate teaching experience
are highly valued, as is community-engaged research that is
published in peer-reviewed outlets.
The candidate should have a five-year research plan that could
be supported by external funding and provide opportunities for
involvement by undergraduates.
Specific expertise in the area of Queer Performance Theory
desired .
Responsibilities:
Tenure track faculty at SCU are teaching scholars who are expected
to balance teaching, research and service. This is an in-person
position. More specifically, duties include but are not limited
to:
TEACHING
1. Areas of teaching will include courses in the first-year core
required Cultures and Ideas sequence; courses in the Theatre
History sequence; upper division courses such as Performing
Identities: Staging Gender, Race, and Sexuality (or Feminism
RemiXed), and other advanced courses in their area of specialty for
the Department of Theatre and Dance. SCU is on the quarter system
and the assigned teaching load is 6 courses/year (2-2-2). Teaching
responsibilities include, but are not limited to the
following:
a. Conducting and appearing at all assigned class meetings in a
timely and prepared manner that demonstrates a command of the
discipline and skill in presenting it effectively.
b. Assigning and evaluating written work, projects, and exams
that align with course or core learning objectives and providing
timely feedback to students.
c. Holding weekly office hours at times reasonably convenient
to students.
d. Assigning and submitting student grades that are
appropriate, accurate, and fair measures of student performance to
the Office of the Registrar by the designated deadline.
e. Administering numerical and narrative evaluations in each
section for all courses.
2. Develop and teach courses that contribute to curriculum
development in the relevant degree program and/or the university
core. Faculty teaching university core courses should follow an
approved syllabus or work with the chair to design an appropriate
syllabus for submission for approval from the relevant Faculty Core
Curriculum Committee.
3. Participate in assessment of student learning for courses in the
department.
4. Provide informed advice and mentoring to undergraduate
students.
5. Fulfill other instructional or academic duties as may be
assigned by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or by the
Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance .
RESEARCH
1. Develop a research program at SCU that will result in
peer-reviewed publications, monographs, and/or creative work per
the department scholarship standards.
2. Preference will be given to candidates with a research program
that can accommodate participation of undergraduates.
SERVICE
Provide effective service to the Department of Theatre and Dance,
the College of Arts and Sciences, the University, and the external
professional community through contributions other than teaching
and scholarship such as service on committees, participation in
professional organizations and activities, leadership, and
community service performed by virtue of professional expertise or
association with the university as appropriate to rank and
experience.
Please contact Kimberly Mohne Hill, Chair of the Department of
Theatre and Dance, at kihill@scu.edu with any questions.
Work Authorization:
A foreign national who is appointed to a tenured or tenure-track
faculty position is eligible for sponsorship by Santa Clara
University.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Application deadline: September 15, 2024 . To ensure consideration,
applications must be completed/submitted by midnight on this date .
Applications must be submitted using the universitys online
application process.
Letters of recommendation (if requested) and additional
documentation should be sent to Ruth Mikusko, Department Manager at
rmikusko@scu.edu .
Required documents:
Submit the following in PDF form in the Workday application
portal:
Letter of application, including a statement/information
regarding:
a. applicants teaching experience and philosophy,
b. research interests (including how they foster collaboration with
students),
c. experience working with people of diverse cultures and
identities.
Curriculum Vitae
Evidence of teaching excellence/performance (e.g. sample
syllabi, faculty and/or student teaching evaluations/peer teaching
evaluations from recent position)
Three references with contact information (phone, email)
A representative sample of scholarship (pdf or url)
Graduate transcripts (unofficial, with official available upon
request)
Santa Clara University is committed to increasing diversity,
equity, inclusion and belonging among faculty, staff, and students.
Candidates are encouraged to address in the letter of application
their professional interest in and/or experiences relevant to
achieving this goal. EO/AA employer.
COVID-19 Statement
The health and safety of the University community is a top
priority. The University strongly recommends that all employees are
fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as the vaccination and boosters are
safe, effective tools that significantly minimize the chances of
serious illness and hospitalization. Please contact Human Resources
if you have any questions.
Telecommute
Santa Clara University is registered to do business in the
following states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona,
and Illinois. Employees approved to telecommute are required to
perform their work within one of these states.
Work Authorization:
A foreign national who is appointed to a tenured or tenure-track
faculty position is eligible for visa sponsorship assessment by
Santa Clara University together with its legal counsel.
EEO Statement
Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination
Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a
diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and California
State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding
non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applications from
members of historically underrepresented groups are especially
encouraged. For a complete copy of Santa Clara Universitys equal
opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, see https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/policies-reports/
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Santa Clara University does not discriminate in its employment
practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis
of sex/gender, and prohibits retaliation against any person
opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination
investigation or complaint process internally or externally.
Information about Title IX can be found at www.scu.edu/title-ix .
Information about Section 504 and the ADA Coordinator can be found
at https://www.scu.edu/oae/ , (408)
554-4109, oae@scu.edu . Inquiries can also be made
to the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil
Rights (OCR).
Clery Notice of Availability
Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus
crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the
federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and
Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University
report, please go to the Campus Safety Services
website . To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at
(408) 554-4441. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and
number of occurrences.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Santa Clara University affirms its' commitment to employ qualified
individuals with disabilities within the workplace and to comply
with the Americans with Disability Act. All applicants desiring an
accommodation should contact the Department
of Human Resources , and 408-554-5750 and request to speak to
Indu Ahluwalia by phone at 408-554-5750 or by email at
iahluwalia@scu.edu.