Assistant Professor of Theatre (Scenic Design and Technical Direction)

39753BR

Department of Theatre and Dance

Position Description

The School of Theatre & Dance in the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Theatre (Scenic Design and Technical Direction) to begin in the Fall 2025 semester. The position carries an expectation of teaching, research, and service-related activities. The deadline to submit applications is February 17th, 2025.

About the University

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.
About Lubbock:Referred to as the "Hub City" because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock's Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

About the College

The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts comprises the School of Art, the School of Music, the School of Theatre & Dance, and the Department of Interdisciplinary Arts. With more than 120 faculty members and approximately 1,000 students, the College offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including the terminal M.F.A., D.M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Our unique Ph.D. program in Fine Arts provides interdisciplinary education for students interested in engaging with multiple art forms or combining methodologies from the arts and sciences or arts and humanities. For more information, visit www.vpa.ttu.edu.

About the Department/School/Area

The School of Theatre & Dance is NAST accredited and offers the B.A. in Dance, B.A. in Theatre Arts; B.F.A. in Theatre Arts: acting, design, musical theatre; B.F.A. in Dance; M.A. in Dance Studies; M.A. in Theatre Arts; M.F.A. in Theatre Arts: Arts Administration, Design, and Performance and Pedagogy; Ph.D. in Fine Arts with a Track in Theatre and multiple concentration options. A faculty of 23 full-time professors serve approximately 140 undergraduate students and 70 graduate students. Technical and administrative support includes a total of 8 staff positions. The School's resources include a new state-of-the-art facility, the nationally-renowned Marfa and WildWind Performance Lab experiences, and annual participation in the Tennessee Williams Festival. For more information, visit www.depts.ttu.edu/theatreanddance/.

Major/Essential Functions

In line with TTU's strategic priorities to engage and empower a diverse student body, enable innovative research and creative activities, and transform lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship, applicants should have experience working with diverse student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within individual or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

As a faculty member in the School of Theatre & Dance, you will be expected to develop and teach a combination of undergraduate and graduate theatre courses in a rotation, including but not limited to scenic design, drafting, visualization, applied studios, and technical direction, with the goal of developing a technical direction concentration. The successful candidate is expected to remain current with emerging developments in the live entertainment industry pertaining to production technologies and must demonstrate a working knowledge of professional standards, guidelines, and applicable safety codes and practices, specific to theatre.

Core responsibilities of the position include: mentoring and supervising student designers in scenic and production design processes and techniques from conception through realization; creating technical (build) drawings for all shows in the season; contributing to and collaborating on matters pertaining to School productions, curriculum, policy, and practice; participating in the school's formal advising process for undergraduate and graduate design students; and remaining active in the field through adjacent scholarly/creative and service activities. This may include, in part, School productions. Additional responsibilities include participating in recruitment activities and pursuing external grants in support of research or creative activity, when appropriate in the faculty member's field.

Organization

Texas Tech University

Faculty Qualifications

• An M.F.A. or equivalent terminal degree in Theatre or related area or field
• Previous teaching experience
• Previous professional experience in performance design or technical direction

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Experience in properties, scenic art, construction techniques
• Experience with digital design techniques (e.g. Vectorworks, AutoCAD, Adobe Design Suite, 3D-modeling/visualization, and automation)
• Experience forming partnerships within and outside of the university, regionally, nationally, and internationally
• Experience with service duties including, but not limited to recruiting, program-building/curricular design, and participation in industry-specific organizations at a community, regional, and/or national level
• Professional affiliations (e.g.: union, USITT, international, etc.)
• Articulated ideas for impactful future research and/or creative activity goals

Duty Point

TTU Lubbock, main campus and affiliated facilities

Safety Information

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Does this position work in a research laboratory?

No

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include the following documents in your application:

• Letter of Interest, outlining how your experience and qualifications align with the position requirements
• Curriculum Vitae
• Links to examples of your work
• A list of three to five references (at least one of whom preferably can speak to teaching effectiveness, or potential for effective teaching)

Job Type

Full Time

Pay Basis

Monthly

Pay Statement

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan. For additional information, please reference the institutional pay plan by visiting www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/payplan.

Travel Required

None

Grant Funded?

No

Job Group

Assistant Professor

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.

Salary Grade

800

Applications must be received by

02/17/2025