Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Voice and/or Movement Focus

Working Title: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Voice and/or Movement Focus

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Visual and Performing Arts

Department: 100019 - School Theatre and Dance

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 11/15/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The School of Theatre and Dance is in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and has approximately 300 students and offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Dance. Housed in the award-winning Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, the School has a collegial environment and provides practice-based training within a liberal arts tradition. https://www.jmu.edu/theatredance/index.shtml

The School of Theatre and Dance at James Madison University invites applications for a full-time, 10-month, tenure track Assistant Professor of Acting with a focus in Voice and/or Movement to join our dynamic and collaborative faculty beginning August of 2026.

We are seeking a vibrant theatre artist and educator with a strong professional background and a national and/or international portfolio in acting and/or directing, as well as a commitment to student-centered teaching.

Our program integrates a rigorous liberal arts foundation with intensive artistic training, and we are currently engaged in a collaborative redesign of our Theatre major. The incoming faculty member will have a meaningful voice in shaping this future and participate in the development of a new performance curriculum alongside a passionate, forward-thinking faculty.

We are especially interested in candidates with expertise in one or more voice and/or movement modalities, such as (but not limited to): Linklater, Fitzmaurice, Hart, Rodenberg, Alexander, Suzuki, LeCoq, contact improvisation, or other ensemble-based and physical approaches.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Teaching responsibilities may include:
* Voice
* Movement
* Acting (basic, intermediate, advanced)
* Heightened Language
* Devising
* Interdisciplinary collaboration
* Directing
* Theatre appreciation for non-majors

In addition to teaching, faculty are expected to:
* Direct mainstage productions.
* Participate in curriculum development and revision.
* Engage in creative and/or scholarly research.
* Actively mentor and advise students.
* Contribute to a supportive and inclusive departmental environment.
* Participate in student recruitment.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications
* M.F.A. or Ph.D. in Acting, Directing, Interdisciplinary Performance, or related areas
* Record of professional accomplishment and expertise in one or more movement/voice-based pedagogies
* Demonstrated engagement with, and an understanding of, contemporary theatre trends, playwrights, and professional practices
* Ability to facilitate conversations regarding representation and consent in the acting studio
* Commitment to liberal arts education and collaborative learning
* A developing or established record of creative or scholarly research consistent with the expectations of an R2 research institution

Preferred Qualifications
* Record of accomplished teaching at the undergraduate or professional studio level
* Record of successful mentorship of students
* Record working with professional ensembles at the regional, national, and/or international level

Additional Posting Information:

* Applicants should complete the application on the JMU career site and submit: 1) a cover letter; 2) curriculum vitae; 3) teaching philosophy statement; 4) names and contact information of three professional references.
* Review of applicants will begin November 15, 2025.
* At the point of hiring, the successful candidate will be required to send official transcripts.
* Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for this position.

JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.