Assistant Professor Of Theatre In Fabrication And Technical Direction

Assistant Professor Of Theatre In Fabrication And Technical Direction

Southern Oregon University

POSITION SUMMARY:
Date application must be received for priority consideration by: May 1, 2024

Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: September 16, 2024

Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:

Job Family Group: Faculty

Division/Department: School of Arts & Communication/Theatre

Compensation Range (if applicable): $65,508 - $69,520 (Assistant Prof YIR 1-4, APSOU CBA 2022-25, Table 12D) commensurate with experience in a comparable faculty appointment and according to the SOU faculty collective bargaining agreement

FLSA Status: Exempt

Appointment Basis: 9 month

Time Type: Full-time 1.0 FTE

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable

This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes

Remote Work Type: As determined by the position

Visa Sponsorship: This employer will not sponsor applicants for visas.

Finalist Candidates for faculty positions shall provide copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the search committee at the time they are notified that they are a finalist.

Instructions to Applicants: Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; (2) current resume/CV; (3) unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts; (4) link to a design portfolio; (5) teaching philosophy; and (6) at least three professional references. If you are unable to attach the supplemental materials to the online application please contact Human Resources for assistance.

For inquiries and additional information, please contact: Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The School of Arts & Communication's (ACO) Theatre Department at Southern Oregon University (SOU) is seeking candidates for a full-time, nine month, tenure-track, Assistant Professor in Theatre, Fabrication and Technical Direction.

The Southern Oregon University Theatre Program, located in Ashland, Oregon, is a large and busy undergraduate-only program serving 200 majors. We are a BFA-only degree, mounting between 3-6 full productions as well as many workshop and showcase presentations each year. Our faculty serve Theatre students and the general SOU student population. We work closely with other programs in the School of Arts & Communication, such as Digital Cinema, Music, Art, and Emerging Media Digital Arts.

The Fabrication and Technical Direction Assistant Professor is responsible for providing courses in technical fabrication for the performing arts. The position will supervise the scene and properties shops and supervise and instruct students on the fabrication of scenic elements for ACO productions. Attendance at regular production meetings and some rehearsals is expected. Along with a full-time staff member, the position will provide technical support for official ACO performances and activities and manage the scene shop's equipment and inventory, budgets, and stock.

Courses will include Stagecraft, Advanced Stagecraft, Stage Properties, Technical Drawing for the Arts, Welding, Theater Practice. New courses in advanced fabrication techniques will be added as curriculum develops. Teaching responsibilities may include online or large lecture-style courses. Other responsibilities include advising, curriculum development, research, professional affiliations as appropriate, and other responsibilities as assigned.

Faculty engage in the administration of the department and production season, and make active contributions to committees, curriculum development, student advising, and recruitment. As a tenure track member of the faculty, they will be expected to maintain their creative activity and scholarship. This can be achieved through continued professional engagement including professional design or technical work, publishing, conference attendance, workshop presentations, and involvement in professional organizations.

The School of Arts & Communication is actively engaging in addressing and serving the needs of the growing diversity of its student body and welcomes applicants from a diversity of backgrounds including historically underrepresented groups in higher education.

We offer excellent comprehensive health and retirement benefits. The start date is September 2024 and the position will be open until filled with a priority applicant deadline of May 1, 2024.

Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts institution of approximately 4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. The surrounding area is known for cultural offerings such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland International Film Festival, and the Britt Music Festival. The region is noted for its unparalleled biodiversity and the university lies in close proximity to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Rogue Valley is renowned for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and biking.

Minimum Qualifications

• Initial appointment at the rank of assistant professor requires a terminal degree in the discipline taught or in a related field (MFA in Technical Direction, Design or closely related field).
  
• Applicants should have at least one year of university teaching experience AND professional credits as a fabricator or technical director in the arts OR five years of secondary education teaching with professional experience OR 5 years of professional experience AND demonstrated teaching experience (these may include graduate teaching assistantships, professional workshops USITT, LDC, KC/ACTF etc)
  
• Professional design and fabrication experience for the performing arts;
  
• Experience managing a scene shop and production schedule;
  
• Demonstration of effective teaching and mentorship;
  
• Demonstration of the desire, patience, and ability to effectively train novice students;
  
• Ability to work collaboratively and cordially with fellow faculty, student performers, designers, technicians, guest artists, and directors
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional design and/or fabrication experience outside of Theatre, this may include
  
  film/television, dance, industrials, themed environments, or similar related industries;
  
• Experience with measured drawings and CAD design software (Vectorworks preferred);
  
• Extensive fabrication experience with industry-standard wood and metalworking tools;
  
• Experience with advanced fabrication tools such as CNC, 3D printing, laser cutting, and show control;
  
• Certification in basic entertainment rigging and safety;
  
• Certification in CPR and knowledge of safety practice;
  
• Experience in stage property fabrication: casting, soft-goods, simple electronics, digital art tools, furniture repair, etc.
  
• Familiarity with contemporary sound and lighting equipment and control systems;
  
• Experience or willingness to adopt digital design techniques into the design workflow including, CAD, digital painting, 3D modeling, and digital fabrication;
  
• Experience or interest in fabrication with non-traditional media in sculpture, installation art, fabric arts, or stage properties.
  
• Eagerness to work collaboratively on creative projects outside of traditional Theatre design;
  
• A truly collaborative and collegial temperament with students, faculty, and staff on all aspects of the position.
  
• Evidence of sensitivity to and an understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, LGBTQ, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students;
  
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience teaching and supervising students from diverse backgrounds.
  

Duties (100%)

• Professorial: Teaching, scholarship, professional development and service.
  

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and technical communication skills and with a high degree of personal integrity and standards
  
• Ability to facilitate an innovative, transformative curriculum and pedagogy to enable students to be prepared for the future
  
• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing
  
• Demonstrated experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations
  
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist
  
• Demonstrated ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, sometimes under pressure and a fast-paced environment
  
• Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations
  
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems
  
• Ability to independently analyze software functionality and design and document efficient/effective work processes
  
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines
  
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with community leaders, business leaders, and donors to advance the mission and vision of the institution.
  
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information.
  
• Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy
  
• Ability to take initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
  
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail
  
• Proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, internet/online systems (e.g., calendaring and email), social media platforms, Learning Management Systems, etc.
  
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere internally and externally, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds
  

Physical Demand

• Regular teaching activities, including standing/sitting, lecturing, and using a computer.
  

Special Conditions

• Workload expectations are outlined in the Association for Professors, Southern Oregon University (APSOU) Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19.
  
• Teaching assignments may include First Year Experience, online and/or hybrid courses, Medford and Ashland campus classes, and day, evening, and weekend courses.
  
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
  
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
  
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
  
• Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this position classification is defined as exempt and is not subject to overtime regulations.
  
• The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
  
• This position is intended not to be benefits eligible. Should employment conditions warrant eligibility, the incumbent will be notified by the HR Benefits Officer. For additional information, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/benefits.html or call (541) 552-8553.
  
• Conditions of Employment: Workload expectations are outlined in the APSOU CBA, Article 19. Teaching assignments may include First Year Seminar, online and/or hybrid courses, Medford and Ashland campus classes, and day, evening, and weekend courses.
  
• Compensation: Any formally approved and authorized salary change shall automatically amend this contract.
  

_________________________

SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.

Diversity Statement:
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

SOU Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together - who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (https://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (https://www.ctsi.nsn.us/) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We [you may say I or the name of a program/department] encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on, and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

Notice to Prospective Employees
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the “Clery Act”), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.

An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR)can be accessed at the following link:
https://inside.sou.edu/assets/security/AnnualCrimeReportFinal.pdf&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1689963083708061&usg=AOvVaw0f-fXyFGeMPwDF6jWmofiB">https://inside.sou.edu/security/statistics.html. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy please visit the Campus Public Safety Office at 382 Wightman Street, Ashland OR 97520. For more information call 541-552-6258, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.



To apply, please visit: https://sou.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Southern_Oregon_University/job/Southern-OregonAshland-Campus/Assistant-Professor-of-Theatre-in-Fabrication-and-Technical-Direction_R0000221





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