Faculty Positions
Position Title / Rank: Assistant Professor in Theatre Studies Performance/Theatre Research and Creation
College: College of Arts
Department: School of English and Theatre Studies
Date Posted: January 12, 2023
Deadline: February 15, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found
Please reference AD #23-01
Position Description:
The Department of Theatre Studies, School of English and Theatre Studies, at the University of Guelph invites applications for a tenure track position at the Assistant Professor level in Performance/Theatre Research and Creation.
We are looking for a colleague who is both an active scholar/researcher and also an innovative and accomplished creative practitioner, with teaching assignments at the undergraduate and graduate levels (including graduate student supervisions in the Theatre Studies M.A. and Literary Studies/Theatre Studies Ph.D. programs). The appointment will commence on July 1, 2023.
The successful candidate will preferably hold a Ph.D. in Theatre, Performance, or a closely-related discipline; ABD candidates in Theatre or a closely-related discipline, and those with MFA’s and significant evidence of research achievement will also be considered. We encourage applications from candidates with a diverse range of artistic, teaching, research and service experience. Preference will be given to candidates working in innovative approaches to performance or in leading edge performance forms—such as site-specific performance, live art, devised performance, digital theatre, or audio-based performance. Applicants should provide evidence of active research engagement and potential, a commitment to service (within and beyond the academy), and inventive approaches to teaching both theory and practice. Publications in the fields of performance studies and theatre theory are preferred.
The Theatre program within the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph has a strong reputation for excellence in the education of theatre scholars and practitioners, and a commitment to innovation in teaching, research, and creative practice. As Theatre Studies is a small program and most courses have flexible content, all faculty members are expected to be able to cover most of our undergraduate course offerings. This includes directing undergraduate student productions. Our undergraduate program is built on an innovative curriculum that scaffolds students’ skills to prepare them to complete a capstone Ensemble project in which students are responsible for all aspects of a full theatre production. All our undergraduate courses are designed to provide students both critical and artistic skills, making clear connections between how research and creation impact one another. Many of our courses are highly invested in experiential learning, offering practical and creative knowledge-building within both academic and professional environments. The successful applicant will be joining us at an exciting moment, with the recent completion of the Arts Research Centre (ARC) providing a 140-seat black-box theatre, a 152-seat recital hall, and a new 160-seat performance lab for research in improvisation. The path forward for Theatre Studies will come through teaching, research, and service environments filled with new opportunities, including potential for enhanced cross-disciplinary collaborations and projects.
The School of English and Theatre Studies commits to centering equity and inclusion in our research, teaching, and community engagement. These efforts serve our mission as educators and work toward social justice. We strive to respect and promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and decoloniality by creating an environment that embodies these values in our recruitment, scholarship, research, education, and service. We support the College of Arts’ mission to unleash compassion, creativity, and critical engagement with the world through transformative education.
The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.
Application Process
Assessment of applications will begin on 15 February 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should submit the following materials (preferably as a single PDF file): (1) a cover letter; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a statement of teaching philosophy; ((4) a research statement demonstrating evidence of research excellence and previewing future research plans, and a comprehensive list of publications i.e. work published in academic journals or in alternative venues and presentation formats; (5) a statement about inclusionary practices relevant to teaching and research; (6) evidence of innovative pedagogy, including course syllabi (past, present, and/or future) and examples of student work; (7) evidence of leading-edge approaches to performance practice, whether directing or devising (may be video, jpeg, written documents or some combination); and (8) names and complete contact information for three references. These references will only be contacted if candidate is shortlisted.
The School of English and Theatre Studies is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. Candidates are encouraged to identify accommodation needs during the application process.
Applications should be sent to the attention of Professor Sally Hickson, Director, SETS, via email to:
Olga Petrik Administrative Assistant to the Director School of English and Theatre Studies College of Arts University of Guelph 50 Stone Road East Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Email: setshr@uoguelph.ca
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.
The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.
At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.
If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.