Job Details

Assistant Professor of Dance

The University of Southern Mississippi is currently accepting applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Dance.

Special Instructions to Applicants
Review of applications will begin January 15, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. A completed application will include 1) a cover letter describing applicant strengths and qualifications for the position, 2) a CV, 3) contact information for three references, 4) a research/creative activity statement 5) a teaching statement addressing pedagogical methods and experience working with diverse student populations, 6) link to website or other online portfolio of materials, and 7) academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable; official transcripts are necessary for hire). Application materials can be uploaded to the HR site found here: https://jobs.usm.edu. The School of Performing and Visual Arts at USM is committed to increasing diversity; we encourage applications from those who identify as diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation. Please address questions about the position to Meg Brooker, Director, School of Performing and Visual Arts, Email: Meg.Brooker@usm.edu. For full consideration please submit complete applications by January 15, 2023.

 Job Summary 
The Dance Program at the nationally accredited (NASD) University of Southern Mississippi seeks tenure-track Assistant Professor of Dance. This is a nine-month faculty appointment. The successful candidate will join a creative and critically-engaged faculty training dancers in BFA Performance and Choreography and BFA Dance Education programs. The new hire will maintain an active creative activity/research agenda, engage in service, and teach studio technique and dance theory and practice courses for majors and nonmajors. Instructional load for tenure-track faculty at USM is a 3/3, and potential coursework includes jazz, tap, modern/contemporary, and/or ballet dance techniques, dance pedagogy, dance production, improvisation, choreography and/or composition courses, dance appreciation, repertory, and/or dance history. Some courses include a choreography/production component. Additional opportunities to choreograph/perform/showcase work are possible. USM Dance, housed in the School of Performing and Visual Arts, features three performance ensembles producing seven annual concerts, a robust guest artist program, and study-abroad opportunities for students through the University’s British Studies Program. In addition to the Dance Program, The School of Performing and Visual Arts at USM offers MFA, BFA, and BA programs in Theatre, as well as BFA and BA programs in Art & Design. There are opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration through the SPVA’s annual two-week interdisciplinary arts festival Revelry, now in its fifth year. The School of Performing and Visual Arts values artist/educator/scholars with diverse and global perspectives and dance-making practices and seeks applicants with a demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Teach dance courses at the undergraduate level for dance majors and nonmajors.
2. Demonstrate a commitment to excellence in performance, choreography, and or dance research and to the training and mentoring of highly qualified performing and choreographic artists.
3. Participate in production activities of the program.
4. Demonstrate engagement with best practices in dance education for university dance programs.
5. Maintain a research/creative activity agenda consistent with rank and with tenure/promotion expectations.
6. Contribute to the mission of the program, the university, and the profession through participating in service, advising, curriculum development, and recruitment.
7. Advise and mentor majors.
8. Performs other duties as assigned.
   

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of majors and non-majors.
• Knowledge of disciplinary content and ability to teach toward learning objectives and exit competencies and to assess student learning.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver accurate and quality communication (verbal and written) in a timely manner to a diverse population.
• Mentorship experience, including providing meaningful feedback and support.
• Ability to collaborate and to mentor students through collaborative dance-making and teaching experiences.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is a comprehensive public research institution delivering transformative programs on campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as online. Founded in 1910, USM is one of only 131 universities in the nation to earn the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" designation, and its robust research enterprise includes experts in ocean science and engineering, polymer science and engineering, and large event venue safety and security, among others.  USM is also one of only 37 institutions in the nation accredited in theatre, art and design, dance and music. As an economic driver, USM generates an annual economic impact of more than $600 million across the state. USM welcomes a diverse student body of more than 14,000, representing 71 countries, all 50 states, and every county in Mississippi. USM students have collected four Truman Scholarships and 37 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, while also leading Mississippi with 27 Goldwater Scholarships, an honor that recognizes the next generation of great research scientists. Home to the Golden Eagles, USM competes in 17 Division I sports sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For more information, visit www.usm.edu.