Assistant Professor, Department of Theatre - Lighting Design
Samford University
- Birmingham, AL
- Permanent
- Full-time
serving in a Christian university environment to apply for the Assistant Professor position, beginning
August 2024. This tenure-track full-time faculty position is a 9-month appointment.
The School of the Arts is a community of artists that value interdisciplinary harmonious working
relationships within the areas of music, theatre and dance, graphic design, gaming and animation,
architecture, and interior design. The Department of Theatre and Dance, accredited by the National
Association of Schools of Theatre, offers the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts in theatre (with a
concentration in acting & directing), Bachelor of Arts in theatre (with a concentration in production design
& technology), Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre for youth.
For more information, see the Department's web page
Qualifications
Qualified candidates are required to have completed a terminal degree in theatre (doctorate or MFA).
Evidence of successful college/university teaching and professional lighting design is preferred. The theatre
and dance department prioritizes faculty-mentored development of design and technical skills and desires
to recruit faculty who are invested in, and demonstrate a history of, mentoring students from diverse
backgrounds.
Salary is dependent upon academic qualifications, professional experience, and previous academic teaching
experiences.
Description
The successful candidate will teach studio and academic courses; create and execute lighting designs for
the department's main stage productions which may consist of youth, opera, classical, dance, and musical
theatre; supervise and mentor student designers; collaborate with guest designers; manage and maintain the
theatre lighting and sound inventories; and proactively provide recommendations for the newest lighting
technology to enhance productions. In addition, the candidate will coordinate the sound production area
and schedule guest designers and engineers.
Application
Review of applications will begin March 15, 2024, and applications will be accepted until April 15, 2024.
To apply, please submit one PDF file comprised of a letter of interest, a complete curriculum vitae, a
teaching philosophy statement, links to professional work, examples of teaching, an application for a faculty
position, and a faculty applicant Christian mission statement. Teaching examples could include course
syllabi and/or evidence of student designs. The successful candidate must pass a background check and
applicants must be authorized to work in the United States, as Samford will not sponsor any employment
visas for this position.Additionally, please have three letters of recommendation submitted directly from the recommender to:
with the subject line denoting: “LAST NAME, FIRST NAME - Lighting Search”
as PDF documents.“Application for Faculty Position” can be found at:“ Faculty Applicant Christian Mission Statement” can be found at:Please submit all materials in PDF format (except recommendation letters that are sent separately by
recommenders as indicated above) to:Subject: Lighting SearchFor questions about the position contact:
Mary Taylor Gurney, Lighting Search Committee Chair
mtaylor3@samford.edu
205-910-6740
About Samford University and Birmingham, Alabama
Samford University is a leading nationally ranked Christian University. Founded in
1841, Samford is the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It is the largest privately
supported and fully accredited institution for higher learning in Alabama. Located in the Birmingham,
Alabama, suburb of Homewood, with 425 full-time faculty and more than 5,700 students representing 49
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 22 countries. Samford is ranked #10 in the U.S for the
quality of career preparation provided to its students according to a newly published ranking. “The Top
U.S. College for Career and Learning-Related Opportunities,” in The Wall Street Journal. The University
is dedicated to the promotion of rigorous academic inquiry in a Christian setting. The University seeks and
prefers employee applicants of the Christian faith and offers competitive salaries with a generous benefits
package. Samford University and the School of the Arts embrace diversity in their faculty, students, and
staff and encourage applications from those who would add to the diversity of our academic community.In accordance with applicable federal and state laws, such as Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the
Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendments, the University does not unlawfully discriminate on
the basis of sex, gender, race, color, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status,
religion, or any other protected status under federal, state or local law applicable to the University, in its
education policies, programs, and activities, in its admissions policies, in employment policies and practices,
and all other areas of the University. As a faith-based institution, the University is exempted from certain