Assistant Professor in Contemporary Dance

Job Title

Assistant Professor in Contemporary Dance

Department

Theatre and Dance

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

Job Description

The successful candidate will teach a somatically-informed Contemporary Dance class and other courses within their expertise. These other courses could be jazz, tap, and other African diasporic dance forms; indigenous dance forms; anatomy/kinesiology/neuroscience; dance and community activism; or screen-dance/dance and technology

Because we are committed to equitable practices with regards to race, class, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, and ability, we are particularly interested in candidates who integrate these practices into their classes and movement practice.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished and active artist and/or scholar who maintains a creative and/or scholarly practice in dance choreography and/or performance. The successful candidate will also demonstrate a commitment to training students and engaging with current developments in dance pedagogy.

JOB DUTIES:
Teaching and Advising: (40%)
Teach courses (2:2 teaching load) in undergraduate programs in the Theatre & Dance department. Advise undergraduate dance majors and minors. Supervise independent creative projects (DANC 550) as needed. Choreograph a piece for the University Dance Company (DANC 320) once a year, or as needed.

Research: (40%)
Maintain and sustain an active and productive program of creative research in field of specialization or in collaboration with others, including but not limited to work with the University Dance Company; may also include dancing or choreography for live or digital performance, work in film and television, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and/or presenting workshops or papers at professional conferences.

Service: (20%)
Service to the Department, the College, the University, and the profession of Theatre & Dance exists in many forms, and may include developing curriculum, supporting recruitment activities, and serving on various types of committees.

Faculty members are expected to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the Faculty Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, currently viewable at: http://policy.ku.edu/FacultyCodeKULawrence/faculty-code-of-rights

Req ID(Ex: 10567BR)

23577BR

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

Contact Information to Applicants

Search Chair James Moreno
Theatre & Dance Department
moreno@ku.edu

Position Number

00004495

Required Qualifications

1. Master of Fine Arts degree or PhD in dance or a dance related area of study is required;
2. A strong studio and creative profile;
3. Demonstrable college level teaching experience.

Employee Class

F-Faculty

Advertised Salary Range

commensurate with education and experience

FTE

1.0

Position Overview

The University of Kansas seeks an Assistant Professor of Contemporary Dance in the Department of Theatre & Dance to begin as early as August 2023. This position is a full-time, academic year appointment.

At KU we make it our mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world. We aspire to be an exceptional learning community that lifts each other and advances society. KU’s strategic plan Jayhawks Rising is focused on objectives to accomplish this vision through three mission-based priorities of student success, healthy and vibrant communities, research, and discovery.

KU’s research residential campus is in the center of a vibrant and culturally-rich community — a quintessential college town. Visitors, students and new employees from outside the area enjoy discovering the many wonders of Lawrence, including a thriving downtown, diverse local and regional events, area lakes, vibrant arts and music scenes, and an indelible history. Home to nearly 95,000 people, Lawrence is located 45 minutes west of Kansas City and 30 minutes east of Topeka, the state capital. Along with the music, arts, culture and sports experiences offered at KU and in Lawrence, the short drive to Kansas City provides quick access to historic jazz clubs, museums, world-class music and theatre venues, and professional sports teams.

In a continuing effort to enrich its academic environment and provide equal educational and employment opportunities, the university actively encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups in higher education. KU’s vision is to be an exceptional learning community that lifts each other and advances society. The Jayhawks Rising Strategic Plan was developed around three Institutional Priorities: creating a clear and ambitious direction to fulfill our mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world. Additional information is available at https://jayhawksrising.ku.edu/ . The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.

The College emphasizes interdisciplinary, experiential learning and global awareness, houses a vibrant university wide Honors Program that highlights undergraduate research and service activities, and has created strong affiliations with outstanding cross-disciplinary research centers. Faculty and academic staff have emphasized the importance of continuing and expanding on relationships with centers and entities including the Biodiversity Institute, Kansas Biological Survey, Kansas Geological Survey, the Hall Center for the Humanities , the Life Span Institute , the Institute for Policy and Social Research , the Spencer Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum. These relationships have brought a broad range of disciplines together to pursue and conduct sponsored research and education at the international, national, state, regional and local levels, and have created employment structures in which faculty and academic staff share appointments to emphasize collaboration. College faculty and research staff are welcomed as members in all KU’s designated research centers and institutes . The College is home to internationally recognized scholars and scientists who brought in $44M in research funding in FY 2021, nearly 30% of the total funded research at KU Lawrence.

Reg/Temp

Regular

Application Review Begins

18-Nov-2022

Anticipated Start Date

18-Aug-2023

Additional Candidate Instruction

For more information and to apply online go to https://employment.ku.edu/academic/23577BR . A complete online application includes the following materials: (1) cover letter; (2) Curriculum vitae; (3) research agenda; (4) teaching philosophy statement; and (5) the names, email and contact information for three professional references. In addition to the materials above, learning about each applicant's contribution and engagement in areas of diversity is an important part of KU's mission. As a result, applicants will be presented the following question at the time of application:

• Describe your experiences working with people from diverse backgrounds and explain how those experiences reflect your commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Applicants are also encouraged to include or expand upon how they have contributed to building a culture of belonging through DEI initiatives within the required application materials provided.

Application review will begin November 18 and will continue until a pool of qualified applicants is obtained.