Position Description

INTRODUCTION 

The Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut (UConn) seeks a full-time tenure track Assistant Professor in Voice and Speech. This individual will teach in both the MFA and BFA Acting Programs. The responsibilities and duties associated with this position are outlined in this posting.

The University of Connecticut's Department of Dramatic Arts offers BFA degrees in Acting, Design/Technical Theatre, and Puppet Arts, and a BA degree in Theatre Studies. The Department offers an MFA in Theatre with concentrations in Acting, Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design, Technical Direction, Puppet Arts, and Arts Leadership and Cultural Management. Its MFA programs in performance and design/tech are rated among the top six by the University/Resident Theatre Association. The unique, internationally acclaimed MA/MFA Program in Puppet Arts offers training and experience for students across the Department in innovative puppet and object performance. There are twenty-five members of the full-time faculty and an additional seven staff members.

The Department of Dramatic Arts is resolutely committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible, and equitable environment for all members of our community. With that affirmation in mind, members of historically underrepresented and/or marginalized groups of all held identities, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities, women, and candidates of color are actively encouraged to apply, and your offerings of continued accountability are welcomed.

The Connecticut Repertory Theatre prepares students by blending education and industry. Created as a training ground and modeled on a stand-alone LORT/regional theatre. CRT produces Main Stage productions in the 486-seat, proscenium-stage Harriet Jorgensen Theatre and the 241-seat, thrust-stage Nafe Katter Theatre. The Department of Dramatic Arts supports additional projects in the 116-seat Studio Theatre. The CRT has a professional staff of ten, several of whom also teach periodically.

Also housed within the School of Fine Arts are the Department of Art & Art History, the Department of Music, the Department of Digital Media and Design, the William Benton Museum of Art, the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry.

Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state's flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.

The UConn Storrs campus is in a beautiful area of New England, with a moderate cost of living and proximity to major cultural, recreational, and urban centers of the Northeast. The University community provides residents with a rich diversity of cultural, artistic, athletic, and historic experiences. UConn is ranked as the top public university in New England, and among the top 25 public universities nationwide.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The University of Connecticut Department of Dramatic Arts seeks a full-time tenure track Assistant Professor in Voice and Speech who will teach in both the MFA and BFA Acting Programs. The responsibilities associated with this position include the following:

• Teach a 3/2 course load in voice, speech, dialects, and other areas of expertise as requested by the Area Head(s).
• Serve as the Voice and Speech coach for assigned productions by the Department and CRT.
• Participate in annual recruitment and admissions processes for the BFA program, and recruitment and admissions for MFA cohorts every three years.
• Support the Department’s commitment to a collaborative community and a dedication to ongoing curriculum development.
• Maintain professional creative work. Scholarly research can satisfy part of this requirement. Provide educational opportunities for our students through your connections in the industry.   
• Engage in applicable mentoring, advising, and administrative duties, as well as broader University service typical of a tenure-track position, at the request of the Department Head.
• Advance our department’s commitment to an inclusive, accessible, and equitable community for all.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The candidate must demonstrate qualifications in all of the following areas:

• An MFA in performance or a terminal degree in a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to teach voice, speech, text, and dialects for actors.
• Demonstrated capacity to apply diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in the classroom, production, and academic community.
• Professional experience as a voice, text, and/or dialect coach.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced study in voice/speech or a closely related field, and/or certification(s) in voice/speech pedagogy.
• Professional acting experience.
• Professional experience as a voice artist.
• Experience teaching voice and speech professionally and/or at a collegiate level.
• Experience teaching in MFA and BFA acting programs.
• Creative experience that centers the voices of historically marginalized communities.
• Experience teaching singing for the actor.
• Experience directing in professional and/or educational settings.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track position with an anticipated start date of August 23, 2023. The successful candidate’s academic appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Faculty may also be asked to teach at one of UConn’s regional campuses as part of their ordinary workload. In addition to a robust benefits package, the salary will be commensurate with qualifications, ranging between $70,000-74,000.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY

Please apply online to Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/24006 and submit the following application materials:

• Cover letter describing how your experiences and qualifications meet the lists of minimum and preferred qualifications above
• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching statement - including teaching philosophy, commitment to effective learning, and/or concepts for new course development (one page)
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility statement - including examples of actionable implemented work (one page)
• Names and contact information for three references 

Evaluation of applicants will begin immediately. For full consideration, please submit all application materials by February 12, 2023. For more information regarding the Department of Dramatic Arts, please visit the Department's website at https://drama.uconn.edu.  Contact Department Head Megan Monaghan Rivas at megan.rivas@uconn.edu with any questions.

At the University of Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to building a culturally diverse community.

This job will be filled subject to budgetary approval.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.