Director, School of Performing Arts
Job Description
Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts invites applications and nominations for its next director. The successful candidate will be appointed to a 12-month tenured position at the rank of professor in the School of Performing Arts and will report directly to the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. The School of Performing Arts presents over 250 public events each year, including fully mounted theatre productions, an expansive concert season including chamber music, symphonies and experimental work, and an annual film festival.
The School of Performing Arts is home to music, theatre, cinema, and an emerging dance program. Students can pursue a B.A. in music (106 current students), a B.A. in Theatre (134 students total, 41 pursuing a major in Cinema), and an M.F.A. in Theatre (20 students). In addition to our majors, we have 134 students pursuing minors in music, theatre, or cinema. The NASM and NAST-accredited school is supported by 10 full-time staff, 58 full-time faculty and 12 part-time faculty, whose teaching reaches more than 13,000 VT graduate and undergraduate students across the university annually. The director is supported by the faculty chairs of music, and of theatre and cinema.
The School of Performing Arts is a national leader in interdisciplinary arts education, with the presence of three strong artistic units that function both individually and as a collective. It is a place where talented students with a variety of academic interests come to grow as artists and people, with abundant opportunities for individual attention and mentoring.
The School of Performing Arts values the connections among the traditional study of the arts, the application of new technologies, and interdisciplinary education. These strengths allow us to offer students a variety of opportunities in and outside the classroom, both in theory and in practice. We have a strong history of engaging with our community and investigating the role of the arts in society.
The successful candidate will work with faculty to enhance and extend a vision for the school's national and international impact. Central to the work of the new director will be furthering the mission and vision of the school, expanding programs, reach, and garnering resources. The director is responsible for oversight of fiscal, curricular, and personnel matters, accreditation, strategic planning, and event programming. This dynamic individual will facilitate the creative work of faculty and students, support collaboration, and establish a cohesive culture that embraces our diverse strengths.
The successful candidate will build upon the history of interdisciplinary collaboration both within the school and across the university. The director will work with other arts programs on campus, including the Moss Arts Center; the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT); the School of Visual Arts; and other units to build these connections and seek new growth opportunities. The director will be a key stakeholder and leader in the development of the university’s new Creativity and Innovation District as outlined in the campus master plan, encompassing new facilities and collaborative programming. Information about Virginia Tech’s Creativity and Innovation District can be found at https://www.vtmag.vt.edu/sum19/feature-creativity.php.
PROCEDURE: Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Nominations should be submitted to the School of Performing Arts Director Search Committee Chair, Natasha Staley, Virginia Tech, School of Performing Arts, at snatasha@vt.edu. Qualified candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described, and the names and contact information of five references online at jobs.vt.edu (Job Number 511291). Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by November 15, 2019. This search will be conducted with the utmost respect for confidentiality, and references will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. Please note that occasional travel to national conferences is a requirement of the position, and the successful candidate will be required to have a criminal background check. More information about Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts can be found at https://www.performingarts.vt.edu.
Required Qualifications
The successful candidate will have a terminal degree in music, theatre, cinema, arts administration, or a related field as well as a demonstrated record of achievement in an area of specialty sufficient to warrant appointment with tenure. The ideal candidate will have a national profile as an artist or arts leader and as an effective advocate for the arts. The candidate must also demonstrate significant administrative experience in higher education including in fundraising, faculty governance, strategic planning, assessment and accreditation, and personnel and budget management.
Preferred Qualifications
Preference will be given to applicants with a record of fostering collaboration and building consensus, experience cultivating multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse initiatives, and an ability to articulate the value of traditional disciplines working alongside experimental forms of art making. We seek candidates with the demonstrated potential to contribute effectively to a faculty team dedicated to creating a positive, dynamic, and inclusive learning environment for an increasingly diverse student population.
Review Date
Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by November 15, 2019.
Additional Information
The successful Candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check
About Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT—serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. Virginia Tech actively seeks a broad spectrum of candidates to join our community in preparing leaders for the world.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire accommodation please contact the hiring department.