Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor (tenure track): Lighting Design

Position Type:
Assistant Professor (tenure track): Lighting Design

Position Type:
Regular

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is $83,771 to $93,107, depending on the successful candidate's years of teaching experience at the college-level. The position comes with generous benefits ), including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, and university contributions toward retirement. Recognizing the high cost of housing in the local area, there are two University housing assistance programs: Rental assistance to ease the transition into the local housing market, and housing purchase assistance for tenure-stream faculty. For details, go to

Purpose:

The Department of Theatre and Dance at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit, Catholic university, seeks candidates for a tenure-stream Assistant Professor in Lighting Design. The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2025, and be expected to teach, engage in a scholarship program, and engage in service for the Department, College, and University. Applicants must have an established or emerging record of creative and/or published work in any medium of lighting design including stage, site-specific, immersive, interactive, or multimedia performance. Additional experience with projection design and some experience with media/multimedia design techniques preferred.

Applicants with a demonstrated commitment to serving students and audiences of the global majority and with practical experience of decolonial teaching methodologies are preferred. The selected candidate must successfully complete all requirements including an on-campus interview, teaching demonstration, and research/creative work presentation.

SCU is on the quarter system and tenure-track faculty are expected to teach 6 courses per year (2 each quarter), and engage in an active scholarship program. Each quarter is 10 weeks with an 11th week for final examinations.

The successful candidate may teach such courses as Stage Lighting, Lighting Design, and Lighting Design Practicum (supervising student designers), as well as courses developed in their area of specialty. The candidate will design and/or supervise the lighting and projections for department mainstage and student productions for the Department of Theatre and Dance. Department designs and supervision count toward the total course load. Detailed current course descriptions are available online at:

The Department of Theatre and Dance at SCU is composed of artist-scholars and arts practitioners who produce a fully staged season of mainstage performances from a varied and diverse canon of plays, musicals, and originally choreographed dance concerts. The Department of Theatre and Dance is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourages applications from members of historically excluded groups, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Over the last decade, Santa Clara University has recruited an increasingly diverse faculty, enrolled more diverse and low-income students, and recently committed to becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. For more information about our programs and faculty see

This position may be a part of the LGBTQ+ Studies cluster hire or the Social Justice and Inequality cluster hire if the successful candidate's research or creative work fits squarely into the theme. The cluster hire program at SCU is designed to provide support for early career faculty working in specific areas of focus.

Basic Qualifications:

• MFA in Lighting Design required.
  
• Excellent university teaching record.
  
• Evidence of publication/creative scholarship.
  
• Demonstrated ability in lighting design required (which may include graduate school work).
  
• Collaborative work style.
  
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Specialization in projection design, lighting technology, digital media creation, and/or other design area.
  
• Experience with inclusive pedagogical practices that advance goals of diversity and equity.
  
• Experience teaching and mentoring a diverse population of undergraduate students.
  
• Commitment to teaching theatre and dance within a liberal arts context.
  
• Understanding & support of Santa Clara University's Jesuit mission.
  

Responsibilities:

Tenure-track faculty at SCU are teaching-scholars who are expected to balance teaching, research, and service. This is an in-person position. Duties include, but are not limited to:

TEACHING

1. Areas of teaching will include THTR 29/129 Rehearsal and Performance - Lighting Design for Main Stage Productions, THTR 33 Stage Lighting, and other advanced courses in their area of specialty for the Department of Theatre and Dance. SCU is on the quarter system and the assigned teaching load is 6 courses/year Teaching responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• a. Conducting and appearing at all assigned class meetings in a timely and prepared manner that demonstrates a command of the discipline and skill in presenting it effectively.
  
• b. Assigning and evaluating written work, projects, and exams that align with course or core learning objectives and providing timely feedback to students.
  
• c. Holding weekly office hours at times reasonably convenient to students.
  
• d. Assigning and submitting student grades that are appropriate, accurate, and fair measures of student performance to the Office of the Registrar by the designated deadline.
  
• e. Administering numerical and narrative evaluations in each section for all courses.
  

2. Design lighting, and projections as needed, and/or supervise student lighting and projection designers for all mainstage productions for the Department of Theatre and Dance.

3. Serve as Production Manager and supervise the lighting designs for student Theatre and Dance productions.

4. Develop and teach courses that contribute to curriculum development in the relevant degree program and/or the university core. Faculty teaching university core courses should follow an approved syllabus or work with the chair to design an appropriate syllabus for submission for approval from the relevant Faculty Core Curriculum Committee.

5. Participate in assessment of student learning for courses in the department.

6. Provide informed advice and mentoring to undergraduate students.

7. Fulfill other instructional or academic duties as may be assigned by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or by the Chair of the Theatre and Dance Department.

RESEARCH

1. Publishing quality scholarship in peer-reviewed venues and/or producing quality creative/artistic work in the field at appropriate venues per the department scholarship standards.

2. Preference will be given to candidates with research and/or creative work that can accommodate participation of undergraduates.

SERVICE

Provide effective service to the Department of Theatre and Dance, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University, and the external professional community through contributions other than teaching and scholarship such as service on committees, participation in professional organizations and activities, leadership, and community service performed by virtue of professional expertise or association with the university as appropriate to rank and experience.

Additional Information:

Course descriptions can be found at:

Please contact Kimberly Mohne Hill, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, at with any questions.

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Application deadline: September 15, 2024. To ensure consideration, applications must be completed/submitted by midnight on this date. Applications must be submitted using the university's online application process.

Letters of recommendation (if requested) and additional documentation should be sent to Ruth Mikusko, Department Manager at

Required documents:

Submit the following in PDF form in the Workday application portal:

• Letter of application, including a statement/information regarding:
  a. applicant's interest in Santa Clara University
  b. applicant's teaching experience and philosophy
  c. Creative work and research interests (including how they foster collaboration with students)
  d. Experience working with people of diverse cultures and identities
  
• Curriculum Vita
  
• Examples of peer-reviewed scholarship and/or creative work (pdf or url)
  
• Evidence of teaching excellence/performance (e.g. sample syllabi, faculty and/or student teaching evaluations/peer teaching evaluations from recent position)
  
• Contact information for three references (phone and email). Shortlisted applicants will be asked for three letters of recommendation to be provided at a later date
  
• Graduate transcripts (unofficial, with official available upon request)
  

Santa Clara University is committed to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging among faculty, staff, and students. Candidates are encouraged to address in the letter of application their professional interest in and/or experiences relevant to achieving this goal. EO/AA employer.

COVID-19 Statement

The health and safety of the University community is a top priority. The University strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as the vaccination and boosters are safe, effective tools that significantly minimize the chances of serious illness and hospitalization. Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions.

Telecommute

Santa Clara University is registered to do business in the following states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois. Employees approved to telecommute are required to perform their work within one of these states.

Work Authorization:

A foreign national who is appointed to a tenured or tenure-track faculty position is eligible for visa sponsorship assessment by Santa Clara University together with its legal counsel.

EEO Statement

Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination

Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and California State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applications from members of historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged. For a complete copy of Santa Clara University's equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, see

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Santa Clara University does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex/gender, and prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internally or externally. Information about Title IX can be found at Information about Section 504 and the ADA Coordinator can be found at , , Inquiries can also be made to the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Clery Notice of Availability

Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please go to the Campus Safety Services website. To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Santa Clara University affirms its' commitment to employ qualified individuals with disabilities within the workplace and to comply with the Americans with Disability Act. All applicants desiring an accommodation should contact the Department of Human Resources, and and request to speak to Indu Ahluwalia by phone at or by email at

To view the full job posting and apply for this position, go to

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