F0205 - Associate Professor of Drama & Theatre — African American Theatre & Performance

Job Duties

Norfolk State University's (NSU) Department of Visual and Performing Arts Drama & Theatre Division invites applicants for a tenure-track full-time Associate Professor of Drama and Theatre in the discipline of African American Theatre & Performance. Review of applications begins November 1, 2023, and the position remains open until filled. The selected candidate shall begin in August 2024.

The successful candidate will:
Acting, Intro to Theatre, and/or other areas as qualified, and serve as the Program Coordinator of Drama & Theatre Division with 3 credit hours of release time. The candidate will be expected to maintain high levels of professional development, research, and creative activity, engage in university service and committee work, and maintain regular office hours. The successful candidate will supervise and train a diverse population of students with collaborative and open attitude and be a role model for students and faculty.

Minimum Qualifications

M.F.A. in Acting/performance or related field

Evidence of five years of teaching experience including three years of teaching at an assistant professor level), scholarly activity, and professional and university service

5 years of professional experience as an actor including performing African American theatrical works

Preferred Qualifications

Specialization/certification in voice and/or movement for actors

Experience with academic program assessment in higher education

Excellent leadership and personnel management skills

Experience with budgeting/procurement processes

Primary philosophy and teaching approach for performance must be Stanislavski-based instruction

Membership in discipline-specific professional unions and organizations

Knowledge and Experience with NAST Accreditation

Experience in grantsmanship

Additional Considerations

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Application and/or résumé for this position must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on the closing date through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Job Board/Recruitment Management System (RMS). Mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications and/or résumés will not be accepted. Applicants who possess an Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Form) or a Preferential Hiring Form (Blue Form) as issued under the Department of Human Resources Management (DHRM) Policy 1.30 Layoff (Commonwealth of Virginia Employees Only), must attach these forms when submitting their state application and/or résumé. The decision to interview an applicant is based solely on the information received for this position from either the electronic application and/or résumé. RMS provides a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your RMS account to check the status of your application for this position.

Norfolk State University conducts background checks on all candidates identified as a finalist for employment consideration. The type of background check(s) performed are dependent upon the type of position for which you have been identified as a finalist and may include: criminal history, including sexual offender registry checks, reference checks, degree validation, DMV (driving) records, license verification, and credit report reviews. The results of background checks are made available to University employing officials. As a finalist, you will be required to sign an Authorization to Release form. Norfolk State University utilizes Form I-9 and E-verify in the verification of eligibility for employment. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.

A 12-month probationary period may apply.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Candidates may show interest by submitting via online at and include:

Commonwealth of Virginia State Application.

Cover letter

CV (with list of lighting and sound consoles/programs that the candidate is familiar with)

The requirements below must be saved into one file and attached as other to the state application Sample syllabi and list of courses taughtDiversity StatementTeaching PhilosophyThree letters of recommendation (signature required prior to hire)Transcripts of highest degree (unofficial transcripts accepted, however official transcripts are required for finalists)Online portfolio which can include images of curated exhibitions, student projects, etc. Link to the portfolio can be shared as an attachment to the state application.

EEO Statement

NSU is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all persons and applicants, without regard to age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, genetic information, race, religion, sexual orientation, sex (including pregnancy) or veteran status. NSU encourages and invites minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply.

About Norfolk State University

Norfolk State University is a comprehensive urban public, doctoral-granting institution committed to transforming students’ lives through exemplary teaching, research, and service. The University is a top-ranked Historically Black College and University (HBCU) with nationally recognized STEM programs and enrolls 6,000 students in over thirty undergraduate and nineteen online & in-person graduate programs. Norfolk State University garners over $20M in annual grant expenditures, has an NCAA Division I athletic program with fifteen sports, boasts eleven MEAC conference championships in the last three years, and a coveted marching band invitation for participation in the 2023 Rose Parade.

About the City of Norfolk

The home of the largest Naval Base in the world, Norfolk is 1 of the 7 cities that make up what Is referred to as the Hampton Roads Region, an area that includes Virginia Beach & Colonial Williamsburg. Norfolk has big-city amenities and attractions of arts and culture, and cuisines of the Eastern Seaboard. There are numerous & accessible parks, riverfronts, lakes, festivals, & beaches; all favorable for weekend getaways and an easy commute to NSU.



Contact Information

Name: Human Resources

Phone: 7578238160

Email: Emailed material is not accepted.

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their Certificate of Disability (COD) provided by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor within the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their Certificate of Disability.