Assistant Professor of Performance & Pedagogy

42941BR

Department of Theatre and Dance

Position Description

The School of Theatre & Dance within the Texas Tech University J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts, invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track, Assistant Professor of Performance & Pedagogy to begin Fall 2026.
The ideal candidate should be able to teach multiple acting approaches (e.g. Period Styles, Commedia, Meisner, Stanislavski, and/or other hybrid or non-western approaches) across all degree tracks (BA, BFA, MFA, PhD), preparing undergraduates for professional theatre careers and graduates for creative research, teaching, and practice. This role requires developing innovative pedagogical approaches that integrate emerging industry practices and technologies while translating professional experience into dynamic pedagogy and research that advances the field.

The successful candidate will establish a creative research agenda through peer-reviewed scholarship/creative activity, and industry engagement. The position includes directing responsibilities within TTU's production season and mentoring MFA Performance & Pedagogy candidates through research, creative development, and pedagogical inquiry.

Service commitments include contributing to school governance, supporting college and university initiatives aligned with the strategic priorities of the University and the College, and building partnerships with external communities. The candidate will participate in formal advising, curriculum development, policy formation, and strategic planning.

All prospective employees are encouraged to visit Work at Texas Tech to learn more about becoming a part of our campus community.

About the University

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.
About Lubbock:Referred to as the "Hub City" because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock's Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

About the College

The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts (TCVPA) is the beating heart of Texas Tech University. We are a Values Based Organization, and a creative community with the resources of a world-class public university. Our students from all over the world shine with Texas-sized ambition, curiosity, and compassion. Across the School of Art, School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance and the Department of Interdisciplinary Arts, our schools provide a supportive visual and performing arts education. New students join a community of 1,150 arts dedicated undergraduate and graduate students-including D.M.A. and Ph.D. candidates, and over 135 faculty members. The arts are relevant, critical, and essential to contemporary life. An education in the arts inspires students to communicate through artistic tradition while embracing and creating innovative technologies as vehicles for individual expression and social change. For more information visit: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/visual-performing-arts/.

About the Department/School/Area

The School of Theatre & Dance is NAST accredited and offers the BA in Dance, BA in Theatre Arts; BFA in Theatre Arts: acting, design, musical theatre; BFA in Dance, MA in Dance Studies; MA in Theatre Arts; MFA in Theatre Arts: Arts Administration, Design, and Performance and Pedagogy; PhD. in Fine Arts with a Track in Theatre and multiple concentration options. A faculty of 22 full-time professors serve approximately 140 undergraduate students and 60 graduate students. Technical and administrative support includes a total of 8 staff positions. The School's resources include a state-of-the-art facility which opened in January 2023, the nationally renowned Marfa Intensive and WildWind Performance Lab programs, and annual participation in the Tennessee Williams Festival. For more information, visit www.depts.ttu.edu/theatreanddance/.

Major/Essential Functions

In line with TCVPA's Strategic Plan that includes Three Planning Pillars of Innovation, Outreach and Engagement, and Educational Excellence, applicants should have experience working with a variety of student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within individual or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

As a faculty member in the School of Theatre & Dance, you will be expected to:

• Contribute to the mission & vision of the J.T. & Margaret College of Visual & Performing Arts and the School of Theatre & Dance
• Mentor and recruit graduate and undergraduate students
• Develop a record of peer-reviewed research/creative activity
• Provide service to the school, college, and university within your area of interest
• Perform as director within the production season at the School of Theatre & Dance

Organization

Texas Tech University

Faculty Qualifications

• Earned MFA Degree or a PhD or EdD in a theatre performance or related field. Degree must be conferred no later than August 2026.
• Experience teaching and crafting pedagogy within a range of various acting-performance methodologies or training lineages (e.g. Period Styles, Commedia, Meisner, Stanislavski, and/or other hybrid or non-western approaches - please articulate in your application materials)
• Evidence of substantial experience working within professional performance (at least one of those experiences must have been within the last decade and can be evidenced by any role within professional theatre, film, and/or television, and/or physical storytelling nationally, or a reasonable global equivalent)

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Minimum 3 years of teaching experience at the collegiate level
• Emerging or established creative research agenda with outlook toward future scholarship/creative activity, including record of activity indicative of potential to secure external funding
• Experience teaching at the graduate level (including graduate courses taught as a faculty member)
• Ability to integrate emerging industry practices and technologies into teaching, particularly regarding actor-training pedagogy
• Directing experience
• Membership in a professional actors' union (e.g. AEA or SAG/AFTRA)
• Evidence of emerging or established service to the performance industry (including but not limited to service within a professional performance-related association)
• Additional skillset in teaching stage combat, stage intimacy and/or classical and/or non-western performance approaches

Duty Point

TTU Lubbock, main campus and affiliated facilities

Safety Information

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Does this position work in a research laboratory?

No

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include the following documents in your application:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Link to sample of professional work or portfolio accompanied by a statement of research and/or creative activity.
• Names and contact information of at least three references

Job Type

Full Time

Pay Basis

Monthly

Pay Statement

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan.

Travel Required

None

Grant Funded?

No

Job Group

Assistant Professor

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.

Salary Grade

800

Applications must be received by

01/05/2026