Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
Position #F10300
Review of Applications: Begins February 1, 2013, and will continue until position is filled.
Position Start Date: Preferably July 1, 2013
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is seeking a highly qualified established professional to lead the Department of Dance & Choreography as chairperson. VCU Dance is a vibrant department with a solid record of producing working artists and professionals that work in the arts. VCU dance offers an intensely focused program that culminates in a BFA in Dance and Choreography, with a standard track and a performance track for Richmond Ballet Trainees. The training emphases are on modern dance and ballet with a strong creative track and numerous opportunities for students to perform and to present original choreography. The department presents 6-8 events each year in the Grace Street Theater which was specifically designed for dance, modeled after the Joyce Theater in New York. Events include productions of student and faculty concerts as well as touring dance companies, and screenings.
The Dance Department curriculum includes modern dance technique, ballet, improvisation, composition, choreography, repertory, tap, jazz dance, music courses designed for dancers, dance history, dance in world cultures, African American presence in American dance, dance management, teaching methods for dance, video/choreography, contact improvisation, hip hop, and anatomy and kinesiology courses. The program sustains an enrollment of 90-100 dance majors and attracts a culturally diverse and highly motivated group of young artists, who function with a strong sense of community, though they hail from across the nation.
VCU Dance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance and is an institutional member of the Council of Dance Administrators. The department is one of 15 in the VCU School of the Arts, which is ranked among public institutions as the #1 school of arts and design in the country by U.S. News & World Report (2012). VCU Dance is currently staffed with six full-time faculty; four full-time professional faculty, whose work is primarily administrative, but who also teach; 10 part-time faculty; three full-time staff; and one part-time staff member. Virginia Commonwealth University is a state-supported institution with enrollment of over 30,000 students. This urban campus is located in historic Richmond, which boasts a large and visible arts community.
Qualifications: The Dance Chairperson position is 12-month, tenure-eligible position, at the rank of associate or full professor. An MFA, PhD or equivalent is required. A minimum of five years teaching experience plus administrative experience is preferred. Strong candidates for the position will possess exceptional administrative and organizational skills; be adept in facilitating group processes; be able to effectively advocate on behalf of the department and the discipline; be visionary; and have experience in seeking internal and external funding. The Chairperson member must have a nationally recognized history of creative/academic research and scholarship with professional activity that is impactful to the field/discipline of dance. The chairperson will be required to have an established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding, and potential for scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department. If hired at the Associate/Professor level, the chairperson will be required to have a well-developed scholarly/research portfolio with evidence of multi-disciplinary applications and external funding appropriate to complement and expand existing expertise in the department. The Chairperson will be committed to diversity among the department’s students, faculty, and staff and must have demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
Application Instructions: Prospective applicants interested in learning more about the position may contact Associate Dean James Frazier, School of the Arts. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.
To apply, please send a letter outlining your interest in the position, a curriculum vita, and a list of current references, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses to James Frazier, (jfrazier@vcu.edu) Search Committee Chair. Documents will be accepted only through electronic submission. Work samples are also required, but may be submitted through other means. Referrals to web sites are acceptable. Work samples may also be sent under separate cover to the following address:
James Frazier, Associate Dean/Chair
Search Committee – Dance
325 N. Harrison St.
PO Box 842519
Richmond, VA 23284-2519
Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political affiliation or disability.
