Ready to join a workforce UNLIKE any other?

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Unit: School Of The Arts MBU

Department: Deans Office Arts

Duties & Responsibilities:

Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts

Anticipated Start
August 2, 2026

Chair Appointment Term
10-months (August 2 through May 30). It is anticipated that the Chair will serve for a period of up to five years, with the option to serve as Chair for an additional period of up to three years. Upon completion of the leadership appointment, the Chair will be provided with a 9-month faculty position in their area of expertise. A semester-long research reassignment will be provided after the Chair appointment ends to facilitate a return to teaching.

Rank
Associate/full Professor

Tenure
Expedited tenure review is available to streamline the university's tenure decisions for new faculty hires who were already tenured at their previous institution and is potentially available to a new Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance who has been a tenured Full or Associate Professor at their previous institution.

Salary
Commensurate with experience. Generous benefits available.

Location
Richmond, Virginia

Application Deadline
Applications materials are due November 24, 2025.

Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance

​
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) is excited to announce an opportunity for an impactful, visionary, and collaboration-oriented academic leader to serve as the inaugural Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, pending approval of the department by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). A key position in the School of the Arts, the Department Chair reports to the Senior Director of the Performing Arts Group and the Dean and is supported by academic and administrative staff. The Chair serves as a mentor to faculty colleagues, collaborates with administrative leaders and staff members, and advocates for the department from a perspective that considers the best overall interests of the School as well as the department. The Chair leads faculty in important processes that shape the curriculum that has an impact on student learning as well as the research activities of the faculty. The Chair strives to effectively articulate both the department and the School’s missions to internal and external constituencies, and establishes a welcoming academic environment that encourages engagement, participation, collegiality, and respect.

Pending approval by SCHEV, the Department of Theatre and Dance currently occupies several buildings and performance spaces including the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, VCU Dance Center, The Depot Annex, Grace Street Theatre, and the Shafer Street Playhouse. More information about performance spaces can be found here. The Department will move to the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation (CCAI) in late 2027. The CCAI, currently under construction, will feature flexible classroom spaces, interdisciplinary performance venues and makerspaces for rapidly growing partnerships across arts, business, humanities and sciences, medicine and engineering.

Theatre and Dance have a collective enrollment of more than 300 students and are recognized leaders in performing arts education. It is expected that the Department of Theatre and Dance will receive the necessary approvals needed to function as a singular department by the start of the 2026-2027 academic year. The Department of Theatre and Dance will continue to grant the program-specific degrees currently granted by the two programs and it will maintain the curricula unique to those programs. Theatre grants an MFA in Theatre with a concentration in pedagogy/performance, a BA in Theatre, and a BFA in Theatre with concentrations in costume design, lighting design, performance, musical theatre, scene design, and stage management with Minors in Theatre and Musical Theatre. Dance grants a BFA in Dance and Choreography and a Minor in Dance and Choreography.

​

Theatre

Theatre has 18 full-time faculty, 13 graduate students, and 237 undergraduate students. Theatre’s mainstage season consists of four fully produced shows per academic year, plus opportunities for collaborative events and participation and performances with the program’s award-winning improv teams.

Dance and Choreography

Dance and Choreography has six full-time faculty and 66 undergraduate students. The program produces two to three major shows per academic year including Senior Productions and Dance Now. Students are able to learn from guest faculty, choreographers, and dance companies.

Theatre and Dance faculty are engaged in a wide range of disciplines in the performing arts, benefiting from both the intellectual richness of an R1 university and an environment where faculty research is valued and supported. The Theatre and Dance programs have an impressive roster of adjunct and visiting faculty, making for a dynamic community within the School of the Arts.

Leadership and Administrative Expectations
The Department Chair holds responsibilities invested in ensuring the success of the department’s faculty, staff and students. This broad range of responsibilities includes (but is not limited to):
●      Articulating a direction and goals for the department that align with School and university- level initiatives.
●      Visioning and participating in cooperative collaboration efforts between VCUarts departments and across other VCU Schools and programs.
●      Managing and optimizing department budget and resources (facilities, faculty, etc.).
●      Developing partnerships with local, national, and international organizations, institutions, and industry stakeholders to enhance the department's and School’s reputation and provide opportunities for students and faculty.
●      Coordinating the activities of curriculum development and discipline-specific accreditation.
●      Overseeing all faculty mentoring, service assignments, promotion and tenure reviews, work plans, workloads, hiring activities, and annual reviews.

●      Managing day-to-day student affairs, including the planning of community-engaged activities and events.
●      Collaborate with the VCUarts recruitment and admissions team to support student recruitment, admission, and retention activities (e.g., new student orientation, department onboarding) and in consultation with the academic advisor.
●      Coordinating interactions with alumni, donors, and visiting artists/scholars.
●      Teaching in the Chair’s area of expertise will be expected, providing a forum for direct interaction with students in creative/academic contexts and affording opportunities to model scholarship within the department. It is expected that the Chair will have a 1/1 teaching load.

Qualifications:

●      MFA or PhD in one of the areas represented in the Department of Theatre and Dance.
●      Knowledge of the higher educational landscape, research, and professional practices in performing arts.
●      A minimum of five years of University-level teaching experience beyond the TA and/or adjunct level.
●      Experience in academic administration or demonstrated leadership in institutional service or service to the field.
●      A well-established research agenda with evidence of a significant performance record and/or scholarly record, external funding, and contributing to scholarship or creative practice that enhances and extends school/department expertise.
●      Experience developing and leading in a highly ambitious and collegial team environment.
●      Effective collaborative and communication skills are essential.          
●      The Chair will have demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Consideration Process and Instructions
To apply, please submit application materials via the VCU Jobs website. Only electronic applications will be accepted.

The following documents should be submitted:
●      Cover Letter that includes an overview of professional experience and creative research interests.
●      Curriculum Vitae
●      Teaching statement that addresses philosophy of teaching and approach to student Mentorship.
●      List of five professional references including names with titles and contact information. References will not be contacted prior to a candidate’s approval.

For best consideration, materials must be submitted by November 24, 2025.

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience. Generous benefits available.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully Onsite

Rank: Open

Tenure: Tenure Track

Months: 10 months

Contact Information:
Contact Name: VCUarts Human Resources
Contact Email: artshr@vcu.edu