Job Description

Department of Theatre and Dance

College of The Arts

Assistant Professor

Fall 2027

The Department of Theatre and Dance at California State University, Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure‐track Assistant Professor position in Directing with an appointment to begin Fall 2027.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. CSUF complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

In addition, California State University, Fullerton is a leading public university known for its strong academic programs and commitment to student success. As one of the largest campuses in the CSU system, Cal State Fullerton fosters innovation, collaboration, and professional growth. The university values teaching, research, and service, creating an environment where students, staff, and faculty can thrive. Cal State Fullerton is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The university also received the prestigious Seal of Excelencia in 2021 and 2024 from Excelencia in Education, the nation’s leading authority on Latinx student success. Cal State Fullerton is an equal opportunity employer with a diverse student population of over 45,000 and a faculty and staff population of 4,000. Cal State Fullerton is firmly committed to helping students achieve academic excellence, career success, and economic mobility. Joining Cal State Fullerton means becoming part of a dynamic team dedicated to making a meaningful impact. We continuously seek individuals from various disciplines who share the university’s mission and core values. We welcome you to consider joining the Titan community.

CSUF is committed to retaining all faculty and has established affinity groups you can join to support your success.

Position

California State University Fullerton’s Department of Theatre and Dance is welcoming applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Directing. CSUF serves a diverse student population, inclusive of first-generation students, commuter students, adult learners, and working students; the Assistant Professor of Directing should anticipate providing mentorship that supports students’ artistic development with flexibility to meet individual learning needs. In addition, it is expected that faculty in this position will shape the directing curriculum across Theatre BA, BFA and MFA programs, as well as direct department productions as part of their teaching workload. As a tenure-track professor, the work of this position includes teaching, scholarship, and service.

• Teaching
• The CSUF Department of Theatre and Dance is seeking an artistically active educator committed to mentoring students’ artistic and holistic development and to training future directors. The successful candidate will demonstrate adaptability in teaching undergraduate and graduate coursework in group settings and through individual mentorship. This position’s primary teaching responsibility is undergraduate coursework in directing–a requirement for all undergraduate students within our department–and graduate coursework in directing. This position will also direct productions annually as part of its teaching load. We therefore welcome applicants whose teaching is informed by a broad range of experience directing in a variety of venues and genres. As a department with a vibrant range of BA, BFA, and MFA offerings, we enthusiastically invite applicants to highlight how their secondary areas of expertise will broaden the learning opportunities available to our students; candidates are encouraged to communicate additional coursework you may wish to propose or teach.
• Scholarship
• Faculty are expected to remain artistically engaged with the ever-evolving field of theatre and performance, and to contribute to the evolution of the craft. This may take the form of directing or other professional creative work at outside institutions, scholarly publications, or presentations of work at external professional conferences. The CSUF Department of Theatre and Dance considers creative work outside of the university as practice-based scholarship and encourages those who wish to remain artistically active to apply. A successful candidate will be invited to outline their current and ongoing artistic engagement with the field and speak to how they plan to balance that work with teaching.
• Service
• All faculty in our department collaborate on a variety of committees to promote the success of the department as a whole and to continue enhancing the education we offer to our students. The candidate hired into this position will be expected to have a vision for directing coursework and for the department as a whole, and will be ready to collaborate with the faculty and staff in other areas of the department. A successful candidate will demonstrate awareness of the unique requirements of theatre in higher education and the potential to collaborate ethically and effectively with a diverse student population, staff, and faculty within higher education.

CSUF faculty are committed teacher/scholars who bring research and creative discovery to life for students in classrooms, labs, studios, and individually mentored projects. They teach broadly in the curricula of their departments, advise students, and serve on departmental and university-wide committees. The primary responsibilities of the person in this position will include the development and teaching of introductory and core courses in the discipline and the development of courses in their area(s) of specialization. Specific courses that this person will teach include Directing coursework at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This person will also be responsible for publishing written scholarship or participating in professionally produced creative works outside of the CSUF campus commensurate with the requirements for tenure. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to and participate in the life and development of the department, advise students, serve on committees, and participate in the broader university and disciplinary communities.

Required Qualifications

• MFA or Ph.D. in Theatre, Performance, Performance Studies, Directing, or a related field. ABDs are welcome to apply, but must show evidence that the degree will be completed by the time of appointment.
• An engaged and continuing artistic practice in directing, illustrated by directing credits in university and/or professional settings.
• Demonstrated commitment to mentoring culturally diverse students from many artistic and educational backgrounds.
• Previous experience teaching or assisting with teaching coursework in higher education.
• Ability to balance excellent teaching, scholarship, and service.
• Demonstrated commitment to working effectively with students from intersecting marginalized social groups.

Preferred Qualifications

• A secondary area of expertise—such as acting, devising, design, or other skills within the field of theatre—is supported through coursework, training, or experience, fortifying the candidate’s ability to expand the department’s coursework and training opportunities.
• Previous teaching experience in higher education at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
• Engagement in the field of directing, illustrated by directing credits across a variety of genres and venues, active participation in other directing and educational organizations, and/or SDC membership.
• Ability to clearly articulate scope and sequence for a directing curricula spanning undergraduate and graduate coursework.
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to work effectively and collaboratively within a culturally diverse campus community.

Application

A complete online application must be received by electronic submission to be considered. To apply, please visit http://hr.fullerton.edu/workforce/careers.html, choose full-time faculty, search for the position 562537, and provide the following required materials:

• Cover letter addressing the required qualifications.
• Curriculum vitae listing the candidate’s experience in teaching, scholarship and creative activity, and service.
• Graduate transcripts (unofficial copies are sufficient for initial review).
• Teaching philosophy describing the candidate’s approach to teaching, their professional development as a teacher, and capacity to teach graduate and undergraduate coursework in directing (suggested max 1 page).
• Statement of scholarly/creative practice clarifying the candidate’s current projects and providing an overview of the scope and plans for continuing scholarly and artistic engagement within the field while teaching (suggested max 1 page).
• Commitment to inclusive excellence that illustrates the applicant’s aspirations for supporting the artistic and academic development of students inside and outside the classroom. This statement should showcase the candidate’s approach to creating an academic environment supportive of all students and the candidate’s commitment to embedding perspectives and approaches that uplift the identities of our student body and community in the candidate’s approach to teaching and directing (no more than 500 words):

1. Your contributions (past, present, or future) to embedding perspectives that are reflective of the student population into your teaching and/or scholarship.
2. Your experience in service activities that are reflective of a diverse student population.
3. Your experience and commitment to mentoring and providing opportunities to a diverse student body inside and outside the classroom environment.
4. Your experience integrating creative activities that are inclusive of the identities of our student body and communities.

A list of three references with relevant contact information

• Semi-Finalists must submit three letters of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to submit. On the References page of the online application, enter information and email addresses for three referents who will provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a request via email along with information on uploading the letter. You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back into your applicant portal.
• Finalists will be asked to have each of their three referents submit a letter of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to offer should you proceed to this search phase.

Semifinalists and/or finalists may be asked to submit additional materials for further consideration (e.g., scholarly articles, portfolio, etc.).

Please direct all questions about the position to the chair of the hiring committee, Dr. Amanda Rose Villarreal, at amvillarreal@fullerton.edu

Application Deadline

To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by December 15, 2026. The anticipated appointment date is August 2027.

The College and Department

The candidate hired into this position will be joining a large and evolving department that features healthy enrollment and a variety of academic and artistic offerings. The Department of Theatre & Dance serves approximately 600 undergraduate Theatre Majors across our BA and four BFA programs, and our post-baccalaureate programs currently include an MFA in Design and Technical Production and a Teaching Credential in K-12 Theatre Education. Our team currently includes 14 full-time and 28 part-time faculty, as well as 14 full-time Professional Staff across all areas of design, performance, pedagogy, and production. The Department of Theatre & Dance annually produces 8 mainstage and 8 studio series productions, as well as numerous curricular showcases and student-produced works. Included among these annual productions are plays, musicals, devised works, dance productions, operas, and new works at varying stages of workshopping and production. Our department is housed within the modernized Clayes Performing Arts Center, which encapsulates a variety of venues ranging from black box spaces to large prosceniums and concert halls. The Department of Theatre and Dance is accredited by NAST (National Association of Schools of Theatre), NASD (National Association of Schools of Dance), and California State’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and is a member of both URTA (University Resident Theater Association) and USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology).

Compensation

The Assistant Professor 2027-28 classification salary range is $6,221 to $13,224 monthly (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated hiring range is $7,139 to $7,282 per month, to be determined in alignment with union guidelines.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying its employees less than those of the opposite sex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work (https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm).

Summer research grants, moving expenses, start‐up funds, and a reduced teaching load may be available.

CSUF Benefits

An excellent comprehensive benefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse, domestic partner, and dependent fee‐waiver; access to campus child‐care; and a defined‐benefit retirement through the state system and optional tax-sheltering opportunities. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/.

New employees hired by the CSU for the first time who first become CalPERS members on or after July 1, 2017, are subject to a 10-year vesting period for retiree health and dental benefits.

Additional Information

Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based on the strength of the applicant pool.

International Candidates

California State University, Fullerton, is not currently sponsoring any new H-1B petitions for staff, management, or faculty positions.

For tenure-track faculty positions, California State University, Fullerton is currently not sponsoring H-1B applicants subject to the $100,000 fee established by the "Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers" issued on September 19, 2025. Individuals in the U.S. who hold a valid lawful nonimmigrant status visa can have a petition filed on their behalf to change their status to H-1B without being subjected to the fee. For example, the fee does not apply to an H-1B petition filed by an individual presently in the U.S. who is an F-1, J-1, or O-1 status holder.

CSU Policies

The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017, as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be formally offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self‐disclose.

Notice of Non-Discrimination based on Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. It requires hiring employees to perform CSU-related work within the State of California. The employee must be able to accept on-campus instruction, as assigned, and come to campus when needed. The CSU also prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanently from a business location outside of the United States.

Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.