JOB: Assistant or Associate Professor Music Theatre and Opera

School of Drama and Music

Queen's National Scholar: Music Theatre and Opera
Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

The School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University invites applications for a Queen’s National Scholar (QNS) position in the area of Music Theatre and Opera from outstanding scholars and educators with passion, energy, and a strong vision for innovative interdisciplinary research and education. This is a tenure-track or tenured appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, with a preferred starting date of July 1, 2016, subject to budgetary approval. Further information on the Queen’s National Scholar Program can be found on the website of the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic): http://www.queensu.ca/provost/teaching-and-learning/queens-national-scholar-program.

Position Overview

Candidates must hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant field. The main criterion for selection is academic and teaching excellence. The successful candidate will be an emerging leader in the study of Music Theatre and Opera.  In speaking of opera separately in the description “Music Theatre and Opera”, we emphasize that we intend to include singing theatre in all its manifestations.  The School of Drama and Music, recently created through the merger of the Department of Drama and the School of Music, intends this position to help expand our offerings and invigorate our international and interdisciplinary research and teaching in the area shared by our disciplines.  Significant support for these activities is supplied by our shared facilities in the new Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts: http://www.theisabel.ca/.

This position will offer the successful candidate an opportunity to help define and contribute towards what we envision will become the pre-eminent academic program devoted to the study of Music Theatre in Canada, recognized as such internationally. Accordingly, we are seeking a scholar engaged in inspirational and dynamic research in this field rather than seeking to fill a preconceived niche.  Recognizing that performance is an integral part of our existing program, experience as a practitioner in some aspect of Music Theatre will be considered an asset.

The candidate will display strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, in courses that combine creativity and experiential learning, and theory with practice, and will be prepared to become involved in developing a graduate program within the School of Drama and Music.

The Queen’s National Scholar Program expects that the successful candidate will demonstrate their ability to provide a rich and rewarding learning experience to all their students, and to develop a research program that aligns well with the University’s priorities.  Further information on teaching and research priorities at Queen’s is available in the Queen’s Academic Plan, and the Queen’s Strategic Research Plan (please see the link posted above).

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Application Process

1. The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ persons. All candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada will be given priority.  

To comply with Federal laws, the University is obliged to gather statistical information about how many applicants for each job vacancy are Canadian citizens / permanent residents of Canada.  Applicants need not identify their country of origin or citizenship, however, all applications must include one of the following statements: “I am a Canadian citizen / permanent resident of Canada”; OR, “I am not a Canadian citizen / permanent resident of Canada”. Applications that do not include this information will be deemed incomplete.

A complete application consists of: (i) a cover letter (including one of the two statements regarding Canadian citizenship / permanent resident status specified in the previous paragraph), (ii) a full curriculum vitae (including a list of publications, awards and grants received), (iii) a statement of teaching interests and experience (including teaching philosophy, as well as teaching outlines and evaluations if available), (iv) a statement of current and prospective research interests, (v) a writing sample, and (vi) a minimum of three letters of reference. At least one of the letters of reference must be at arm’s length, and the letters should preferably be from more than one university or other appropriate institutions. Reference letters should be dated, and include the referee’s name, position, department, institution, email address and telephone number, the name of the nominee, and the period of time and the capacity in which the referee has known the nominee.

Applicants are encouraged to send all documents in their application package electronically (either PDFs or MS Word files) to Sheri Wilson at sw16@queensu.ca. Ms Wilson will also forward any questions about the position or the application process to Dr. Craig Walker, Director of the School of Drama and Music.  Hard copy applications may be submitted to Craig Walker, Director, School of Drama and Music, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.  

The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs.  If you require accommodation during the interview process, please contact Sheri Wilson at sw16@queensu.ca.

2. Academic staff at Queen’s University are governed by a Collective Agreement (2015-2019) between Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) and the University, which is posted at: http://queensu.ca/facultyrelations/faculty-librarians-and-archivists/collective-agreement  and at http://qufa.ca.

Appointments are subject to review and final approval by the Principal. Candidates holding an existing tenure-track or continuing-adjunct appointment at Queen’s will not be considered.

The deadline for applications is February 1, 2016, with interviews to be held shortly thereafter.