Position Overview

The Department of English and Creative Writing, in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance, seeks applications for a tenure-track position in Playwriting at the Assistant Professor rank. Applicants are expected to have an M.F.A. or Ph.D. in hand for the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year.

Position Description

The teaching load for this position is five courses per year. The successful candidate will teach Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced Playwriting, Forms of Drama, and Theatre 101 serve as a faculty advisor for capstones and honors projects in Playwriting, and may, on occasion, teach introductory courses in English. Depending on qualifications and interests, candidates may also teach advanced courses in English or Theatre. Candidates should be working playwrights, with potential for significant artistic production. Experience with screenwriting is also desirable. The successful candidate should also show evidence of inclusive and effective teaching practices, and approach the dramatic creative process with attention to diversity, equity, community, and social justice.

Attributes of a Successful Candidate

The English and Creative Writing Department has recently initiated a major in Creative Writing (in addition to a Creative Writing Certificate). Playwriting is a track in that major and includes courses in both English and Creative Writing and Theatre. A successful candidate will be able to work collaboratively across these departments.

Sewanee is committed to faculty working together in cohorts on new areas of focus: the 17 positions hired over the next two years will be invited to any of the following three cohorts: environment, data, and social justice. It is not imperative that a new faculty member join a cohort, but such relationships with colleagues will make for a more productive and fulfilling intellectual life. Sewanee will add eleven positions this year, and another six next year. This year’s searches include Environmental Studies, one position in English (playwriting), two positions in Data Science (Computer Science, Statistics, or Math), Music (orchestral conducting), American Politics, Psychology, and Theatre (directing).

Materials:

For preliminary review, applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a writing sample. In this initial round, applicants must also describe evidence of their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, either in the cover letter or in a separate diversity statement. Applicants should also demonstrate an interest in working across disciplines. Additional materials, including graduate transcripts and letters of recommendation, will be required for a second round. Materials will be reviewed by a committee that includes English Literature, Creative Writing, and Theatre faculty.

Supplemental Information

In addition to cohorts, which will include both tenured and pre-tenure faculty of various departments and programs, The English and Creative Writing Department and the Theatre and Dance Departments are also committed to offering mentorship and support for faculty at every level of employment. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our departments and our campus by seeking talented teachers, researchers, and artists of varied identities, backgrounds, and experiences. We expect all faculty to contribute to creating an inclusive and just intellectual and creative community.

You can learn more about our commitments here: http://new.sewanee.edu/offices/university-offices/dei/

The University of the South, commonly known as Sewanee, comprises a nationally ranked residential College of Arts and Sciences and a School of Theology. The University is strongly committed to the values of intellectual inquiry, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and living and serving in the community. Situated on 13,000 acres atop Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, Sewanee is known for its stunning natural beauty while providing easy access to Chattanooga, Nashville, and Huntsville. The University is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and seeks to help employees of all backgrounds and identities flourish.

Additional Information:

DEI Institutional Statement:

At the University of the South, our commitment to inclusion and belonging is grounded in our core values of community, courage, flourishing, and inquiry. We seek to build a community enriched by our diversity and centered on equity, justice, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The University of the South is an equal-opportunity educational institution that is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive campus environment.