POSITION SUMMARY:

Date application must be received for priority consideration by: November 1, 2024

Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: September 16, 2025

Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:

Job Family Group: Faculty

Division/Department: School of Arts & Communication/Communication, Media & Cinema

Compensation Range: $65,508 - $69,520 (Assistant Prof YIR 1-4) commensurate with experience in a comparable faculty appointment and according to the SOU faculty collective bargaining agreement

Faculty Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) Code anticipated: 50.06, Film/Video and Photographic Arts

FLSA Status: Exempt

Appointment Basis: 9 month

Time Type: Full-time

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable

This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes

Work Location Type: On-Campus

Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorshipSPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

Finalist Candidates for faculty positions shall provide copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the search committee at the time they are notified that they are a finalist.
Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) letter providing some detail of the applicant’s qualifications and interest in the position; (2) current resume/CV; (3) at least three professional references; (4) Online portfolio. If you are unable to attach the supplemental materials to the online application please contact Human Resources for assistance.
For inquiries and additional information, please contact: Human Resource Services via email at [email protected] or by phone at (541)552-8553.
To view SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/Benefit_Flyer/2024_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_012024.pdf
Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The School for Arts & Communication at SOU seeks a new production generalist to join our nationally-ranked film program as a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Digital Cinema. Recently named a Top 30 Film School in the U.S. & Canada by MovieMaker Magazine, the Digital Cinema program is housed in the department of Communication, Media & Cinema and offers popular BS, BA, and BFA degrees in film production, including a new dual-degree program in producing and film business offered between Digital Cinema and SOU’s School of Business.

The ideal candidate will teach undergraduate courses in short film production, production management, assistant directing, and the business of film while also overseeing BFA Capstone thesis projects and our program’s centerpiece, the Crew Experience, an innovative 12-credit immersion in which students produce a significant film project, on location, and under the supervision of faculty and industry mentors. Candidates with experience in production management for the stage may also have opportunities to work with the Theatre department. A candidate qualified to develop and teach a new Women in Film Production course is highly desirable.

As a program, the Digital Cinema faculty have pledged a commitment in our curricular development and pedagogy to EDIT Media’s best practices for inclusive teaching in media production, and we encourage candidates to demonstrate their commitment to these practices in their cover letter. Experience recruiting, advising, and mentoring historically excluded student populations (including but not limited to BIPOC students, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, first-generation college students, and low-income students) is especially valued. SOU is also a Green Film School Alliance member committed to teaching sustainable production practices.

The School of Arts & Communication values interdisciplinary collaboration, and faculty are encouraged to work across programs to expand student learning opportunities. The Digital Cinema program works closely with other majors such as Theatre, Emerging Media & Design, and Music Industry & Production, among others.

Tenure-track faculty must have an active creative or scholarly agenda that may include screenwriting, production activity, or peer-reviewed academic research. Tenure-track faculty also have service responsibilities within the department, school, and institution, including committee service, student advising, and new student recruitment. Our faculty often collaborates with external partners such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Oregon Media Production Association, Film Southern Oregon, the Oregon Governor’s Office of Film & Television, and regional film festivals.

The appointment will begin September 16, 2025. On SOU’s quarter system, tenure-track faculty typically teach nine courses per year, with three courses each term. We offer excellent comprehensive health and retirement benefits. Review of applicants will commence immediately, with a priority deadline of November 1, 2024, but the search will remain open until filled.

Digital Cinema at SOU currently serves approximately 70 majors across its degree programs, providing students with a highly experiential education in visual storytelling, creative problem-solving, and professional collaboration. While rooted in the film school tradition, Digital Cinema embraces entrepreneurship and innovation to prepare students for dynamic careers in an expanding video arts and entertainment landscape. Recent graduates from our program have been accepted into some of the nation’s top graduate schools for film, including USC, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount, and Syracuse. In addition to our major programs, we offer certificates in Directing for the Screen, Producing & Production Management, Screenwriting & Story Development, Documentary Production, Cinematography & Production Technology, Media Post Production, and Sound Design.

The hub of all media education on campus is the Digital Media Center (DMC), with a 1000 sq. ft. production studio equipped with HD multi-cam broadcast capabilities, a large green screen, lighting grid and control room, and support facilities for makeup and wardrobe. The DMC equipment room offers students free access to lighting and audio gear and 4K cinema cameras. The DMC is an Avid Learning Affiliate. Students have access to a 20-workstation digital editing lab at the DMC, equipped with DaVinci Resolve and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, and all students have cloud access to screenwriting and production management tools. Faculty also have access to these resources to support their creative work. Students have opportunities to share their work with the public via Rogue Valley Community Television (RVTV), housed in the DMC, via an ongoing partnership with Southern Oregon PBS (SOPBS), and via the SOU Student Film Festival, which takes place every Spring.

Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts institution of approximately 4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students based in Ashland, Oregon. The surrounding area is known for its cultural offerings, such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland Independent Film Festival, and the Britt Music Festival, and has been recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as a “best place to live and work as a moviemaker” for ten consecutive years (2014-2023). The Rogue Valley is also renowned for outdoor activities such as hiking, snowboarding, and fishing. Direct flights to Los Angeles and other large cities in the Western U.S. can be booked through Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.

Minimum Qualifications

MFA or terminal degree in filmmaking or production from an accredited institution
At least one year of college-level teaching experience (including adjuncting)
Scholarship/creative activity and teaching interests in narrative film production, producing, or production management.
Comfort teaching a variety of film-related courses at all levels.
Evidence of teaching and production practices that advance equitable, accessible, inclusive, and just film sets

Preferred Qualifications

Three or more years of college-level teaching experience.
Professional production credits and/or professional union or guild memberships (IATSE, DGA, PGA, etc.)
Experience in supervisory roles in film or media production.
Experience with online teaching or using learning-management systems.
Able to contribute interdisciplinary instruction in adjacent academic programs such as Theatre, Media Innovation (Journalism, PR, Advertising), Emerging Media & Design, or others.
Evidence of sensitivity to and an understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, LGBTQ, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students;
Preference will be given to candidates with experience teaching and supervising students from diverse backgrounds.