Assistant Professor of Scenic Design

Assistant Professor of Scenic Design

Illinois Wesleyan University invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Scenic Design (Teaching Track) in the School of Theatre Arts. The start date for this position is August 15, 2026.

The School of Theatre Arts seeks industrious colleagues whose work in higher education, artistic or scholarly achievements, and professional service has prepared them to contribute to a legacy of thoughtful collaboration, rigorous creative training and pedagogy, and student-centered teaching. Our team culture embraces a multiplicity of backgrounds, worldviews, and expertise within its student, faculty, and staff constituencies. We welcome applications from any candidate whose experience, identity, and viewpoint might broaden and strengthen the quality of our work, ambition of our goals, and perspectives as storytellers.

The teaching track focuses on developing and delivering innovative curricula as well as contributing to the success of students, the department, and the university. It is a renewable appointment built on consecutive six-year contracts. Typically initial appointments are at the rank of Assistant Professor, with the possibility of promotion to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor. While not eligible for tenure, appointments on the teaching track are designed to support long-term engagement and professional growth.

Teaching track faculty are eligible for sabbatical following the successful renewal of the initial six-year contract and every seven years thereafter.

Additional benefits for the position include:

• three course releases to be taken in the first six years of appointment
• possibility of modest start-up funds
• information about internal grant opportunities and external grant development support (Faculty Development)

Founded in 1850, Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) is a nationally ranked, small, private undergraduate liberal arts university with highly selective admission criteria and a tradition of teaching excellence emphasizing the integration of the liberal arts and professional education. We are strongly committed to fostering an environment that values varied perspectives and backgrounds.

Located in central Illinois, Bloomington-Normal is a metropolitan region with a small town feel, about two and a half hours from three major cities (Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis) and easily accessible via Amtrak, local airports, and major highways. Our proximity to other regional markets (Detroit, Cincinnati, Louisville, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis) makes “Blo-No” a convenient home base for travel to short-term and seasonal contract opportunities.

The School of Theatre Arts (SoTA) trains well-rounded and enterprising storytellers who excel at creative problem-solving, collaboration, and communication. Our students engage deeply with theatre and creative media while developing skills that empower them to thrive in multidisciplinary professional contexts. The program serves a vibrant community of over 75 students across four unique degrees, as well as minors and certificates.

This position requires substantial engagement with design curricula and student mentorship across the program. The successful candidate will teach a scaffolded sequence of introductory‑through‑advanced design, focusing on world building as it relates to material and visual cultures. The successful candidate is expected to collaborate across the season as a Scenic Designer and teach a biennial lecture course on the History of Décor.

SoTA faculty also work together to fulfill our commitment to the university’s Shared Curriculum.

The successful candidate will fulfill the responsibilities listed below, contribute to faculty governance through campus committee service and engage with appropriate professional development. Professional development funding is available, as is mentoring both within and outside of the department.

• An eight‑course teaching load (4/4) per year, divided between production assignments, the core teaching described above, and other individualized areas of expertise…