Clinical Assistant Professor, Screenwriting, Tempe/Mesa – Sidney Poitier New American Film School

Job description:

The Sidney Poitier New American Film School in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University seeks a Clinical Assistant Professor in Screenwriting based in Tempe/Mesa. This is a full-time, fixed-term position renewable every year. We seek a screenwriter with demonstrable experience in either film or television and who also has experience teaching in a diverse and inclusive environment. The successful candidate’s employment will start in August 2023.

The successful candidate must be prepared to enthusiastically teach beginning, intermediate and advanced film and television screenwriting classes; potentially teach in online and hybrid environments; engage with and inspire one of the most diverse undergraduate student bodies of any university film program in America; design curricula or design programs that will impact the surrounding communities in Tempe and Mesa; mentor students undertaking senior projects, capstone films, honors theses and independent projects; work with student clubs and groups; possible research or creative activity component; perform school service and participate in faculty governance; and engage collaboratively and collegially with staff, fellow faculty members and the administration.

About ASU

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 80,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

About the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the country, located within a dynamic research university focused on transformative change. Built on a unique combination of disciplines, the Herberger Institute comprises the Schools of Art; Arts, Media and Engineering; Music, Dance and Theatre; The Design School; The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and the ASU Art Museum. The Herberger Institute is committed to redefining the 21st-century design and arts school through developing and scaling ideas that strengthen the role of designers and artists across all areas of society and culture, increasing the capacity of artists to make a difference in their communities. For more information on the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, visit herbergerinstitute.asu.edu.

Required qualifications:

In order to be considered, an applicant is required to demonstrate all of the following Required Qualifications:

• Significant screenwriting experience as evidenced by either (a) having had at least one feature length script or one television script optioned, commissioned, or produced either by a WGA signatory company or by an independent production company; or (b) a minimum of five years working in the entertainment business and in a position that provided extensive experience working with writers, stories, scripts, and script development, plus the applicant's completion of at least two feature-length scripts, or two television scripts, or one of each.
• Demonstrated experience and excellence in teaching screenwriting to students from under-represented communities and/or to non-traditional students.
• Demonstrated commitment via professional work to the advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion within the entertainment business.
• A BA degree in screenwriting or related field.

Desired qualifications:

• A Master’s or MFA degree in screenwriting or related field.
• Experience teaching online or in hybrid environments.
• Experience teaching screenwriting at a college or university.
• Evidence of successful student mentorship.
• Broad knowledge of film and media history and appreciation for the cultural value and social impact of film, television and new media.
• Evidence of creating film/media projects with civic groups and organizations.
• Current active engagement with the entertainment industry, professional organizations, and a network of colleagues.
• Evidence of developing courses at the college level.

Application deadline:

The application deadline is November 20, 2022. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool.  Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions, which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. (See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.)

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources.  ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf  You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

COVID-19 Vaccination - Arizona State University is a federal contractor and subject to federal regulations which may require you to produce a record of a COVID-19 vaccination. For questions about medical or religious accommodations, please visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s webpage.

Instruction to apply:

Please submit the following five items:

1. C.V. that includes contact information for at least three references.
2. A Letter of Interest
3. A diversity statement of up to two pages detailing your approach to, and evidence of, diversity and inclusion through creative work/research, teaching, and/or service.
4. A one-page statement of your teaching philosophy
5. Links to at least three screenplays (film or television) you have written.

All applications must be submitted electronically via apply.interfolio.com/114968