The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln invites applications and nominations for the position of Director, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. This is a continuous, twelve-month appointment, starting on or about July 1, 2023. Named in 2005 through a generous endowment by Johnny Carson, the School enjoys a rich tradition of ongoing support from donors, including the Carson Foundation, who continue to fund scholarships, programming, professorships and many other endeavors. The School lives within the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, which offers additional endowed support for student, faculty, and programmatic support.

The Hixson-Lied College
As the only named College at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts includes the School of Art, Art History & Design; the Glenn Korff School of Music (including the Dance program); the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts; and the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, along with the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. The College's entire endowment portfolio has a market value of $85 million, which includes an $18 million college naming endowment from the Lied Foundation Trust that supports faculty, students and programs in all areas of the college and its affiliated organizations. The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts opened in 2019 and was created with a $57 million investment by the University made possible by a $20 million investment from the Johnny Carson Foundation.

The Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film boasts a collaborative faculty and staff who are eager to engage fully in envisioning an innovative model for arts education that is adaptable to changing industry demands. This position is an exciting opportunity for a visionary leader who will capitalize on the School's and College's significant resources and existing strengths to enhance the School's reputation as a national exemplar of forward-thinking arts education that prepares students to enter the rapidly changing worlds of live, recorded, immersive and virtual environments.

The Director oversees degree programs that prepare students to enter the rapidly shifting industries of live and filmed entertainment. Recently launched programs include a BFA in Acting with a strong emphasis on acting for the camera; and a BA in Theatre with emphases in producing, leadership, writing and directing. The School also maintains strong BFA and MFA programs in Technical Direction as well as Scenic, Lighting, and Costume Design, with a desire to add programs in Sound Design. The School is currently experiencing increased applications and strategic plans for continuing enrollment growth, retention and graduation rates, and overall programmatic effectiveness are a high priority for the new Director.

The School of Theatre and Film is closely aligned with the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts (EMA), which is one of the nation's leading centers for undergraduate training in immersive, interdisciplinary arts. The BFA in Emerging Media Arts currently enrolls over 120 majors and explores experiential theatre, cinema, gaming, interactive immersive media, and augmented and virtual reality. The Center's Director works collaboratively with the Carson School Director to support the faculty and promote opportunities for Theatre, Film, and Emerging Media Arts students. The new Carson School Director will have opportunities to envision important programmatic links between the Center and the School in areas that include performance in immersive, gaming, and motion capture environments; projection and immersive design; producing, writing, and directing for immersive worlds; and developing creative teams and processes for extended media environments.

The Director of the Carson School is also the Executive Producer of the Nebraska Repertory Theatre (Rep), an Actors' Equity affiliated professional residency and production model that offers students opportunities to work alongside professional actors, designers, directors, playwrights, and producers. The Director will work with faculty and staff to develop a strategic vision for continued improvement of the Rep, with a student-centered mission that integrates with the School's curriculum. This strategy also intends to attract professionals who seek a vibrant space to create work while training new generations of artists for rapidly changing entertainment industries.

We seek a leader with a commitment to recruiting and supporting the success of a diverse student body, staff and faculty. Our commitment to inclusive excellence lives in the action steps we are taking. We seek a leader who values collaborating with strong campus resources to create an equitable, inclusive and diverse school and curriculum. The new Director will envision and implement student career development and community engagement strategies through regional, national and international partnerships. They will also lead outreach and engagement efforts and serve as the primary representative for the School to the wider university, community, and region.

The new Director will foster a vibrant culture of teaching, scholarship, and creativity that builds upon the strengths of a dynamic faculty and staff. As the primary supervisor for the faculty and staff of the School, the Director coordinates program and curricular planning, course scheduling, teaching, and committee assignments. The Director is also responsible for conducting evaluations of faculty and staff and reporting recommendations to the Dean for reappointment, promotion, tenure, and salary adjustments.

In partnership with the Dean, the College, and the University of Nebraska Foundation, the Director will be actively involved in external fundraising efforts. As the beneficiary of a sizeable endowment, the School relies upon the Director to guide the appropriate use of this resource. The Director ensures the disbursement of these funds are in accordance with endowment guidelines to meet the needs for instruction, research and creative activity for faculty, staff and students. We seek a capable financial and business leader, who can manage the budgeting, contracts, personnel and facilities for the School, including active management of the business aspects of the Nebraska Repertory Theatre.

Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska is the quintessential college community, with its university set in the middle of a dynamic downtown area consisting of restaurants, coffee houses, movie theaters, clubs, bike trails and urban residences. It has high-quality public schools and a good cost of living. It is a creative, intellectual and vibrant community that loves the arts and is home to the Lied Center for Performing Arts, the Sheldon Museum of Art, and the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, an art house cinema that is part of the College, as well as other museums and galleries.

More information about Lincoln can be found at https://www.unl.edu/lincoln/about-lincoln and https://diversity.unl.edu/creating-connections-on-and-off-campus.

The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and the Glenn Korff School of Music believe in inclusive excellence. We envision a faculty that will serve an increasingly diverse student body. To that end, we seek a diverse pool of candidates.

As an EO/AA employer, the University of Nebraska considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See https://www.unl.edu/equity/notice-nondiscrimination.

Ideal candidates will also have demonstrated track records with experience in one or more of the following areas: