Chair and Professor, Department of Radio-Television-Film

The Department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF) at The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Chair and Professor to provide academic and executive leadership for RTF. The Chair will lead widely respected faculty and staff in providing excellent teaching, research, practice, and service to the field and the industry.

CHAIR AND PROFESSOR

Reporting to the Dean of the Moody College of Communication, the Chair will serve as the leader of RTF, providing an innovative and inclusive vision for the department’s future, and will be the holder of an endowed professorship.  Ideal candidates will possess both professional and academic experience in one or more of RTF’s areas of teaching and scholarship. They will embrace the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship fostered at RTF, encouraging exploration of and experimentation with new forms of production and creation while sustaining the department’s long tradition of engaging in rigorous intellectual inquiry that is socially relevant in a global context. The College offers strong support for the Chair to facilitate innovation to ensure RTF aligns with the newly instituted University and College strategic plans. The Chair will work closely with the Dean of the College on alumni relations and fundraising in support of the diverse research and creative interests of the faculty and various needs of RTF students.  The department has a strong tradition of close relations with the professional and academic communities and seeks a Chair who will maintain and expand these relationships. 

Qualifications

To be eligible for appointment as a tenured full professor, as the position requires, the successful applicant must have a bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of academic and/or professional experience. A terminal graduate degree such as an M.F.A. or Ph.D. in a relevant field is preferred but not required. Preference will be given to candidates who have a distinguished record of research, production, teaching, creative development, and/or management in one or more of RTF’s areas of teaching and scholarship.

Additional required qualifications include:

  • Prior management experience in academia and/or media industries.
  • Demonstrated leadership abilities, administrative skills and experience in fostering collaboration, and building consensus among colleagues, in academia and/or media industries.
  • An understanding and appreciation of current and future media/technology trends and media industry operations.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop collaborative partnerships with companies, agencies, foundations, nonprofits, and other organizations and academic units.
  • Prior academic experience such as teaching, mentoring, or guest lecturing.
  • A commitment to diversity within the department and professions.
  • An appreciation for the merits of a department comprised of both professionals who have chosen to enter academia and research-focused career academics.
  • An entrepreneurial spirit that is open to experimentation with curriculum and ways of learning that make the department unique.

 

THE DEPARTMENT OF RADIO-TELEVISION-FILM

The Department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF).  uniquely offers programs in both practical and theoretical areas — i.e., in both media production and media studies, leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees. By incorporating both the humanities and social sciences, RTF’s broad range of courses can cover all aspects of media production, history, theory, and industries. RTF also has the benefit of innovative collaborations across Moody College, which is one of the largest, most comprehensive communication colleges in the country.

Having since reinvented the model of a traditional "film school” dedicated primarily to filmmaking as a profession, RTF is one of very few top-ranking media programs in the country that teaches both media studies and media production through practical hands-on training. The Hollywood Reporter named RTF as the 3rd Best Public Film School in U.S. and the 11th Best Film School Overall in the U.S. in 2022.

Home to one of the most popular and competitive majors at UT Austin, RTF has more than 1,000 undergraduate students working towards their B.S. in Radio-Television-Film. Approximately 110 graduate students are enrolled annually in programs leading to an M.F.A. in Film & Media or Screenwriting or an M.A. or Ph.D. in Media Studies. The department currently has 27 full-time tenured / tenure-track faculty, 10 full-time professional track faculty, and 10 part-time lecturers.

The breadth and depth of RTF’s curriculum prepares graduates for a wide range of careers commercially and independently, including directing, editing, producing, cinematography, special FX, game design, screenwriting, web design, marketing, policymaking, and academia. Whether in industry, the arts, higher education, or public policy, RTF alumni include Oscar, Emmy, Pulitzer, Peabody, and Cannes Cinéfondation winners, as well as scholars teaching and conducting research at top universities around the world.

 

APPLICATION INFORMATION

The Moody College of Communication has engaged Opus Partners (www.opuspartners.netto support the recruitment of this position. Partner Craig Smith and Associate Abigail Maynard are supporting the search committee, which is led by Craig R. Scott, Chair and Professor, Department of Communication Studies. Applicants are invited to email a PDF containing a letter describing their interest/qualifications, curriculum vita/resume, and a statement on their professional experience furthering diversity, equity, inclusion and access to: abigail.maynard@opuspartners.net. Nominations, recommendations, expressions of interest, and inquiries should go to the same address.

Applications received by December 1, 2022, will receive full consideration.

 

The Moody College of Communication is committed to achieving diversity in its faculty, students, and curriculum and it welcomes applicants who can help us meet these objectives. For more information, please see: https://moody.utexas.edu/diversity.

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs, or activities and admissions. The University of Texas at Austin is a tobacco-free campus; for more information visit http://www.utexas.edu/tobaccofree/.


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