Chair, School of Performance

Concordia University’s School of Performance in the Faculty of Fine Arts invites applications for the position of Chair at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, starting August 1, 2026. Duties include research, teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and service to the institution.

The search committee is seeking applicants who are committed to excellence and creativity and to fostering a supportive environment in which students can learn to create in accordance with their artistic vision.  The successful candidate has a demonstrated ability to respond effectively to student, staff, and faculty needs; an interest in serving as a catalyst for the active engagement and participation of each person; understands and has real-world experience in evolving performance practices and interdisciplinarity; is familiar with the use of new media technologies in the arts; and is able to address issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in dance, music, and theatre. The ideal candidate will also have excellent listening, communication, and networking skills and be able to work effectively with others to build a clear sense of direction.  

The Chair will be expected to provide strong and collegial leadership, while fostering a climate that inspires faculty, staff, and students to pursue excellence in teaching, learning, research, and service. Key opportunities and challenges include developing and implementing a shared vision for a new multidisciplinary unit that fosters and amplifies existing strengths across the fields of dance, music, and theatre, while also charting new directions in curriculum, recruitment, research, and institutional processes. They will serve as a leader and ambassador for the School, working productively to promote the role that the performing arts play within the Faculty of Fine Arts, and establish the School’s presence in Montreal’s vibrant arts community and beyond.

Applicants should have a completed MA or PhD in dance, theatre, music, performance studies, or a related field. In the case of experienced artists, a significant body of professional work is expected. We are seeking candidates with demonstrated excellence in creation/scholarship; substantial administrative experience within a university context; and a minimum of 5 to 7 years of university teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Preference will be given to candidates who possess the following qualities:

• A strong understanding of creative practices and theories in dance, music, and theatre and of interdisciplinarity in the performing arts
• A record of successful teaching and research-creative practice in one or more of the School’s areas
• Experience in university leadership
• A strong capacity for innovative and creative thinking within an institutional setting
• Proven effectiveness in collaborative processes and team building
• Ability to plan and implement dynamic and inclusive curriculum changes 
• Ability to foster collegiality across the teaching complement within the School, including part-time faculty and visiting artists
• Aptitude for planning and establishing priorities for academic personnel, including hiring plans, mentoring, and supporting faculty through the whole career arc
• Demonstrated experience in working with community partners as well as proven ability to build relationships with practitioners locally and nationally and across the international dance, music, and theatre communities, promoting interaction and exchanges at multiple levels

Candidates are encouraged to share any career interruptions or personal circumstances that may have had an impact on their career goals in their letter of application. These will be carefully considered in the assessment process. The School of Performance values diversity among its faculty and strongly encourages applications from those who will contribute to that profile. Concordia University is an English-language institution of higher learning at which the primary language of instruction and research is English. Since this position supports academic functions of the university, proficiency in English is required. Working knowledge of French, including reading and grading student work in French, is an asset. Given that the School is poised to be a key partner in the ecology and evolution of performance in Montreal, knowledge of the city's unique position as a francophone metropolis with a well-developed and diversified performance community would be considered an advantage.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and Permanent Residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. While applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship, all applicants must include one of the following statements:

Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

or

No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Electronic applications should be submitted to spa.chair@concordia.caon or before November 30, 2025, but will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. For video files, please submit links to a professional website, a YouTube or Vimeo channel. If the link is private, please provide the password. Submissions should consist of a single PDF and include the following items in the order specified below:

• Cover letter clearly identifying the job title and position code (25-C-SPA-O), emphasizing qualifications for this chair position, highlighting key achievements in leadership, community engagement, research, and teaching
• A complete updated curriculum vitae
• A teaching statement that includes the applicant’s teaching philosophy and interests as well as their approaches to supervision and mentorship
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness—e.g., course evaluations (if applicable), sample assignments and/or syllabi of courses taught
• Three most important research-creation/artistic contributions to date (including work within the past five years) 
• Visual documentation (preferably in the form of online links) of past and current performative works and, if applicable, interdisciplinary or site-specific works
• The names and contact information of three referees
• A declaration of immigration status: “Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.” or “No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.”

All inquiries regarding this position may be directed to Haidee Wasson, Associate Dean, Faculty Development and Inclusion at: spa.chair@concordia.ca.   

Concordia University is strongly committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, and recognizes the importance of inclusion in achieving excellence in teaching and research. As part of this commitment to providing our students with the dynamic, innovative, and inclusive educational environment of a Next‐Generation University, we require all applicants to articulate in their cover letter how their background, as well as lived and professional experiences and expertise have prepared them to teach in ways that are relevant for a diverse, multicultural contemporary Canadian society.

Possible examples to demonstrate a diverse experience may include, but are not limited to:

• teaching about underrepresented populations
• mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds
• committee work
• offering or organizing educational programming
• participation in training and workshops

All applicants will receive an email invitation to complete a short equity survey. Participation in the survey is voluntary and no identifying information about candidates will be shared with hiring committees. Candidates who wish to self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group to the hiring committee may do so in their cover letter or by writing directly to the contact person indicated in this posting.

Applicants who anticipate requiring adaptive measures throughout any stage of the recruitment process may contact, in confidence, the equity office at: equity@concordia.ca.