Assistant Professor of Music & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

at  The University Of Denver

Job no: 496925
Work type: Faculty Full-Time
Location: Denver, CO
Categories: Faculty
Division: Arts & Humanities/Social Sciences
The Lamont School of Music and the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES) program at the University of Denver invite applications for a jointly appointed tenure-line Assistant Professor of Music and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies to start in Fall 2024 whose expertise lies at the intersection of music from underrepresented communities and critical theories of race.
With approximately 250 music majors, the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, housed in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, is a highly selective and nationally renowned music program. An accredited institutional member of NASM, Lamont is distinguished by an exceptional faculty recognized nationally and internationally as well as by a talented and diverse student body. Residing in the acclaimed Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts, the music program offers Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Performance and Composition of Classical and Jazz & Commercial music, a BM in Recording and Production, a MM in Conducting and Pedagogy, Master of Arts degrees in Music Theory and Musicology/Ethnomusicology, and other graduate certificates and Artist Diplomas. The Critical Race and Ethnic Studies program was founded in 2018 with an undergraduate minor. CRES now offers an undergraduate major and minor and has over 60 minors. At the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, CRES is anticipated to consist of a tenured faculty director, three tenure-line assistant professors (including this line), one CRES-IRISE postdoctoral fellow (IRISE is a longstanding and cutting-edge institute working toward racial justice at DU), and numerous affiliated faculty members.
Both programs serve undergraduate students across campus in the common curriculum as well as undergraduate and graduate majors. We are strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive educational environment, which is in full accord with the value that DU places on its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to integrate content and issues relating to, and to work effectively with, ethnically/racially diverse populations.
The University of Denver, the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, enrolls 14,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. The culturally vibrant city of Denver is located in the beautiful Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains. With a metropolitan population of nearly 3 million, Denver has a robust and diverse arts community that boasts outstanding professional ensembles across all music genres. For a more detailed description of the school as well as a listing of events, performances, and recordings, visit www.du.edu/lamont.

POSITION SUMMARY

We aim to appoint a teacher-scholar or teacher-practitioner-scholar to the Lamont School of Music and the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies program with particular interest in a scholar and/or practitioner whose work intersects with Afrodiasporic music (broadly conceived). The selected applicant will participate in the development of a CRES major with Music as the applicant’s home department. Specific to the latter, the applicant will work with Lamont’s faculty to enrich our study of diverse music cultures and experiences. The candidate would teach thematic and culturally-specific courses for CRES and Music majors and minors according to their area(s) of expertise as well as courses in Jazz and Commercial Music. The applicant would also propose and develop courses according to their own area(s) of expertise (e.g., Music and Race, Music and Identity, Music and Indigeneity, Music and Multiculturalism, Decolonizing Music). During the first two years of the position, the faculty member will assist the Director of the CRES program in developing the new CRES major. To facilitate this, other substantial service obligations will be reduced. After the first two years, the CRES program and Lamont will establish a practical distribution of teaching and service obligations. Importantly, the candidate’s tenure home will be in the Lamont School of Music. A full-time CRES faculty member will serve (in a non-Chair role) on the candidate’s tenure and promotion committee to make sure that their CRES contributions are fully conveyed.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate experience and versatility in inclusive pedagogy. We are especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion through their teaching, research, and service.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Capacity to teach courses in underrepresented music cultures in accordance with the candidate’s area(s) of expertise with a preference for jazz or American popular music.
• Excellent skills in oral and written communication.
• Excellent undergraduate teaching skills.
• Ability to interact constructively with a diverse population of faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctorate in Music (PhD, DMA, DM, or DA); ABD considered with initial appointment at the rank of Instructor until the degree is complete.
• University teaching experience.
• Active involvement in research and/or creative activities within the candidate’s area(s) of expertise and that relate to the position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience as an instructor of record at the university level.
• Demonstrated potential for teaching and research/creative excellence in critical theories of race and music cultures of underrepresented communities.
• Demonstrated commitment to, and experience in, promoting DEI and inclusive pedagogies.

• Teach introductory and advanced seminar courses in CRES and Music. In CRES, these courses may include but not be limited to: Introduction to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Theories of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, and the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Capstone. In Music, they would include courses on jazz and popular music in addition to other courses related to the candidate’s area(s) of expertise. Elective courses could be cross listed in both CRES and Music if appropriate.
• Maintain an active career in research or creative activities with publications or creative work in the candidate’s respective area(s) of expertise.
• Mentor and advise students.
• Perform committee work and other service as elected or assigned.