Assistant Professor- Costume Design (Tenure Track)

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, United States

Updated: about 2 months ago
Location: La Crosse, WISCONSIN
Deadline: ;

Posting Details 
Position Information


Recruitment Number 5580
Working Title Assistant Professor- Costume Design (Tenure Track)
Classification Title Assistant Professor
Proposed Salary to be Offered $57,000
Appointment Percentage (Budget) 100%
Position Summary
The Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor of Costume Design beginning in Fall 2024. The primary responsibilities of this position are teaching courses in costume design and technology, theatre appreciation, and designing or supervising the student costume and makeup designs for multiple productions each semester. The typical load is a 4/4, with one course reassigned for the design and mentoring work each semester.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in theatre and dance, who can teach a range of courses including theatrical rendering, costume design, stage makeup, and costume crafts/technology. They will design or supervise student designers in costumes and makeup for department productions which include plays, musicals, dance concerts, and theatre for young audiences. In partnership with the Costume Shop Manager, they will participate in costume construction and student personnel management of the costume shop as needed. This position will assist with the overall operation of the production season in an area of department service most appropriate to the candidate. A person in this position will have the opportunity to design the Summer Stage musical and to teach in the summer session. Other teaching and creative work may be available as appropriate.
Position Type Faculty/Instructional
Pay Basis Academic
FLSA Exempt
Is this position eligible for employment sponsorship, (H1B or PERM)? Yes
Required Qualifications
  • MFA or appropriate graduate degree in costume design or related field required by time of the first personnel review in Spring 2025
  • Experience designing at the university or professional level
Preferred Qualifications
  • Thorough knowledge of costume history, including a wide range of eras and styles
  • Experience in both theatre and dance
  • Experience in flat-patterning, draping, and the construction of costumes, wigs, and specialty items including millinery, armor, or fantasy elements
  • Ability to work successfully in a collaborative development process with faculty colleagues and students
  • Teaching experience in a college or university theatre department
  • Experience managing a costume budget
  • Evidence of ongoing professional activity including work as a designer or technician
  • Excellent verbal skills necessary, as well as ability to communicate with extreme diplomacy, professionalism, and graciousness
  • Skilled in problem solving, creating contingency plans, and handling emergencies
Physical Demands
Reasonable Accommodations
UWL provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact [email protected] or 608.785.8013. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.
All position descriptions are required to provide physical demands and working condition/environment and may not be published in the job announcement. For information on the physical demands and/or working conditions/environment for this position, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 608.785.8013.
Working conditions and environment
  • Ability to work a long day which may include morning classes and evening rehearsals multiple days each week.
  • Working on or near the stage as designed for individual productions. This could include raked floors, stairs, raised platforms, etc.
  • Participation in weekend technical rehearsals or performances as appropriate.
Miscellaneous Information
Information about your benefits
Your benefits add an additional 40%+ to the overall financial package from the university.
Highlights include:
  • excellent flexible health insurance with low co-pays and good coverage.
  • paid holidays and sick days.
  • sick leave may be converted at retirement to pay for health insurance post-work at UWL.
  • after 5 years of employment, you become vested in our retirement system which ensures income post-career.
  • benefits at UWL are highly competitive with local industry and some of the strongest in state and nation.


Learn more at: https://www.uwlax.edu/globalassets/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-info/fasl.pdf

Benefit eligibility is determined at point of hire. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only. Benefits are also pro-rated based on the appointment percentage.
Information about UWL and the Surrounding Region
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a top-rated, comprehensive University of Wisconsin campus, located in the beautiful Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. Known for scholarship, academic rigor, physical activity and a close-knit community, UWL remains dedicated to its century-old mission to train the whole person — “the mind and body.”
UWL has earned a strong reputation nationally for factors such as graduation rates, return on investment and great outcomes for low-income students. It is the No. 2 public college in Wisconsin on Forbes’ 2023 America’s Top Colleges list. And it is Wisconsin’s top-ranked public university with fewer than 25,000 students, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of the Best National Universities.
UWL offers 130-plus degree programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels in the arts, social sciences and humanities; science and health; business; and education. UWL has three colleges: the College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Humanities, the College of Business Administration, and the College of Science & Health, as well as the School of Education and the School of Visual & Performing Arts. UWL has about 447 full-time faculty and instructional academic staff, including 82% with doctoral or terminal degrees.
UWL has strong student success programs that have contributed to a strong retention rate. This fall, students returned to UWL at one of the highest rates on record with 86.5% of the 2022-23 first-year class retained — the highest mark in a decade and the fifth-highest mark in the past 50 years.
UW-La Crosse’s strategic plan Sustaining Excellence continues to move our community forward through its four pillars: increasing community engagement, achieving excellence through equity and diversity, investing in our people, and advancing transformational education. More information about the ongoing work of Sustaining Excellence is available at www.uwlax.edu/info/strategic-plan.
The UW-La Crosse campus is in southwestern Wisconsin, nestled in a residential area of the City of La Crosse and positioned as part of a larger metro area with a population close to 140,000. The area, known as the 7 Rivers Region, is famous for its exceptional natural beauty, which includes the Mississippi River on one side, majestic bluffs on the other, and views of rolling farmland and forested valleys in between. Abundant water, woodlands and varying terrain provide ample opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation. Only a couple of hours from Minneapolis or Madison, La Crosse enjoys the affordability and charm of small- town living with larger city benefits. Three colleges, two world-class medical institutions, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, a restored 19th century downtown business district, and a number of galleries and art centers have made La Crosse a regional center for culture, entertainment, medical care, shopping, sports and recreation. More information about the La Crosse metro area can be found at Explore La Crosse and Choose La Crosse.
Learn more about UW-La Crosse here: https://www.uwlax.edu/human-resources/services/talent-acquisition-and-employment/finalist-welcome/

AA/EO Statement
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. We strongly encourage women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans to apply. UWL, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status.
DEI Statement
UW-La Crosse’s diversity and inclusion efforts are guided by our adherence to Inclusive Excellence. We define Inclusive Excellence as “… our active, intentional and ongoing commitment to bridge differences with understanding and respect so all can thrive." The goals of Inclusive Excellence are to increase the retention of diverse faculty, staff and students while encouraging a campus climate that is inviting and welcoming to all. UW-La Crosse strives to promote acceptance of all facets of diversity from racial/ethnic diversity to diversity of thought and experience. UW-La Crosse ranks 6th nationally among the Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges for 2018-19 by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
For the UWL Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see https://www.uwlax.edu/police/annual-security-report/ or contact the University Police Department at 608.785.9999.
SOE Affiliation No
Division/College College of Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities
Description of College / Department / Program / Division / Unit
The College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CASSH) includes departments and programs in the humanities, social sciences and interdisciplinary studies, as well departments in the School of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). CASSH/VPA continues the established liberal studies tradition of providing curricula leading to the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree.
CASSH/VPA is dedicated to providing quality innovative instruction and creative learning experiences which prepares students for future careers and education. More broadly, such learning allows students to continue to develop meaningful, responsible lives. Graduates of the college will have developed the ability to communicate effectively, to think critically, to conduct sound research, to understand complex issues, to use knowledge in all aspects of life, to participate meaningfully as global citizens, and to discover and apply carefully considered values.
CASSH/VPA faculty and staff are committed to maintaining academic integrity and high ethical standards. CASSH/VPA, through its faculty, students, and curricula, also is dedicated to advancing cultural diversity. Furthermore, by developing partnerships and encouraging professional connections, the college works diligently to establish its membership in the broader community.
The academic community within the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities and School of Visual and Performing Arts supports a strong general education program, nurtures exceptional disciplinary programs, and creates innovative interdisciplinary and international programs, which together promote lifelong personal and professional learning for every individual who comes through their programs.

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