Assistant Professor of Acting

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Portland State University

Position Details Proposed

Start Date:

09/16/2026
Rank: C - Assistant Professor

Working Title:

Assistant Professor of Acting
Position Number: D99239
Representation: AU - AAUP Faculty Type
Tenure Track:
Fixed Term End Date:
Position FTE 1.0
Term of Service: 9 month

The School of Music & Theater is located in the Portland cultural district, home of the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Opera, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Portland Art Museum, and the Northwest Film Center. It maintains close ties with the major musical institutions of the city, and students have many opportunities to interact with professionals in the community.

Faculty members in the School of Music & Theater are internationally recognized performers, directors, designers, conductors, composers and scholars.

Portland State University is not only the largest institution of higher education in Oregon, but with a 25% minority student population, it is also the most diverse. The urban location and mission of the University allows students to pursue innovative options in their theatrical and musical education. The city is noted for its numerous cafes, pubs, theaters, restaurants, bookstores, and its public transportation.

Hiking, mountain biking, skiing, sailing, windsurfing, and kayaking are all accessible within minutes of Portland.

The Portland State University School of Music & Theater seeks a full-time, tenure-track artist-teacher at the Assistant Professor level to lead the acting area, teach introductory through advanced courses in acting, plus core major and elective courses such as Introduction to Theater and Script Analysis.

The successful candidate will bring vision, rigor, and innovation to the program. They should have a primary specialization in acting, the ability to teach a range of acting styles and methodologies at all levels, significant professional experience, a record of outstanding teaching, and strong knowledge of dramatic literature from the Greeks through Shakespeare to contemporary works. We particularly value candidates who integrate the conventional canon with theater of the Global Majority, non-Western performance traditions, and/or experimental approaches to performance.

• MFA in acting or related field
• Demonstrated higher-education teaching experience in acting and/or related areas
• Significant acting experience in a variety of professional theaters
• Experience and training in Global Majority, non-Western performance traditions, and/or experimental approaches to performance
• Experience in and ability to teach at least two to three additional performance specialties, such as:

• Experience and training in directing and/or producing
• Demonstrated interest in working with a broad range of student populations
• Experience collaborating across music, dance, film, and/or digital media
• Demonstrated leadership and administrative potential

• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement
• Adheres to all PSU's policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.

At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct.

Salary is dependent on several factors, and new employees will typically start around the Q1 level to allow for later growth within the salary band. PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity.

The starting annual salary for this position will be $76,239 but may be negotiated above this rate dependent upon the factors above, the budget of the hiring department, and approval from HR.

An excellent benefits…