Theater Associate Jobs in Minooka, IL (NOW HIRING)

Salary: See Position Description
Location : Aurora, IL
Job Type: Adjunct Faculty
Job Number: 202500157
College/School: College of Liberal Arts and Business - School of Humanities
Department: Theatre
Opening Date: 10/17/2025
Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.
AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples' lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.
We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.
At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found
Position Purpose:
Aurora University seeks talented adjunct faculty who are passionate about teaching and learning. Adjunct faculty are qualified part-time instructors offered teaching opportunities based on course demand and staffing.
Academic Year 25-26
The Theatre Department at Aurora University invites applications from creative and community-minded theatre artists for a pool of Adjunct Faculty to teach courses in a variety of disciplines within theatre. Successful candidates will demonstrate significant professional experience and a record of effective teaching in one or more areas of theatre practice, such as acting, improvisation, directing, dramaturgy, script analysis, scenic design, lighting design, costume design, sound design, media design, stage management, playwriting, LatinX theatre, or devised, experimental, and immersive theatre. Candidates should be able to translate their professional expertise into engaging, student-centered instruction that supports the department's pedagogical goals.
Essential Job Functions:
AU Adjunct faculty should be present and engaged in courses by doing the following:

• Engage students through multiple instructional methods, such as demonstrations, discussions, hands-on projects, and field experiences.
• Facilitate courses in person at the Aurora campus.
• Meet weekly grading deadlines and maintain up-to-date grade books.
• Be responsive to student email messages and requests for assistance.
• Provide mentorship in the discipline and content expertise.
• Respond to all university and departmental requests, emails, messages, and correspondence.

Essential Job Requirements:

• MFA in Theatre or other terminal degree.
• Professional theatrical experience.
• Demonstrated teaching experience at the collegiate level preferred.
• Strong ability to mentor and supervise students in a hands-on learning environment.

Skills:
The anticipated pay rate for this position is $1,100 per credit hour. This compensation is subject to change at the sole discretion of the university, based on institutional needs.
The pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted amount the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final pay rate will not be below the lowest pay rate listed herein.
Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.
Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
This position is not eligible for benefits.
01
Which statement below best describes the highest level of education you have completed?

• High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (GED)
• Associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Professional degree
• Doctorate degree
• Doctor of Philosophy

02
How many years of prior teaching experience, at the collegiate level, do you have?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year of experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of experience
• 2 years but less than 3 years experience
• 3 or more years of experience

03
How many years of professional theatrical experience do you have?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year of experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of experience
• 2 years but less than 3 years experience
• 3 or more years of experience

04
Do you understand that this position is not remote and will require you to be onsite or work in a hybrid capacity within the Chicagoland area?

• Yes
• No

Required Question