Assistant Professor of Practice in Documentary Expression

About the role

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture (CSSC), founded in 1977, investigates, documents, interprets, and teaches about the U.S. South through academic inquiry, publications, documentary studies of film, photography, and oral history, and public outreach programs. Its cross-disciplinary Southern Studies faculty and undergraduate and graduate degree programs (MA and MFA) form the core of its work, incorporating traditional disciplines of the arts, humanities, and social sciences into an interdisciplinary framework. The Center supports research by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and visiting scholars. Located in Oxford, Mississippi—a vibrant literary, musical, and arts‑focused community ranked among the best college towns in the U.S. (ESPN named Oxford the single best college town in America in 2021)—the University of Mississippi, founded in 1848, is the state's flagship institution, ranked among the nation's fastest‑growing universities, holds an R‑1 Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification, and serves approximately 24,000 students (24% students of color, 4% international from over 80 countries). The Southern Documentary Project (SouthDocs) seeks an Assistant Professor of Practice in Documentary Expression with a specific interest in documenting African American experiences. The appointment welcomes critical storytellers whose creative work centers on Black American and African Diasporic cultures, histories, and identities through informed practices and ethics, honoring lived experiences and models of cocreation with a demonstrated understanding of the Black media canon. SouthDocs, an institute of the CSSC, tells stories from the U.S. South, increases civic and cultural engagement, and trains the next generation of storytellers in the Center’s academic programs. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, the appointee will actively contribute to the Center’s mission through creating original and collaborative work. This permanent nine‑month, non‑tenure track position carries a 2+2 teaching load with a clear path for advancement and promotion. With this hire, SouthDocs aims to deepen its commitment to regional diversity, acknowledging the institution’s difficult history regarding access and embracing its obligation to educate and lead the state toward complicating shared narratives.

Responsibilities

• 2+2 teaching load with advising responsibilities; work directly with students in the classroom and in the field.
• Create original documentary projects (individually and collaboratively) utilizing photography, audio, oral history, video, or mixed media. See examples of our work at http://southdocs.org/.
• Ensure accountability for and ethical representation of people and places you choose to document.
• Design and present technical and theory‑based workshops or classes and provide constructive feedback related to documentary storytelling and related media.
• Engage community partners and build long‑term relationships through impact‑driven storytelling and programs. See examples at https://southdocs.org/project/movementstartshere/ and https://www.southernfoodways.org/features/the-farish-street-project/.
• Lead and inspire conversations on campus and in the community with your work through exhibitions, panel discussions, film screenings, etc.

Qualifications

• Master of Fine Arts degree related to visual or audio storytelling, documentary studies, or other relevant fields.
• Teaching or instructional experience in lens‑based media, audio production, documentary studies, or multimedia storytelling.
• Ability to work as a team member responsible for multiple duties in collaborative projects.