"Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media"

The Department of Cinema and Media at Oberlin College invites applications for a full-time tenure track faculty position in Media Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences beginning Fall 2026. This is an open-field search for candidates with training in the humanistic study of media and expertise in one or more of the following areas: the history and theory of media transition from film to video to digital, streaming and video sharing platforms, media industry studies, gaming, and digital media and the public sphere. This candidate will have the opportunity to help redesign the department’s foundational media studies course (CIME 211 What is Media?), offer courses in their areas of expertise, and teach courses in media studies at all levels of the curriculum. Our department welcomes a diverse set of methodologies and perspectives.

Oberlin is situated on the outskirts of Cleveland, combining a cozy small-town atmosphere with the cultural amenities of a major city. The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cinematheque, Karamu House, several educational institutions, and scores of restaurants, bars, music venues, and theaters add to the cultural and educational opportunities of the region. The incumbent will teach the standard load (4.5 courses per year) in media studies at all levels of the curriculum. The incumbent will also be expected to engage in sustained scholarly research and/or other creative work appropriate to the position and participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including academic advising, mentoring undergraduate research, and service on committees. The Department and the College actively support new faculty with mentoring and professional development opportunities, including a paid pre-tenure leave for those on the standard six-year tenure track, startup support, and internal grants for conference travel and research.

One of the first programs of its kind at a liberal arts college, the Cinema and Media Department at Oberlin College introduces students to the craft, history, and cultural meaning of cinema, television, and digital media. Students work with faculty mentors and with their peers to make nonfiction, animation, experimental, and live-action fiction films (digital and celluloid) of professional quality. They also study the history and theory of cinema and media within a campus community that prizes public engagement with pressing questions of history and contemporary culture, learning better to navigate the complexities of the 21st-century media landscape. The Cinema and Media Department resides above the historic Apollo Theatre (1913), and includes sound stages, green screens, animation rooms, editing suites, and classrooms.

Qualifications: Among the qualifications required for appointment is the Ph.D. degree (in hand or expected by the first semester of the academic year 2026). Candidates must demonstrate commitment to and potential excellence in undergraduate teaching. Review of applications will begin on October 10, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Completed applications received by the October 10 deadline will be guaranteed full consideration. Questions about the position can be addressed to: gpingree@oberlin.edu or Geoff Pingree, Chair of the Department of Cinema and Media.