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Assistant Professor of Communication Studies - Tenure Track

Employer
Southwestern University
Location
Texas, United States
Salary
Competitive Salary
Date posted
Nov 20, 2020

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Position Type
Faculty Positions, Communications, Media Studies
Employment Level
Tenured/Tenured Track
Employment Type
Full Time

Southwestern University.  The Department of Communication Studies invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in Critical Media Studies beginning Fall of 2021. Faculty at Southwestern work within a teacher-scholar model and are expected to teach a standard course load of five courses per year (either 2-3 or 3-2) and maintain an active research agenda that leads to peer-reviewed publications in the field as well as participate in university governance, departmental collaboration, and academic advising. We are particularly interested in recruiting a departmental colleague whose approach to teaching media studies emphasizes inclusive, critical pedagogical lenses and applies social justice perspectives.

Ideal candidates will utilize critical and/or qualitative research methods and demonstrate an ability to develop and teach elective courses in critical media studies in the area of emerging and/or social media and at the intersections of media studies and rhetoric. Ideally, these courses would complement, but not substantially overlap, our existing expertise in public memory, space/place studies, visual/material communication, gender, sex/sexuality, queer/quare studies, performance studies, women’s rights, race, Southern studies, surveillance, criminality, and mediated representations of Muslims. We are especially interested in new courses and/or research agendas focused on new, emerging, and/or social media as it may relate to dimensions of anti-colonialism, affect theory, disability, environmental concerns, health, political discourse, publics/counterpublics, race and whiteness, queer theory, and closely allied topics (see our website for more details on our existing electives).

In addition to the electives developed in the candidate’s area of expertise, other teaching responsibilities will include some combination of core courses in the major. Our new colleague will be responsible for rotating with us to teach Critical/Cultural Communication Studies (our introductory communication studies course that explores rhetoric and media studies), Media and Culture, Critical/Cultural Research Methods, and Capstone Research Seminar. All of these core courses emphasize critical and qualitative methodologies in rhetoric and media studies. Candidates should have an appreciation for and commitment to undergraduate teaching in a liberal arts environment, a record of excellence and creativity in the classroom, and a demonstrated dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through teaching and mentorship. 

Candidates who have the ability to bridge communication studies with other interdisciplinary programs are encouraged to apply. We especially encourage applications from those able to contribute to the university’s strong interdisciplinary programs in Race and Ethnicity Studies, Latin America and Border Studies, Environmental Studies, Feminist Studies, and a variety of other interdisciplinary minors. In keeping with Southwestern University’s commitment to diversity, the department is especially interested in attracting candidates from underrepresented minority groups, particularly those with demonstrated commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion.  

The ideal candidate will have received a Ph.D. in Communication, or a closely allied and/or interdisciplinary field and have had extensive coursework in Communication Studies.

Southwestern University is a selective, undergraduate institution committed to a broad-based liberal arts, sciences and fine arts education.  Southwestern currently enrolls approximately 1,500 students and maintains a student to faculty ratio of 12 to 1.  The University’s endowment ranks well among national undergraduate institutions of its size.  In addition to a number of other national organizations, Southwestern University is a member of two consortia of premier liberal arts colleges, the Associated Colleges of the South and the Annapolis Group.  Affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Southwestern University is located in historic Georgetown, Texas, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, and is 28 miles north of Austin.  Southwestern University is committed to fostering a diverse educational environment and encourages applications from members of groups traditionally underrepresented in academia.  For information concerning the University, visit our website at www.southwestern.edu.

For additional information about the department, please visit our webpage at www.southwestern.edu/departments/communication.

Interested candidates should upload an application letter, curriculum vitae, detailed evidence of teaching excellence, transcripts, and three confidential letters of recommendation to Interfolio. The application letter should address the candidate’s interest in undergraduate teaching; their commitment to inclusive pedagogy; their experience with, and commitment to, diversity, equity, and inclusivity; their ideas for new elective courses; and their larger research agenda. All materials must be uploaded to Interfolio at apply.interfolio.com/80407.  No materials will be accepted in hard copy or via email. The entirety of the interview process will be conducted virtually.

The deadline for submission of materials is December 1, 2020. All materials must be received before that date for full consideration. Initial interviews will be conducted by phone. All offers of employment are contingent on successful completion of the University’s Background Check Policy process. Southwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EOE/M/F.

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