Assistant or Associate Professor of Public Relations (Communications)

Assistant or Associate Professor of Public Relations (Communications)

Position Number: F00237P
Position Type: Faculty
Position Category: Fulltime Faculty
Driver Classification: Non Driver
City: Richmond
Division: Academic Affairs/Provost
Department: College of Letters, Arts & Soc Sci
Unit: Communication
Contact Person: Ida Kumoji-Ankrah
Funding Source: Institutional

About the College/Department:
Eastern Kentucky University is a regional, coeducational, public institution of higher education offering general and liberal arts programs, pre-professional and professional training in education and various other fields at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky, EKU has a distinguished record of more than a century of educational service to the Commonwealth. Eastern Kentucky University is committed to access, equal opportunity, dignity, respect, and inclusion for all people, as integral to a learning environment in which intellectual creativity and diversity thrives.

Situated near the heart of the Bluegrass, Richmond is served by a network of major highways that make EKU easily accessible from all parts of Kentucky and surrounding states. Richmond is 26 miles southeast of Lexington, Kentucky. Interstate Highways I-75 (north-south) and I-64 (east-west) make the metropolitan areas of Cincinnati, 112 miles to the north, and Louisville, 110 miles to the west, within convenient distance by automobile. Richmond is also served by U.S. Route 25 from Southeastern Kentucky and Kentucky Route 52 from the east and west. The Bluegrass, Mountain, Daniel Boone, and Cumberland Parkways provide even greater accessibility by automobile since the city is located near the convergence of these arterial highways into the interstate system.

EKU is dedicated to high-quality instruction, scholarship, and service, and places emphasis on the three in that order. Through its colleges and schools, the University seeks to offer quality instruction at a variety of degree levels in general education, the arts, the sciences, business, education, pre-professional and professional areas, and applied and technical disciplines. Through consultative services, continuing education, and the extended campus, the University seeks to provide service to the community and the region. Research seeks both to advance knowledge in the subject matter areas with which the University is concerned and to support the primary function of teaching.


Position Summary:
The Institute for Creative and Collaborative Arts: Art, Communication, Music, and Design at Eastern Kentucky University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in Public Relations/Communication beginning in August of 2021.
The Institute seeks a dynamic and innovative individual in Communication. The candidate will teach in a comprehensive undergraduate BA degree program. The EKU BA program in Public Relations is certified by the Public Relations Society of America and is the second-longest-running program in the world to hold this distinction. We are looking for candidates who wish to participate in a collaborative community that fosters independent thought and creativity and embraces the diversity of cultural expression.
Teaching responsibilities will include teaching introductory to upper-level courses in public relations and communication. All faculty in the program teach courses in both their areas of expertise and courses that meet the needs of our communication degree programs. Faculty at the Institute work collaboratively across campus, embrace experiential learning, and seek vital connections at the intersection of theory and practice.
As a tenure-track faculty member, successful candidates must have professional and academic experience in some combination of the following areas: public relations, advertising, interactive and social media promotions, digital communication strategies and tactics, and related aspects of management and marketing in communication.
Successful candidates will also help craft a comprehensive curriculum for the BA program in Public Relations, grounded in innovative multi-platform content. This multifaceted curriculum will align with rapidly changing fields of public relations and the opportunities that technological developments offer students and faculty.

Responsibilities
● The successful candidate will teach courses in introductory to upper-level courses in public relations and communication courses.
● Curriculum development of courses at the department level.
● Ability to provide leadership in the program.
● Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) advising.
● Active participant in Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR).
● Active membership in Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
● Continued engagement in professional and scholarly activity.
● Service and outreach - departmental, college, and university committees and initiatives, including advising of students and community engagement.
● Building community partnerships (external internships) and supervise candidates in field internship placements.
● Collegial participation in departmental, college, and discipline-specific professional activities.


Minimum Qualifications:
● Ph.D. in Communication or related field from an accredited or internationally recognized institution.
● University teaching experience.
● Ongoing effective teaching, service, and scholarship/creative activity.
● Fluency with technology-based teaching and communication platforms.
● Prior e-learning and learning management system (LMS) experience (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, Sakai, Moodle).
● Strong verbal and written communication skills.
● Ability to present information clearly, concisely, and accurately.
● Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.


Desired Qualifications:
● Professional public relations experience.
● Experience recognizing public relations trends and devising a strong public relations curriculum
● Active research agenda in public relations


Posting Number: F00237P
Number of Vacancies: 1
Job Open Date: 03/30/2021
Application Review Date: 05/01/2021
Job Close Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes

Special Instructions Summary:
Complete online applications must include:
● Letter of application including interest in position
● Curriculum vitae
● Copies of official academic transcripts (originals will be requested from finalists)
● Three confidential letters of reference sent under separate cover to John.Fitch@eku.edu
● Teaching and Research philosophy
● Any additional relevant documentation


AA/EEO Statement:
Eastern Kentucky University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educational institution and does not discriminate on the basis of age (40 and over), race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, ethnicity, disability, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information in the admission to, or participation in, any educational program or activity (e.g., athletics, academics and housing) which it conducts or any employment policy or practice.


Background Check Statement:
Offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory background check.


Document Link:

To apply, visit https://jobs.eku.edu/postings/16104

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