Assistant Professor, Mass Communication (Filmmaking)

Position Overview: The University of Montevallo College of Fine Arts invites applications and nominations for a full-time tenure-track faculty position in Mass Communication to teach a 4/4 load of undergraduate courses in digital filmmaking, scriptwriting, media production, film theory, and the Digital Filmmaking Capstone to prepare students for jobs in industry film productions. The appointment begins August 2023. The successful candidate will be responsible for forging relationships with the growing Alabama film industry as well as developing curricula for film-related degree programs. The University seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.  The successful applicant will be a dedicated teacher, active scholar, and effective mentor for students with diverse backgrounds, preparation for college, and career goals.

This position also requires:

· Clear evidence of effective teaching and an established ability to engage with students at all levels

· Clear evidence of valuing the diversity of the student population in their pedagogy

· Scholarly/creative productivity and support of the experiential portfolio in the Mass Communication program

· Participation in advising, recruitment and retention initiatives, service, and committee work, specifically to assist in growing the program.

Program overview: The Mass Communication program is part of the Department of Communication, which is housed in Strong Hall, a state-of-the-art facility with industry-standard equipment. The Department’s full-time faculty of nine (4 Mass Comm, 5 Communication Studies) serves approximately 124 undergraduate majors (74 MC) in B.A. and B.S. degree programs.

The Mass Communication major and Digital Filmmaking minor employ a practical, hands-on approach to produce content for a variety of platforms. Students who successfully complete the Digital Filmmaking minor will also receive a Certificate in Digital Filmmaking which is endorsed exclusively by the Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) Office. The University of Montevallo is the first university in Alabama to award certification in the field of digital filmmaking.

Campus Overview: With an enrollment of approximately 2,600, UM is Alabama’s designated public liberal arts university, offering baccalaureate, master’s, and education specialist degree programs with an emphasis on high-quality innovative teaching. 

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. or M.F.A. in mass communication or digital filmmaking and a minimum of three years of professional filmmaking experience. ABD candidates will be considered. Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud applications is preferred.

Nominations and inquiries should be directed to Dr. Jay Cofield, search committee chair, at cofieldj@montevallo.edu. Applicants should apply online at https://jobs.montevallo.edu. Materials to be submitted include a current curriculum vitae, references, teaching philosophy statement, examples of teaching effectiveness (e.g., course evaluations or peer observations), and examples of films written, directed, and/or edited.

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.