Assistant Professor of the Practice, Communications

Fairfield University is a co-educational, comprehensive Jesuit university with a 200-acre campus located along the scenic shoreline community of Fairfield, CT. The University is comprised of approximately 3,500 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students pursuing degrees within 5 schools: The College of Arts and Sciences, The Charles F. Dolan School of Business, The School of Engineering, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, and School of Education and Human Development. As an expression of our Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity, Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values.

Job Description:

Fairfield University’s Department of Communication invites applications for an Assistant Professor of the Practice in Communication to join the faculty cohort of the new Fairfield Bellarmine initiative that is set to launch in Fall 2023. Fairfield Bellarmine is a new two-year Associates degree program of Fairfield University.

Located at the Bridgeport, CT campus of Fairfield University, Bellarmine seeks to expand access to a rigorous liberal arts education by offering small class sizes and individualized advising. The curriculum will include core classes steeped in the humanities, as is traditional in Jesuit higher education, as well as majors in professional fields of engineering, health studies, business, and liberal arts. Students who graduate from this program will matriculate into four-year degree programs at Fairfield or elsewhere, or enter directly into the professions. While at Fairfield-Bellarmine, students will enjoy extensive support services, including career advising, counseling, food service, technology support, and campus ministry.

In addition to an attractive compensation package, this position comes with the opportunity to help build a new academic program that is at the forefront of improving access to liberal education. As a new institution, Fairfield Bellarmine offers faculty an opportunity to experiment and develop initiatives that advance our educational mission.

Professors of the Practice have teaching, advising, and service commitments; they are eligible for promotion and for professional development funds. Faculty will be members of the Communication department of Fairfield University’s College of Arts & Sciences and assigned primary teaching responsibilities at the Bellarmine campus. They will be joining an established faculty of 11 tenure track and tenured faculty and one other Professor of Practice. The Department offers three undergraduate degrees (Communication, PR, and Sports Media) and a growing MA program. The undergraduate major remains one of the largest on campus. Review will begin February 15, 2023.

Over the course of nine months, the selected individual will have a 3/4 teaching load. Primary responsibilities include teaching foundational communication courses, such as Public Speaking. The individual selected for this position will demonstrate commitment to serving a diverse student body, including underserved, minority, and first-generation college students. The successful candidate will exhibit experience with active-learning teaching methods and enthusiasm for and commitment to undergraduate teaching and advising. In their roles as mentors, candidates must be willing to engage students beyond formal classroom experiences and demonstrate skill in empowering young people to become agents of their own development. Candidates with experience teaching in community colleges are encouraged to apply. Candidates must also demonstrate and understanding and appreciation for the Jesuit mission and values within higher education.

Required qualifications include: a PhD degree in Communication, with a record of teaching excellence including documented evidence of teaching and mentoring diverse student populations. The successful candidate must provide evidence of a commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching at the introductory levels and dedication to program development. The successful candidate will provide documented evidence of co-curricular mentorship experiences with students of this age group.

Position to begin September 1, 2023. For full consideration, please click “Apply Now” and upload the following materials: (1) a letter of interest, (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a teaching statement which also addresses qualifications, experiences, and/or a commitment to working with this student population, and (4) the names and contact information of three individuals prepared to provide professional references. Candidates may forward inquiries and additional materials related to their qualifications to: communicationsearch@fairfield.edu.

The above information indicates the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, activities, and/or qualifications required or expected of employees assigned to this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change and new ones may be assigned at any time, with or without notice.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory background check.

Fairfield University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, committed to excellence through diversity, and, in this spirit, particularly welcomes applications from women, persons of color, Veterans, and members of historically underrepresented groups. The University will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with a disability.

For more information about Fairfield Bellarmine, consult our website: www.fairfield.edu/bellarmine

Category:

Academic - Faculty Non-Tenure Track

Performs such other duties, responsibilities, and activities as required by supervisor and as departmental/University needs indicate.

*Disclaimer

The above information indicates the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, activities, and/or qualifications required or expected of employees assigned to this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change and new ones may be assigned at any time, with or without notice.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory background check.

Fairfield University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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