Director of Los Angeles Programs, Arizona State University

Title; Director of Los Angeles Programs

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University seeks an academic leader to helm the school’s students, faculty, programs and scholarship at its Los Angeles campus.

The Cronkite School, a global leader in mass communication education, has expanded its Los Angeles footprint with the launch of the ASU California Center, a flagship campus anchored by the former Herald Examiner Building in Downtown Los Angeles. The campus is home to the Cronkite School’s MS in Digital Audience Strategy and MA in Narrative and Emerging Media degrees; continuing education and community programming; multiple studios and editing rooms; and a newsroom, among other academic and nonacademic programs. The Cronkite School seeks a dynamic faculty member to lead the unit’s Los Angeles programs and presence, advancing the school’s mission in the world’s media apex.

The director will lead Cronkite’s LA-based academic programs, including program administration, ensuring instructional standards, hiring faculty associates (adjuncts), and driving student recruitment and retention. The director will also develop nonacademic programming, including co-curricular and community events, and create continuing and executive education opportunities that engage the LA media community. The director will forge partnerships with LA media organizations, and nurture philanthropic relationships.

The ideal candidate is an academic leader with a strong LA media network, and experience administering academic programs; hiring and supporting faculty and staff; and driving student success.

Candidates must either demonstrate a strong research agenda that advances knowledge within mass communication, and the capacity to generate funding and contribute research commensurate with an R1 research institution, or a distinguished professional career in media with at least ten years’ experience. The Cronkite School seeks candidates with research and teaching interests across mass communication, but is especially interested in expertise in immersive media (AR/VR) and digital marketing—the two disciplines anchored in Los Angeles.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, 12-month appointment with an open tenure or tenure-track academic rank of “assistant professor,” “associate professor” or “professor,” or a non-tenure-track rank of “professor of practice.” Applicants pursuing a tenure or tenure-track rank must have a relevant terminal degree at the time of appointment.

Essential Duties

1. Lead delivery and administration of Los Angeles-based degrees in collaboration with School leadership
2. Hire, manage and evaluate faculty associates (adjuncts) Lead partnerships with LA media organizations
3. Collaborate with school leadership to drive student recruitment goals and LA-specific strategy, and work with a dedicated LA graduate recruiter to meet or exceed recruitment benchmarks.
4. Oversee LA-based student success and academic advising staff and initiatives
5. Nurture development opportunities and key philanthropic partnerships
6. Teach between 1 and 2 courses in the fall, spring and summer semesters in the digital marketing or immersive media discipline
7. Foster a learning culture that inspires strategic communication students with relevant content, tools and techniques.
8. Conduct a program of impactful research or significant creative output in keeping with the rigors of an R1 institution
9. Engage in service to students and the Cronkite School, including student mentorship, committee work and guest speaking.
10. Lead nonacademic programming, including speaker series, co-curricular and community events, and continuing and executive education opportunities
11. Serve as a disciplinary thought leader, proactively staying abreast of new strategic communication techniques and technology updates; curating exemplars of superior research and professional work; and highlighting superb student work.
12. Collaborate with school leadership and faculty to develop curricula. Liaise with the university and the Cronkite School on facilities, technology, equipment, space and budget
13. Nurture executive education opportunities and act as on-ground point person for logistics and programming
14. Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Applicants must have at least a Master’s degree at the time of appointment; those candidates seeking a tenure-track or tenured appointment must have a doctoral degree in journalism, mass communication, media studies, or other relevant discipline at the time of appointment, or a terminal degree in another field with a record of published scholarship related to the focus of the position.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in academic administration and leadership, including faculty oversight
• Evidence of a robust media network in Los Angeles
• Experience coordinating and delivering academic programs, including student recruitment, curriculum delivery and student services
• Demonstrated experience in partnership development and fundraising
• Experience teaching digital marketing or immersive media technologies and techniques to others at the undergraduate or graduate level
• An active, relevant research agenda and a publication record aligned with the rigors of an R1 institution (research faculty only)
• ​​Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in both professional practices and as a contributor to an inclusive working and learning environment

About the Cronkite School

The Cronkite School is widely recognized as one of the nation’s premier mass communications programs. Rooted in the time-honored values that characterize its namesake—accuracy, responsibility, integrity—the school fosters excellence and ethics among students as they master the professional skills they need to succeed in the digital media world of today and tomorrow.

Located on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus in the heart of the nation’s fifth-largest city, the School has 70 full-time faculty members, more than 100 full-time professional staff and annual resources of more than $40 million. The Cronkite faculty is made up of award-winning professional journalists, strategic communications specialists and world-class media scholars. Cronkite professors include five Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, digital media thought leaders, top TV producers and correspondents, major metropolitan newspaper editors and strategic communications experts.

 More than 2,500 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students are enrolled at Cronkite, in person and online, preparing for careers in journalism, strategic media and related communications fields. Of the undergraduate residential student population, more than 60% come from out-of-state and more than 37% are students of color. The retention rate consistently exceeds 90%, and Cronkite students regularly lead the country in national competitions.

 About Arizona State University

 ASU is one of the largest and most innovative public research universities in the country, undertaking a bold reinvention of higher education as a New American University. With four campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area, it serves more than 127,000 students on campus and online. For the past six years, it has been ranked No. 1 for innovation by U.S. News & World Report.

 In the last decade, ASU has developed numerous new programs and units that bridge disciplinary boundaries to enable the exploration and discovery of new knowledge, while developing practical solutions to serve Arizona and the world at large. The university has strong and simultaneous commitments to educational access, excellence, and impact, and assumes significant responsibility for the cultural, social and economic vitality of its surrounding communities.

About the ASU California Center

At ASU’s flagship Los Angeles campus, students can access internships and learning opportunities only available in a global city, and world-class faculty and innovative media projects only available at the Cronkite School. The California Center hosts the L.A. Content Studio, where students build their own content brands and produce content for existing brands, and Cronkite News‘ L.A. Bureau, where digital and broadcast students create award-winning news and sports content. The building is also home to Cronkite’s MS in Digital Strategy degree program—a graduate degree that nurtures digital marketing leaders—and the MA in Narrative and Emerging Media, which develops storytellers specializing in AR, VR and emerging media techniques.

The heart of ASU’s California Center campus is the flagship Herald Examiner Building, located at 11th Street and Broadway. Commissioned by William Randolph Hearst and designed by architect Julia Morgan, the building has stood in downtown L.A. since 1914. For decades, the building housed the Hearst Corporation’s Herald Examiner newspaper; now, it’s home to the L.A. Content Studio, Cronkite News’ L.A. Bureau, as well as video/audio editing bays, a broadcast studio, a 3D studio, classrooms, a two-story event space and more.

Application Instructions

Submission materials must include:

1. A cover letter stating qualifications
2. Curriculum vitae or resume
3. Contact information (name, address, email, telephone number) for three professional references
4. A diversity statement that addresses their experience and commitment to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion over the course of their careers and outlines how they would advance DEI goals at the Cronkite School. The statement should be no longer than 500 words.

The applicant’s name should appear in each uploaded file name. Cover letters may be addressed to the Search Committee Chair, Jessica Pucci. Questions about the position should be directed to the search committee chair at: jepucci@asu.edu

 Application deadline is May 31, 2023. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled. Applicants must apply online at:  http://apply.interfolio.com/124128

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement. A background check is required for employment. Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

(See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.)

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources.  ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf  You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

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