Professor and Department Chair of Communication

Professor and Department Chair of Communication

College of Arts & Sciences

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The College of Arts & Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites

applications for Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication. The Department of

Communication is one of 44 departments and curricula in the College of Arts & Sciences. As

the largest unit on campus, the College of Arts and Sciences forms the academic core of the

Carolina experience. Through teaching, research, and service, the Department of Communication

addresses how communication functions to create, sustain, and transform personal life, social

relations, political institutions, economic organizations, and cultural and aesthetic conventions in

society.

Recognized for significant contributions to the profession, University, state, and nation;

the Department houses a Ph.D. program, a major in Communication, an interdisciplinary major

in Cultural Studies, and a minor in Writing for the Screen and Stage. It serves as the intellectual

home for 25 faculty members, 45 graduate students, and over 600 undergraduates. The

Department’s doctoral program offers a theoretically rich, interdisciplinary, problem-based

approach to education and research that enables graduate students to define their own research in

response to the changing demands of a constantly evolving communicative and cultural world.

The Department’s undergraduate major features four structured concentrations: interpersonal and

organizational communication; media and technology studies and production; performance

studies; and rhetoric. Each concentration offers the Department’s majors, as well as the hundreds

of pan-University non-majors, a set of critical capacities that contribute to an engaged, creative,

and critical 21st-century citizen.

Reporting to the senior associate dean for fine arts and humanities, serving as the department’s

academic leader and lead administrative officer, the chair will be called upon to: create an

environment that facilitates an effective shared vision; proactively lead department academic,

research and service activities; promote an inclusive and culturally competent environment with

a strong commitment to recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, staff and students; promote,

recognize and reward faculty research, excellence in teaching and mentoring, and excellence in

service; provide programs and opportunities for students to develop research and leadership

skills; effectively link programs within the department to the broader college and university

missions; foster a culture of high-impact interdisciplinary research and collaboration within the

college; build partnerships and alliances across the university; provide leadership in developing

external partnerships and fundraising in support of the department's mission and goals; continue

a nationally and internationally recognized research program; demonstrate strong abilities in

teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; and facilitate student recruitment, budget

administration, and personnel management.

The successful candidate (“they”) must be eligible for appointment at the rank of full professor

with tenure, including a Ph.D. or recognized equivalent They must have a national reputation in

Communication or an adjacent field with an outstanding record of research, teaching, and

service. The successful candidate must be able to articulate an innovative vision of

communication for the 21st century that reflects the department’s commitment to engagement,

creativity, and critique. They will be a relationship builder and advocate with a proven capacity

to persuade a wide range of audiences and guide the implementation of their vision. They will be

a collaborative and creative leader who is collegial and supportive with a commitment to the

promotion of diversity. They will have demonstrated administrative management experience,

including an ability to balance the priorities of multiple stakeholders. The successful candidate

must have a demonstrated commitment to developing the excellence of communication faculty,

as well as recruiting and supporting promising students, maintaining strong relationships with

our alumni, and working with University Development to secure philanthropic support.

Application Procedure:

Qualified applicants should apply online at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/214466.

Include a cover letter and CV; the cover letter should address both administrative experience and

work with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Applicants may be asked to submit at a

later date a statement of teaching philosophy, a research statement, up to three reprints of

articles, and/or other evidence of scholarly activity, as well as evidence of teaching effectiveness.

A separate statement that addresses past and potential contributions to diversity, equity, and

inclusion may also be requested at a later date, along with the names, titles, and email addresses

of a minimum of four professional references. Reference providers identified by the applicant

will be contacted via email with instructions for submitting their letters of support.

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2021, and will continue until the position is

filled.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action

employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to

age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national

origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.

Jocelyn Neal

Chair, Search Committee for Chair of Communication