Assistant Professor - Communication Studies
The Department of Communication Studies at The College of Wooster invites applications for a tenure-track position in critical public relations and advocacy, and rhetorical/critical research methods, at the level of Assistant Professor, beginning in August 2023. We are looking for a broadly trained specialist in these areas with a Ph.D. in Communication or in a closely aligned field at the time of appointment, or relevant interdisciplinary training.
The department has four full-time faculty members and graduates approximately 20-25 majors annually. For more information, see: https://wooster.edu/area/communication-studies/. Our department is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and serves a diverse student body, as 46% of our majors are domestic (35%) or international (11%) students of color. In 2021, the Department won the National Communication Association’s Rex Mix Program of Excellence Award, which named us the top undergraduate communication studies program in the country on the basis of four criteria: diversity, civic engagement and social justice, undergraduate research, and mentorship. We seek a colleague committed to inclusive pedagogy and to mentoring students from historically marginalized groups.
The College of Wooster is an independent college of the liberal arts and sciences with a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. We enroll a racially, socioeconomically, and culturally diverse student population of approximately 2,000 undergraduate students, of which 6% identify as Latinx; 9%, as Black/African American; 4%, as Asian; 4%, as multiracial; and 61% as white. Fifteen percent (15%) of our students are studying on international visas. Twenty-five percent (25%) are Pell-eligible, and 11% are first-generation college students. We are interested in hiring faculty who contribute to the intellectual vibrancy of the community through their culturally relevant pedagogy, curricular diversity, intercultural fluency, and a commitment to ensuring equitable outcomes for racially and ethnically minoritized and marginalized student groups.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to teach courses such as Introduction to Communication Studies, Public Speaking, Rhetoric and Civic Engagement, Communicating Public Policy, Communication & Social Protest, Rhetorical Criticism, Critical/Cultural Methods, and courses in public relations and advocacy in the candidate’s area of specialty. We are particularly interested in a candidate with a commitment to experiential, community-based learning, which is part of the College’s strategic priority of experiential learning. In addition, the successful candidate will advise undergraduate research projects on student-generated topics, which may be qualitative or quantitative in methodology, as part of the College’s Senior Independent Study (I.S.) requirement. All faculty teach non-majors in their courses and contribute to the First-Year Seminar program. The teaching load is 5.5 courses per year, which includes credited mentoring for student I.S. projects.
Preference will be given to candidates whose research and teaching connect with one or both of the College’s general education requirements in Social Justice or Power, Privilege, Race, and Ethnicity; or with interdisciplinary majors such as Africana Studies, Environmental Studies, or Urban Studies; or with interdisciplinary Pathways such as Activism & Social Change, Digital & Visual Storytelling, Entrepreneurship, and Environmental Communication & Action.
To apply, submit to Interfolio at http://apply.interfolio.com/115718: a letter of application; curriculum vitae; unofficial graduate transcripts; evidence of strong teaching (such as syllabi and course evaluations) and research (such as a research statement and writing sample of 25 pages or less); three reference letters; a statement (1-2 pages) detailing how the applicant has engaged and/or expects to engage in community-based experiential learning; a statement (1-2 pages) on the applicant’s contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about the applicant’s understanding of these issues, record of activities to date, and specific plans and goals for advancing these efforts as a College of Wooster faculty member, as well as any experience or background that has made you aware of the challenges faced by historically underrepresented populations. If you have questions regarding Interfolio, please contact Scott Schwartzwalder, Administrative Coordinator, Dept. of Communication Studies, sschwarzwlder@wooster.edu. Review of applications will begin December 20 and continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position should be directed to Denise Bostdorff, Chair of the Search Committee, at dbostdorff@wooster.edu.
