The School of Communication at Western Michigan University invites applications for a full-time Assistant/Associate Professor of Communication position, beginning August 2022. The successful candidate will maintain a program of research and/or creative pursuits nationally recognized, will teach both audiovisual/digital media production and critical media/film studies courses in their area(s) of expertise, mentor undergraduate and graduate students, participate in curriculum development and participate in departmental and collegiate committees. The ability to teach basic courses is also expected. Other responsibilities include developing and maintaining industry relationships.
Qualifications
PhD in Journalism, Media/Film Studies, Mass Communication, Communications, or a related discipline (ABDs are eligible but must complete the requirements to graduate by August 5, 2022). Ideal candidates will provide evidence of strong potential to develop and sustain a nationally recognized program of critical/cultural media scholarship that addresses the intersections of race/class/gender, including, but not limited to, issues surrounding media/film representation, implicit biases, algorithmic biases, systemic inequalities, social movements and activism, and/or transnational and diasporic media. We welcome multiple theoretical and methodological approaches. Preferred candidate is an academic/director with the ability to teach media/film studies courses as good as practical dissemination and digital media production informed by critical and cultural theory. Applicants with a broadcasting or digital video production or teaching activity that demonstrates a commitment to social justice issues are particularly encouraged to apply. A first experience in industry is a plus. The successful candidate will demonstrate a history of contributions or a commitment to integrating inclusivity and equity into their scholarship, teaching, service, or student mentorship.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will maintain a nationally recognized program of research and/or creative activities, teach both audiovisual/digital media production and media/film studies courses in their areas of expertise, mentor undergraduate and graduate students, participate in curriculum development, and participate in departmental committees and colleges. The ability to teach basic courses is also expected. Other responsibilities include developing and maintaining industry relationships. Tenure track and tenured faculty in the School of Communication historically and currently teach a 2/3 teaching load. If one of the courses is a large lecture, this teaching load can become a 2/2.
General summary
University
We would like to acknowledge that Western Michigan University is located on lands historically occupied by the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi Nations. Please take a moment to acknowledge and honor this ancestral land of the Three Fires Confederacy, the sacred lands of all Indigenous peoples and their continued presence.
Western Michigan University (WMU), located in southwest Michigan, is a vibrant, nationally recognized, student-centered research institution with a membership of more than 19,000. WMU provides high-quality undergraduate education, has a strong graduate division, and fosters significant research activity. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has placed WMU among 76 public institutions nationwide designated as research universities with high research activities. Western Michigan University is a globally engaged university that promotes learner success at all levels and stands out among more than 4,600 public and private degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States.
This hiring coincides with ongoing anti-racism efforts at the university focused on creating an inclusive environment and equitable structures for hiring, teaching, learning and research. These include the Racial Justice Advisory Committee, which is tasked with making recommendations to address systemic racism on campus, and the President’s Mountaintop Initiative, a $2 million fund to advance these recommendations, as well as other suggestions from the WMU community. Western Michigan University also recently received a $550 million multi-year Empowering Futures grant, which will fund numerous projects and initiatives aimed at breaking down the barriers created by historical inequality. The Empowering Futures Gift is the largest gift to a public institution of higher education in United States history.
OVERVIEW of diversity consistently honors WMU for its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
military times ranks WMU among the top institutions for veterans, and WMU is the only school in Michigan to make all nine years of its annual Best for Vets list.
US State Department data shows WMU was No. 6 among U.S. Fulbright Scholars producers in 2016-17.
UGF operates the nation’s largest and most comprehensive college support program for former youth in foster care and is an international model of teaching, research, learning, and public service related to foster care. hospitality and higher education.
Washington Monthly ranked WMU first in the state of Michigan for its impact on alumni earnings 10 years after graduation.
department
The School of Communication at Western Michigan University embraces the philosophy of engaged scholarship – a philosophy that grounds our theory and research in a practical effort to impact our personal relationships, organizations, communities, society, and society. global community. We have a nationally recognized master’s program and 16 tenured/tenure-track faculty who have national and international records of research and creative activity and who are actively engaged in student mentorship. Our graduate program engages students in public scholarship, providing transparent criteria for student success and utilizing best practices such as teamwork, interdisciplinary approaches, and mentorship. Our undergraduate program serves approximately 500 students in five majors, including communication studies; digital media and journalism; Film, Video and Media Studies; Interpersonal communication; and Strategic Communication – and 200 students in three minors: Communication, User Experience/Human-Computer Interaction (UX/HCI), and Journalism. This position coincides with a multi-million dollar refurbishment of Dunbar Hall, to include a highly visible broadcast production space, ideal for live news and sports broadcasts, interviews with visiting scholars, professionals or alumni, chroma key, photography sessions or other performances. based activities.
The School of Communication is committed to the University’s strategic direction of inclusive excellence and equity and actively works to promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive university culture to ensure social sustainability and accessibility. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who are from underrepresented groups, disabled, multilingual and passionate about inclusion, accessibility and related themes.
In support of the School of Communication’s commitment to scholarly and creative pursuits, the successful candidate will benefit from numerous opportunities to develop their portfolio of research and/or production activities. Travel funding will be provided, along with support to present at conferences, publish in professional publications, and develop leadership experience.
University
The College of Arts and Sciences represents the foundation of learning and the academic heart of WMU. As outlined in the College of Arts and Sciences strategic plan, we are committed to fostering a community of diverse, inclusive, equitable and globally engaged scholars, learners and leaders.
With 23 departments and interdisciplinary schools and institutes, WMU’s largest college offers a wide range of learning opportunities and career paths for our students. CAS students are among the top students in the country, having received highly competitive awards including Goldwater Scholarships, Udall Scholarships, Boren Scholarships, and Fulbright Awards, among others.
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo is located just two and a half hours by car from Chicago and Detroit and only 45 minutes from the beaches of Lake Michigan. It is located in one of Michigan’s designated research corridors, maintaining a strong presence in life sciences and biotechnology and supporting two leading medical centers. With 263,000 people in the greater Kalamazoo area, the community offers a range of cultural, entertainment and recreation events in all seasons. The city supports a nationally recognized symphony and has developed a reputation as a vibrant community theater and visual arts scene. Along the same lines, Kalamazoo is committed to social justice, community development, and eradicating generational poverty through its Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo initiative, with structural budget support provided by the program. City of Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence. Kalamazoo is also home to the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship program available to all Kalamazoo Public School students that covers up to 100% of tuition and compulsory fees for all public institutions of higher education (and from many private) from Michigan.
Compensation
Competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, with an excellent benefits package, including participation in TIAA. It is possible to teach in the summer for an additional fee.
Start date
August 2022
Apps
Review of applications will begin on December 5, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates must visit https://www.wmujobs.org/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=209191
to apply. Online applications include:
- Curriculum vitae
- Application letter that addresses fulfillment of qualifications and demonstrates skills, knowledge and/or success in diversity, equity and inclusion work
- Representative examples of research and/or production activity portfolio
- 3 samples of teaching materials (e.g. syllabi, assignments, materials prepared for the class)
- Unofficial copies of graduate transcripts
Please direct questions to Carolyn Seaver at [email protected] Where (269) 387-3160.
WMU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities and all other qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.