Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Job Info

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Department:

Communication - 311400

Posting Open Date:

10/02/2024

Application Deadline:

12/02/2024

Open Until Filled:

No

Position Type:

Permanent Faculty

Working Title:

Assistant Professor

Appointment Type:

Tenured/Tenure Track

Vacancy ID:

FAC0005281

Full-time/Part-time:

Full-Time Permanent

Hours per week:

40

FTE:

1

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Hiring Range:

Dependent on Experience and/or Qualifications

Proposed Start Date:

07/01/2025

Be a Tar Heel!:

The Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks to hire an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in Environmental Rhetoric, and/or Communication. Candidates should have a Ph.D. or a completion date of a Ph.D. by July 1, 2025 and be qualified to teach undergraduate and graduate Environmental Rhetoric courses, contribute to the core courses in the graduate program, develop specialized undergraduate and graduate courses reflecting their research interests. We are particularly interested in a colleague whose research and teaching emphasizes the intersection of environmental rhetoric and advocacy, democracy, identity, power, critical practice, media and/or public culture. In addition, we welcome candidates whose work complements existing departmental strengths. Qualifications A Ph.D. in Communication, Composition, or another discipline engaging rhetoric and/or the rhetorical traditions, broadly defined. Candidates should have a record of, or potential for, outstanding research, teaching and service in keeping with the tenure expectations of a department at a research institution. We especially welcome candidates with experience in graduate advising and mentorship.

About Rhetoric at UNC: Rhetoric refers to the means by which people create shared meaning to deliberate about contested issues such as the common good. Rhetorical Studies, a cornerstone of the liberal arts tradition, aspires to understand precisely how rhetoric shapes public life, while also inviting scholars to re-imagine the possibilities of both. Students concentrating in Rhetorical Studies can pursue an array of courses in rhetorical production, theory, and criticism. Over their course of study, students learn how to speak and write ethically with rhetorical dexterity; analyze and evaluate the discursive phenomena circulating across public culture; and reason through challenging issues with argumentative rigor. The concentration prepares students for numerous career paths including law, speech writing, public advocacy, community organizing, business leadership, political consulting, marketing, and advertising. Rhetorical Studies prepares students to thrive intellectually in whichever situations they might encounter, while also expanding their capacities to reflect on the human condition and serve the public good.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

About 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 & 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. Faculty conduct research and teach within a broad range of communication disciplines, including performance studies, media and technology studies, rhetoric, media arts production and new media, and organizational and interpersonal communication. Recognized for significant contributions to the profession, University, state, and nation, the Department houses a PhD 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 30 faculty members, 50 graduate students, and nearly 700 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 majors, as well as the hundreds of pan-University non-majors seek out our classes for a set of critical capacities that contribute to an engaged, creative, and critical 21st century citizen. The department's website provides a detailed look at our activities, mission, and values.

Position Summary:

The Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks to hire an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in Environmental Rhetoric with responsibilities in Research, Teaching (undergraduate and graduate) and service. Candidates should have a Ph.D. or a completion date of a Ph.D. by July 1, 2025 and be qualified to teach undergraduate and graduate courses, contribute to the core courses in the graduate program, and develop specialized undergraduate and graduate courses reflecting their research interests. We are particularly interested in a colleague whose research and teaching emphasizes rhetoric with a focus on environmental rhetoric and/or communication.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

PhD or equivalent in a field focused on rhetoric or the rhetorical traditions (including rhetoric, communication, critical cultural communication, English/composition, public culture/cultural studies, speech communication, etc.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

Record of research and study in rhetoric and environmental rhetoric/communication. Research and teaching in the rhetorical traditions. Alignment of research and teaching with department's curriculum and areas of strength.

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:

Not Applicable.

Special Instructions:

Applications must be submitted electronically by November 15, 2024 Interested candidates should send (1) a cover letter that addresses all minimum and any preferred qualifications met; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) a description of teaching philosophy and approaches; (4) a representative sample of research; and (5) three letters of recommendation.

Applicants should demonstrate how their research and teaching interests align with two or more of the department's interdisciplinary pathways in communication & everyday life, rhetoric, advocacy & activism, media arts, performance & critical practice, media technologies & public culture, and organizations, communication & work. Applicants can learn more about these pathways and our new undergraduate curriculum by visiting the department's website. For questions regarding the search, please email the chair of the search committee, Dr. Christian Lundberg @ clundber@email.unc.edu.

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