Position SummaryThe Department of Journalism and Creative Media seeks an instructor or assistant professor to teach undergraduate and graduate reporting and writing courses for print, broadcast and/or online news, and to coordinate the College of Communication & Information Sciences’ Media Writing Center. Detailed Position InformationThe University of Alabama’s Department of Journalism and Creative Media seeks a nine-month, non-tenure-track, renewable contract instructor or assistant professor whose class load will include teaching up to four courses per semester. This teaching focused position is based on a 3-year renewable contract cycle with opportunities for promotion. Opportunities to work with students and contribute to the department include:
•Teaching the large lecture and coordinating lab instructors in the News Writing and Reporting course, which is taken by all news media and public relations students.
•Leading the College’s Media Writing Center
•Teaching other skills and conceptual courses, such as ethics and in-depth reporting, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including master’s students in the one-year Community Journalism program.
•Strengthening integration of the JCM department and the Digital Media Center, home to the Center for Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, and WVUA-TV 23. We seek to boost experiential learning opportunities for students at the DMC.
The position begins Aug. 16, 2024. Minimum qualificationsA master’s degree is required for the instructor position. A terminal degree is required for the assistant professor position. Experience in professional journalism and teaching is preferred. Commitment to working collaboratively with colleagues from different backgrounds and disciplines, engaging students with varied needs and interests, and preparing the next generation of media professionals to effectively serve all members of their communities is expected.
Instructions and Required Materials for ApplicationDirect questions to search committee chair Dr. Chris Roberts (205-348-8619 – croberts@ua.edu). Apply at: (https://careers.ua.edu/jobs/search/college-of-communication-information-sciences). Screening begins November 1st. About the DepartmentThe Department of Journalism & Creative Media (https://jcm.ua.edu/) resides in the College of Communication & Information Sciences. The department consists of 35 faculty and more than 900 undergraduate and graduate student majors. JCM’s undergraduate news media major and professional master’s programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism & Mass Communications. The College of Communication & Information Sciences includes the departments of Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Studies, and the School of Library and Information Studies. The college has approximately 100 full-time faculty members serving over 3,000 students across bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, including approximately 80 students in the college-wide, multi-disciplinary Ph.D. program (https://cis.ua.edu/cis-doctoral-program/). The college’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute dedicated to addressing societal and cultural issues related to communication and information research. The ICIR collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. Housed within the Office for Research, Scholarship & Creative Activity are multiple collaborative lab spaces. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to the Center for Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market. The future Holle Center for Communication Arts, a hub for storytelling and social justice, will also be located in the Digital Media Center. The college strives to unite the theoretical and practical dimensions of communication and is a campus leader in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. “EEO is the Law” https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf