Tenure Track Assistant Professor - Health Communication

Working Title: Tenure Track Assistant Professor - Health Communication

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

College/Division: College of Arts and Letters

Department: 100017 - School of Communication Studies

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 10/13/2024

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The School of Communication Studies at James Madison University invites applications for a tenure-track Health Communication faculty member. Employment begins in August 2025. We seek candidates who can bring innovative teaching, engaged and applied scholarship, and practical experiences to the undergraduate and graduate classrooms and contribute to the intellectual climate of the School. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in health communication in one or more of the following areas: global health, culture and health, health inequalities, health disparities, health advocacy, and the health of marginalized populations. Furthermore, we are seeking a candidate who can teach introductory and/or advanced research methods courses in their area of expertise.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Applicants must be able to teach in the health communication concentration (undergraduate and graduate), conduct research in their area of expertise, and engage in service to the School, college and university. Teaching will include a variety of health communication courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels focusing on topics such as global health, culture and health, health inequalities, health disparities, health advocacy, and the health of marginalized populations. We seek a candidate who can teach introductory and/or advanced research methods courses in their area of expertise. We offer several undergraduate and graduate research methodology classes (including qualitative, quantitative, critical, rhetorical, and others). Candidates may also have the opportunity to teach human communication courses that contribute to the General Education program or other courses related to expertise. The course load for tenure-track faculty is a 3-3 teaching load.

Qualifications:

A Ph.D. in communication or a related field is preferred at appointment, and ABD applicants are encouraged to apply. Ph.D. must be in hand within one year of the start date.

Candidates must demonstrate evidence of teaching excellence and possess a record of continued or promising scholarly productivity.

Preference will be given to candidates who can mentor a diverse population of students and have experience teaching or researching issues of interest to students of underrepresented and minority populations.

Preference will be given to candidates with professional or applied experience.

Research or applied scholarship is required to be consistent with the standards of an R2 university.

Additional Posting Information:

The School provides a solid foundation for faculty creativity, collaboration, research, and teaching. Our student and faculty diversity is rapidly increasing: We excel in global education and community engagement, and we have a demonstrated commitment to creating a culture of inclusivity. We are especially interested in applicants who have a demonstrated commitment to building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment.

The School cultivates a socially and culturally diverse intellectual community that recognizes how historical, political, and social structures are embedded in processes and studies of communication. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are core values championed by the school. We believe that preparing our students to contribute to a more equitable community is essential, and we incorporate this belief into our curriculum, practices, and policies. We reject racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, and xenophobia in all forms and seek to cultivate learning environments free from expressions of hate and harm. As a School, we work together to create a learning community that better equips us all to build more just communities.

The College of Arts and Letters, in which the School of Communication Studies is located, enrolls over 3,400 undergraduate majors and about 150 graduate students across ten academic units in the humanities, social sciences, and communication studies. Home to several interdisciplinary centers and institutes, the College employs 270 full-time faculty. It is a university leader in student and faculty diversity and belonging and has made significant faculty investments in racial and social justice, Latinx studies, and African-American studies. It embraces the teacher-scholar model, supporting excellent teaching, innovative service, and strong programs of research and creative inquiry across the disciplines. The College provides rich opportunities for faculty to collaborate across the College and the entire university.

Review of applications will begin on October 13 and continue until the positions are filled. Applicants must apply online at https://jobs.jmu.edu/jobs/search where they can complete the faculty profile and upload the following documents:

1. Letter of application (should include a discussion of the candidate's research interests, teaching experience and philosophy);

2. Curriculum vitae;

3. Evidence of teaching approach, effectiveness, and/or innovation;

4. Copy of unofficial transcripts (combine into one PDF);

5. Names, phone numbers and email addresses for three academic references.

Questions should be addressed to the search chair, Corey A. Hickerson, Ph.D. (hickerca@jmu.edu).

JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.