Assistant Professor of Communication

University of Arkansas • Fayetteville, AR

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Communication in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the area of Communication and Democracy to start in August 2027. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment. In addition to having a research and teaching focus in areas pertaining to Communication and Democracy, applicants should have a focus in rhetoric, dialogue, and deliberation. Faculty hired in this position will have an opportunity to be a part of Fulbright College’s multidisciplinary Democracy as a Public Good cluster hire at the University of Arkansas. Through its Democracy as a Public Good Initiative, the College will advance the University’s land-grant mission by expanding capacity to generate knowledge that informs public understanding, contributes to policy and practice, and connects Arkansas to national and international conversations about societal good. Building on existing campus expertise in issues ranging from norms of democratic communication, free speech, media ethics and literacy, humanitarian governance and civil society, risks that AI poses to democratic governance, immigration, and public law, new faculty members participating in the cluster will advance their research agendas through mentoring and opportunities for collaboration—both with other scholars and with communities in the state—that may result in peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and new approaches to the pressing challenges that democracy faces. The successful candidate for this position will have an opportunity to join a community of scholars committed to confronting major issues, generating new knowledge, and providing research-based solutions that investigate and strengthen democratic culture for people living in Arkansas and beyond. Competitive applicants will also demonstrate an ability to provide strategic direction and collaboration with our Center for Communication Research, as well as success in working with interdisciplinary research teams, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and engaging regional, state, and national funding agencies. Duties will include developing classes and teaching effectively at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and providing service to the Department, University, and discipline. This is an in-person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in-person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Requirements

• Terminal degree in Communication from an accredited institution of higher education conferred by the date of initial appointment
• Evidence of an active research program in areas pertaining to rhetoric, dialogue, and deliberation
• Demonstrated experience and competency in the classroom related to coursework in communication and democracy, as evidenced in the CV and evidence of teaching effectiveness
• Ability to publish in top peer reviewed outlets
• Strong evidence of the ability to be an active, involved, and collegial member of a collaborative faculty team both on campus and in relevant national service organizations
• Proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment

Nice To Haves

• Research commensurate with institutions holding the highest Carnegie classification and with the level of appointment
• Evidence of an interdisciplinary research program
• Evidence of potential to work with community stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience conducting externally funded research
• Experience teaching lower and upper-level courses in communication and aspects of democratic practice
• Ability to provide strategic direction and collaboration with our Center for Communication Research
• Success in working with interdisciplinary research teams
• Mentoring undergraduate and graduate students
• Engaging regional, state, and national funding agencies

Responsibilities

• 40% Teaching or Professional Performance
• 40% Research/Scholarly and/or Creative Activities
• 20% Academic Service Activities
• Developing classes and teaching effectively at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Providing service to the Department, University, and discipline
• Extensive in-person engagement in activities such as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings
• Creating and maintaining collegial, harmonious working relationships with others

Benefits

• University contributions to health insurance
• University contributions to dental insurance
• University contributions to life insurance
• University contributions to disability insurance
• Tuition waivers for employees and their families
• 12 official holidays
• Immediate leave accrual
• Choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree