Assistant Professor/Professor of Practice of Communication Arts

Frederick, Maryland•Frederick, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Department Chair, the Hood College Communication Arts Department, housed administratively within the Delaplaine School of Business and Communication, invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor or non-tenure track Professor of Practice in communication to begin August 2027. We seek an engaged teacher/scholar who can work collaboratively both within the Delaplaine School as well as other departments and programs within the college. Candidates with prior teaching experience at the college/university level may be considered for an abbreviated tenure and promotion timeline. The successful candidate will teach courses that support Communication Arts and Integrated Marketing Communication majors and can also apply their interests toward interdisciplinary teaching in support of the College’s honors program, core curriculum, and first-year student experience. The department seeks a teacher and scholar with expertise across media platforms to be adaptable to changing media infrastructure and audiences. This position will be responsible for courses involving writing, editing and design across media, as well as helping students to identify and prioritize critical information, regardless of the content’s purpose or audience. The successful candidate will help determine and implement the future of student media operations on campus - from news outlets to podcasts to visual media production – including the use of the broadcasting studios within the Delaplaine Foundation Multimedia Center. The position will contribute to existing courses in multimedia production and broadcast reporting and help develop new courses focused on digital media, such as digital filmmaking, motion graphics, data visualization, digital marketing, sports marketing, digital branding and communication, and other courses to meet the needs of a growing program and diverse student population. There are also opportunities to develop curricula in areas of increasing student interest, such as sports communication, entertainment marketing, and public health communication. The position also will contribute to the Hood’s Honors Curriculum and general education requirements including our innovative Heart, Mind, and Hands Core Curriculum. Candidates with experience in journalism, broadcast media, social media, sports media, personal branding, and data visualization are especially encouraged. In addition to pursuing excellence in teaching, the successful candidate will mentor and advise undergraduate majors and minors in both curricular and high-impact practices such as internships and undergraduate research. Beyond their work with students, the candidate must show initiative in service to the department, the college, and broader community.

Requirements

Strong commitment to teaching in a liberal arts setting.
Must be passionate about high-impact experiential learning experiences.
A terminal degree in journalism, communication, marketing or a related field.
Professional experience in digital media applications in journalism, public relations, film production, marketing, sports or mass communication.
A record of effective teaching.
Demonstrated potential for research and a clear research agenda.
Ability to teach courses in digital media, media writing, broadcast writing, digital filmmaking and data visualization.
Proficiency in teaching the Adobe Creative Cloud apps, particularly Premiere Pro, Audition, InDesign and Photoshop.
Candidates must be familiar and comfortable with the technologies used routinely in the academic world today, including but not limited to classroom presentation software, course and information management systems, communications and social media, and online research tools.
Fluency in digital media, including the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (Audition, InDesign, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, PhotoShop, Podcast and Portfolio are required elements of the technical curriculum) with the ability to enhance the department’s presence online and mentor students in digital communications, is required.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to effectively provide information and positively respond to questions from both external and internal stakeholders in-person and virtually.
Ability to write routine reports, emails, and professional correspondence.
Proficient with statistical and financial concepts.
Must have the ability to apply those concepts to tracking, projections, goal setting, and interpreting reports.
Must be able to draw conclusions from reports and make cost effective decisions regarding programmatic outcomes and resource allocation.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a number of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, verbal, diagram, or schedule form.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a group in developing and executing project plans.
Ability to work in the theoretical arena and apply logic as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Candidates with prior teaching experience at the college/university level may be considered for an abbreviated tenure and promotion timeline.
Candidates with experience in journalism, broadcast media, social media, sports media, personal branding, and data visualization are especially encouraged.
Professional experience producing, directing or working on narrative, documentary or entertainment visual projects or marketing.
Professional experience in digital media including animation, graphics and data visualization.
Professional experience in broadcasting or digital marketing.
Teaching undergraduate media production courses.
Demonstrated potential to teach undergraduate students in at least one of the following digital storytelling specialty areas: multimedia, video, audio, social media, augmented reality, virtual reality, data, artificial intelligence, 360 video, immersive reporting, and/or other emerging platforms.
Proficiency with modern web design, including CSS and JavaScript are highly encouraged.
PhD preferred

Responsibilities

Teaching Load: 4/3 course load or 21 credit hours per academic year to include courses serving the undergraduate majors of Communication Arts and Integrated Marketing Communication in addition to the department’s minors in journalism and public relations.
Sample courses: Media & Society, Broadcast Writing, Writing for Business, Senior Portfolio, Media Writing I, Media Writing II, Editing, Media practicum, Design, Digital Marketing
Help develop a curriculum related to digital media and emerging platforms.
Help develop a curriculum related to sports communication and marketing.
Mentor students through academic advising, internship placement, and faculty/ student research collaboration.
Pursue a scholarly research agenda and engage in other professional activities.
Serve the college through committee work, the development of new student learning opportunities, and the enrichment of campus-community partnerships.
Contribute to the regular functioning of the department through committee work, participation in departmental extracurricular activities, and pursuing the goals outlined in the department's strategic plan.
Engage in recruitment of students to the department, programs and College.