Full Professor of Indigeneity, Native Studies & Communication

The University of Utah•Salt Lake, UT

15d

About The Position

The University of Utah’s Department of Communication, housed in the College of Humanities, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Indigeneity, Native Studies, and Communication, effective July 1, 2023. We seek a scholar whose research focuses on the intersections between Communication Studies and Native American and Indigenous Studies, and also aligns with one or more of our Department’s core areas of emphasis (Critical/Cultural, Rhetoric, Digital Media, and CommSHER). The successful candidate will have an outstanding research record or the promise of such a record, using critical, rhetorical, qualitative, and/or quantitative methodological approaches. Possible areas of theoretical, methodological and/or research expertise could include but are not limited to Indigenous, Native, and/or American Indian: sovereignty and nationhood; survivance and radical resurgence; digital media; rhetorics; TribalCrit; research methods; community engaged research with tribal nations; pedagogies; histories, cultural, spiritual, and political systems; futurities; decolonization and anti-colonialisms/colonialities; feminisms; Two-spirit and queer approaches; ancestry, lineage, and identity; ecological and traditional knowledges; Lands, Waters, and Air protection; agencies, activisms, and political struggles; arts & creative resistance; economic, health, environmental, workplace, and/or educational discrimination against Native peoples and nations; Indigenous Standpoint Theory; anti-Indigenous racisms; and/or equity, access, inclusion, and empowerment. We invite research and teaching approaches that have potential to collaborate with the eight native nations that border Utah. The standard annual teaching load for tenure-track faculty in the Department is 2/2. The strongest candidates will demonstrate the ability to teach existing undergraduate and graduate Indigenous Communication courses, existing courses within the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, as well as to develop new courses in the successful candidate’s area of expertise. The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the ability to assist in continuing to build an Indigenous Communication focus in the Department; collaborate with faculty and graduate students in the Department’s Indigenous Working Group, and eventually advise master’s and doctoral students in the Department’s highly-ranked graduate program in Communication. Qualified applicants will have a Ph.D. in Communication or in a closely related discipline or interdisciplinary program by July 1, 2023 (A.B.D. candidates will be considered); an active research program leading to publication; potential for success in grant and/or fellowship acquisition; a record of or demonstrated potential for teaching excellence; and a willingness to conduct service in the Department, University, and in the field of communication. Formal review of applications will begin on NOVEMBER 1, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a cover letter highlighting scholarly activities; a vita; a writing sample; evidence of teaching excellence; and a list of three references, with contact information. In gratitude to the work of the National Communication Association’s Indigenous Caucus, we align with its definition of Indigenous: “We use the term Indigenous to refer to people and kinship networks who are the original peoples of a place and still hold claims and relationships to that place, and those who are disconnected, reconnecting, or simply cannot access their Indigenous lineage or geographies due to historic and ongoing violence. There is no one agreed-upon definition of Indigenous by all communities that use the term. The term Indigenous is used globally by many different communities and can have different meanings depending on the particular places, peoples, histories, and epistemologies involved. For example, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), Pacific Islanders, Māori, Ainu, Nuhua, Maya, Mapuche, Bedouin, Hmoung, Basque, Sami, Cherokee Freedmen, and Iñuit, kinship networks, and Nations are examples (albeit very few) of Indigenous peoples.” When referencing Native or Native Studies, we refer to Native Americans (or American Indians), Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians are the Indigenous peoples and nations within the lands that setters call the United States and First Nations who are the Indigenous peoples and nations within the lands that settlers call Canada. The University of Utah’s land acknowledgment can be found here: https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/indigenous-land-acknowledgement/ . Beyond the land acknowledgment, the University of Utah has taken a variety of actions and initiatives in support of Indigenous peoples and nations. Most recently, the University announced that it will offer scholarships to cover tuition and fees for Native students enrolled in any of the eight tribal nations bordering Utah, starting in Spring 2023 ( https://attheu.utah.edu/equity-diversity/support-for-native-american-students/ ). The Department of Communication’s land acknowledgment statement can be found here: https://communication.utah.edu/about/indigenous-land-acknowledgement.php . The Department’s Indigenous & Native Working Group has developed new courses, produced research on Indigenous communication, initiated new relationships with Native nations bordering Utah, and compiled information about Indigenous speakers and events. Information about the Mellon Foundation supported Pacific Islands Studies Initiative can be found here: https://transform.utah.edu/pi-studies/initiative/ . Questions about the position may be directed to Danielle Endres, Search Committee Chair, at [email protected]. The Department is committed to removing systemic barriers that have been traditionally encountered by individuals from underrepresented groups and strives to recruit faculty who will further support the academic, professional, and personal successes of faculty, staff, and students while they are here. The University of Utah is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educator. People of color, Indigenous peoples, women, those identifying as LGBTQIAAP+, veterans, and those with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified veterans. Reasonable accommodations for a disability will be provided with adequate notice. For additional information about the University’s commitment to equal opportunity and access see: http://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/ . The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working with students from all backgrounds and who possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented students.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Communication or in a closely related discipline or interdisciplinary program by July 1, 2023 (A.B.D. candidates will be considered)
An active research program leading to publication
Potential for success in grant and/or fellowship acquisition
A record of or demonstrated potential for teaching excellence
A willingness to conduct service in the Department, University, and in the field of communication

Responsibilities

Teach existing undergraduate and graduate Indigenous Communication courses
Teach existing courses within the undergraduate and graduate curriculum
Develop new courses in the successful candidate’s area of expertise
Assist in continuing to build an Indigenous Communication focus in the Department
Collaborate with faculty and graduate students in the Department’s Indigenous Working Group
Advise master’s and doctoral students in the Department’s highly-ranked graduate program in Communication
Conduct service in the Department, University, and in the field of communication

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