Career Center

Working/Functional Title

Professor of Practice

Position Summary

The Department of Communication at Michigan State University (MSU) seeks to hire an in-person, full-time Professor of Practice in Strategic Communication. Applicants should be skilled communication professionals with a diverse range of applied experience and a vision for the curriculum and training students need to work as communication strategists in today’s information environment. Ideal candidates will have experience developing comprehensive communication plans to help organizations achieve long-term goals and objectives, demonstrated success in crisis communication and/or issues management, and public affairs and/or public information experience and previous teaching/training experience. We welcome applicants with relevant training and practical experience in disciplines such as communication, public relations, advertising, or business communication. Expected start date is August 15, 2023.

The successful candidate will lead the Communication, Leadership and Strategy (CLAS) undergraduate major, teach 2-3 courses per semester within the major and support efforts to ensure that the curriculum in the remains relevant and responsive to the needs of potential employers. The candidate will also manage external communications (social media, newsletter, etc.) for the department, work with undergraduate student groups, promote the CLAS training institute, and lead the advisory board meetings for the major. Moreover, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to our vibrant departmental community.

We reflect and cultivate diversity and community in our faculty. We particularly value applicants with experiences and backgrounds in strategic communication for diverse and underserved communities. An advanced degree, such as a MA, MS, or Ph.D., is required. We welcome applications from individuals from a broad range of disciplinary traditions who thrive in academic environments. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Masters

Minimum Requirements

• Contribute to our vibrant departmental community
• Advanced degree such as MA, MS, or Ph.D.
• Skilled communication professional with a diverse range of applied experience

Desired Qualifications

• Experience developing comprehensive communication plans to help organizations achieve long-term goals and objectives
• Demonstrate success in crisis communication and/or issues management
• Public affairs and/or public information experience and previous teaching/training experience
• Relevant training and practical experience in disciplines such as communication, public relations, advertising, or business communication
• Experiences and backgrounds in strategic communication for diverse and underserved communities

Required Application Materials

Applicants should submit the following materials electronically:

1. a cover letter summarizing your strategic communication experience and teaching qualifications,
2. a diversity statement describing your commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in your work and in our undergraduate program,
3. a curriculum vitae (CV) and/or portfolio that also describes previous teaching/training experience, and
4. the names and contact information for three qualified individuals willing to serve as your recommenders to the search committee if letters are requested.

Together-we-will Statement

Special Instructions

To apply, please visit the Michigan State University Employment Opportunities website (https://careers.msu.edu), refer to Posting #848336, and complete an electronic submission.

Review of applications will begin on March 2, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. We plan to begin campus interviews in mid-March.

Please direct any questions to Monique Turner, Search Committee Chair, Department of Communication at Michigan State University, at mmturner@msu.edu.

Review of Applications Begins On

03/13/2023

Website

https://comartsci.msu.edu/departments/communication

Department Statement

Michigan State University has more than 49,000 students-of whom nearly 9,000 are undergraduate students of color—in 200 programs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional study, including more than 275 study abroad programs. The Department of Communication has played a large role in helping to establish the international academic field of communication. Since 1960, the department has awarded 385 doctorates in communication, resulting in a large international network of Michigan State graduates and former faculty. The department is noted for its long-running excellence in communication theory, research design, quantitative methods training, and an apprentice-like experience for advanced students in research teams.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

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About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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