37965BR

Extended Job Title:

Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice - Journalism

Organization:

Texas Tech University

Position Description:

Contributes to the university's mission through teaching in an area of expertise, mentoring students in professional and career preparation and serving as liaison with professional contacts and entities on behalf of the department or program. This is a non-tenure track, multi-year renewable appointment contingent on successful annual and cumulative performance appraisals as well as a majority affirmative vote of the academic unit. Summer appointments possible, but not guaranteed, contingent on demand for courses and availability of funding. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2024, with faculty on duty in mid-August 2024.

Requisition ID:

37965BR

Travel Required:

Up to 25%

Major/Essential Functions:

The Department of Journalism & Creative Media Industries within the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University seeks a journalism professional with extensive experience in investigative and data journalism to join our faculty as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice. Successful candidates will have a professional specialization in one or more of the following areas: reporting technologies, finding stories in data, data analysis, data scraping, use of public records, leading and mentoring an investigative team, and other skills needed to successfully complete a major investigative project.

The anticipated start date is September 1, 2024, with faculty on duty in mid-August 2024.

Instructional duties would comprise 60% of this position’s overall assignment, equating to a teaching load of six courses (3/3) for the 9-month academic year, with the potential opportunity to teach one or two courses during the 2025 summer or intersessions for additional compensation. Teaching assignments may include both face-to-face and online courses. This 9-month position may be extended for an additional academic year on the basis of department teaching needs, budget status, and a successful performance review.

Grant Funded?:

No

Pay Basis:

Monthly

Schedule Details:

Day

Preferred Qualifications:

• Mentorship experience

• Demonstration of professional excellence in the form of prestigious awards and recognitions

Candidates must be able to teach a variety of undergraduate journalism courses in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media Industries related to their professional expertise. Successful candidates will advise and mentor highly motivated students, as well as perform service at the department, college, university, and professional levels

Department:

CoMC Dept of JCMI

Job Type:

Full Time

Job Group:

NonTenure track

Salary Grade:

800

Does this position work in a research laboratory?:

No

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Review of applications will begin June 26. To ensure full consideration, please complete an online application here, and include attached 1) a cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae, including link(s) to the candidate’s portfolio of past media production work, 3) a statement on the candidate’s approach to teaching and student success relevant for the position as outlined above, and 4) names of and contact information for at least three professional references, at least one of which speaks to teaching experience and effectiveness.

Questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Miglena Sternadori, Search Committee Chair and Interim Department Chair, at Glenn.Cummins@ttu.edu.

Safety Information:

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Pay Statement:

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan. For additional information, please reference the institutional pay plan by visiting www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/payplan.

EEO Statement:

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

About the College:

The College of Media & Communication (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/) at Texas Tech University serves approximately 2500 students across its undergraduate majors and graduate programs. The college’s enrollment and credit hours have grown consistently for the last seven years; the number of full-time faculty has almost tripled; and the area for facilities has increased more than 40%. CoMC is the #1 rated research unit in the TTU System per the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking). Its private and dstate grants initiatives have skyrocketed in recent years, achieving its 2025 grants goals in fall 2020. The CoMC Center for Communication Research (CCR) is the country's premier academic research facility for the study of communication, media processing, and effects. The CCR features labs useful for audience testing, content analysis, surveys, eye-tracking, focus group, and psychophysiology. These research facilities provide a great environment for further advancing an exciting and productive research agenda.

The college maintains high standards for teaching, even as its reputation as a media research center expands. College metrics for student retention and graduation rates are near the top at Texas Tech in many categories. Research strengths among college faculty include Hispanic and international, strategic, science/health, gaming/AI, leadership, interpersonal/organizational, and political communication, as well as social scientific research methods. Affiliates of the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication engage in teaching, research and community outreach related to Hispanic and international/intercultural communication (comc.ttu.edu/research/hihic).

Please visit the college's website for more information: www.depts.ttu.edu/comc.

About Texas Tech University

About the Department/School/Area:

The Department of Journalism & Creative Media Industries (JCMI) emphasizes experiential education opportunities that provide immersive learning environments, leading its approximately 600 students to produce a robust portfolio of content with support from peer, faculty, alumni, and industry mentors. In producing their work, JCMI students are encouraged from their first day in our degree programs to take advantage of opportunities to get busy writing and producing, and plug in to our robust, collaborative content culture.

Made up of 16 full-time faculty, supported by graduate student and part-time faculty from a variety of backgrounds, JCMI offers new faculty and students a diverse slate of teachers, mentors, and collaborators. JCMI faculty are leaders in their respective areas, scholars and practitioners of international stature.

JCMI faculty serve as faculty advisors to a number of student organizations and production opportunities, including the Society for Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, The Daily Toreador, The Hub@TTU, Tech Creative Media Association, KTXT-FM 88.1 The Raider, and Tech Esports, among others. JCMI also fosters close relationships with on-campus partners, such as KTTZ-TV Channel 5 (PBS), KTTZ-FM 89.1 (NPR), and Tech Athletics, as well as four local broadcast news outlets and Lubbock’s daily newspaper, the Avalanche-Journal.

About the University:

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

About Lubbock:Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

Faculty Qualifications:

• At least 15 years of professional experience in the above.

• A master’s degree at the time of appointment.

• A strong professional portfolio and active connections to journalism practitioners.

• Eligibility to work in the United States at the time of appointment.

Duty Point:

TTU Lubbock, main campus and affiliated facilities