Director, School of Communication Studies

The School of Communication Studies at Kent State University invites applications for the position of Director. We seek applications from scholars who can lead a school known for:

  • establishing one of the nation’s first concentrations in global communication, and developing a curriculum that emphasizes the linkages between personal and mediated communication in a global information society;
  • a commitment to global understanding and partnerships, including with top-ranked international universities;
  • exceptional and diverse faculty who represent the top doctoral programs across the nation;
  • innovative experiences for undergraduate students, including participation in advocacy work in their communities;
  • talented alumni that include internationally-renowned scholars, leaders in government, non-profit organizations, community advocates – as well as rising stars in country music, professional athletes, members of the Peace Corps, authors, and a former Miss Ohio.

 

The School of Communication Studies offers students the opportunity to study abroad at the Kent State Florence campus in Italy or in other locations around the world. Student opportunities also include engagement with TeleProductions and IdeaBase, two service units within the college. TeleProductions is Kent State’s full-service video production center whose facilities include a fully digital high-definition satellite uplink/production truck. IdeaBase is a student-powered design agency and innovation think tank that works with external clients in Northeast Ohio. We are looking for a candidate who can develop additional opportunities that enrich our students’ educational experiences. 

 

Communication Studies is one of five schools in the College of Communication and Information (CCI), the only college in the nation to combine the disciplines of media, communication, information, design and technology. The school director is a member of CCI’s leadership team and reports to the Dean. The Director is a full-time administrator who holds a faculty appointment as a full professor with tenure.

 

Qualifications:

The Director is responsible for all matters related to the administration of the school, including academic programs/curriculum, faculty, staff, students, facilities, budget, alumni relations and fundraising. We seek a leader with proven administrative ability and experience, effective communication skills and a record of collaboration and collegiality. The successful candidate must have an ability to initiate and support partnerships and collaborations within the college and university. The School faculty offer a diverse range of expertise. We seek a director who can help develop, grow, and prioritize initiatives, collectively identify the School’s signature, while increasing our national visibility. The successful candidate is committed to diversity, inclusion and advocacy. A doctoral degree in communication studies or a related field is required. Qualifications should be commensurate to be appointed at the rank of full professor within the school.

 

Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to faculty governance; the ability to innovate around curriculum and enrollment challenges; interest in supporting faculty and student research; and, the ability to recruit nationally-competitive faculty and students. At the graduate level, we are enthusiastic for growth and want to strengthen the school’s MA program to showcase the variety of research and paradigms available in the School.

 

The School has 25 full-time faculty members on multiple campuses and serves approximately 450 undergraduate and graduate students. Academic programs include an undergraduate major with four concentrations (applied communication, global communication, media & society, and relational and workplace communication), a social and behavioral science-oriented M.A. program, a dual MA/MBA program, and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program. For more details, go to: http://www.kent.edu/comm/.

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education identifies Kent State as one of the Great Colleges to Work For (2018). The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching ranks Kent State among the nation’s top public high-research universities, and U.S. News & World Report ranks Kent State in the coveted top-tier of Best Colleges (2019). Kent State is a comprehensive graduate and undergraduate, residential, Carnegie Doctoral Research Extensive University. It is located in Kent, Ohio, within 45 minutes of Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown. The university is the third largest in Ohio, with an enrollment on the Kent Campus of approximately 26,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

 

The position has an expected start date of July 1, 2020. Applicants should submit a letter of interest and vitae with a list of at least three references (jobs.kent.edu). Screening of applicants will begin on November 22 and continue until the position is filled. For more information, please contact search committee chair Jeff Fruit, (jfruit@kent.edu) or (330) 672-0890.

    

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