Communication Center Director/Instructor

Communication Center Director/Instructor

 

The George Mason University Department of Communication in Fairfax, Virginia, invites applications for a full-time, 9-month Instructor (non-tenure-track) position in Communication, for initial appointment on August 25, 2022.  Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until this position is filled for the Fall 2022 semester. Initial appointment in January 2022 may be considered. For full consideration, applications should be received by October 15, 2021. Subsequent annual contract renewal contingent on satisfactory performance.

 

George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment.

 

About the Department:

The Communication Center was founded in Fall 2018 and currently supports the COMM 101: Fundamentals of Communication course by providing communication skills consulting related to the course learning objectives. Some of these skills include information literacy and research skills, presentation development, public speaking delivery, interviewing skills, interpersonal and intercultural communication, and collaboration and teamwork. As the Center expands, we envision these services growing to serve the entire campus, in parallel with the Writing Center. In 2020-2021, the Communication Center moved into the new Lab for Writing and Communication, which also houses the Writing Center and a new center for research.

 

Mason’s Communication department has a collegial faculty committed to excellence, innovation and social relevance. We expect reasonable participation in the life of our community, including career fairs, faculty functions, recruiting sessions and other events. We offer a broad undergraduate program with more than 500 majors; six minor programs; a large M.A. program including strategic, health and science communication specialties; and a focused Ph.D. program emphasizing health, strategic, and science communication. Additionally, the department supports several co-curricular activities, including debate, forensics, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ), and a comprehensive student media organization (newspaper, radio, television, sports announcing, magazine and journal editing, etc.).

 

Responsibilities:

The Communication Center Director will supervise the Communication Center and will teach six credit hours of courses in both the fall and spring semesters. Reporting to and working closely with the Basic Course Director, the Communication Center Director will manage, hire, train, schedule, and supervise a staff of student consultants; oversee the day-to-day operations of the Communication Center, including outreach activities and technology; and assist the Basic Course Director in managing the budget. The Communication Center Director will also work closely with the team that is working to establish and grow the Lab for Writing and Communication.

 

Required Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in communication or related field;
  • Experience teaching the introductory communication course;
  • Experience working in, collaborating with, or leading a communication center;
  • Administrative skills and experience managing teams, labs, or centers;
  • Experience supervising or mentoring students;
  • Ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience supervising or managing diverse personnel (e.g., student wage, work study, staff);
  • Academic training in communication pedagogy, instructional communication, and/or communication assessment;
  • Interest in active research and/or building community and faculty partnerships;
  • Experience teaching in hybrid, fully online, and face-to-face contexts;
  • Strong working knowledge of a learning management system (LMS) like Blackboard.

 

Special Instructions to Applicants  

For full consideration, applicants must apply for position number F9639Z at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references with contact information. The cover letter should address the list of qualifications.

 

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.