Assistant Professor of Communication - Public Relations - #000555

The primary location of this position is on-site in Cullowhee, NC.

The Department of Communication at Western Carolina University (WCU) is seeking a full-time, tenure-track, assistant professor of communication position with a primary focus in public relations and strategic communication. This is a nine-month position with an expected begin work date of August 2027. 

 
Duties will include teaching three undergraduate courses in communication each semester, engaging in scholarship, advising students, advising WCU’s PRSSA chapter, and engaging in departmental, institutional, and regional service. In addition to teaching public relations courses, the successful candidate may have opportunities to teach professional development and other communication courses based on their areas of expertise and departmental needs.
 

Housed within the College of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Communication offers a B.S. degree in Communication with concentrations in broadcasting, health communication, interpersonal & cultural communication, journalism, and public relations. With approximately 250 communication majors and minors, the department also offers a minor in communication, a minor in journalism, and serves approximately 2,000 freshmen and transfer students each year in the liberal studies Foundations of Communication course that is required of all students. The department has a strong interdisciplinary focus, and provides a variety of communication courses in areas such as conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, family and close relationships, television production, intercultural communication, international reporting, and crisis communication to other colleges at WCU including programs in health sciences, social justice, construction management, international studies, environmental science, motion picture studies, special education, and emergency and disaster management.

The Department of Communication is known for its engaged teaching and learning, and the department prides itself on its students’ involvement in service learning, community engagement, and undergraduate research projects. Applicants are encouraged to visit the WCU website (www.wcu.edu) and read the university's mission, vision, and core values. 
 
WCU is committed to the Boyer model of scholarship, stewardship of place, integrated learning, and engagement.