Chair of the Department of Journalism and Sports Media- Associate/Full Professor

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Note: If you have an expansive CV, we recommend that you apply manually and only include the positions you have held in the last ten (10) years. You will then be able to attach your Resume/CV, as well as all other supporting documentation in the "My Experience" section of your application.

Job Description

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University invites applications for a faculty member to serve as chair for the Department of Journalism and Sports Media. Qualified candidates will have a distinguished record of teaching, research/creative work, and service that qualifies the for tenure on appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. This person will have the opportunity to lead an engaged and talented faculty in ensuring academic and co-curricular programs are contemporary and industry aligned while continuing to build the national reputation and distinctiveness of programs within the department. They will also lead the department in furthering critical interdisciplinary work both in the School and across the University. The department chair will provide leadership in supporting external engagement with industry and community, lead the department in best practices in a range of administrative functions, and champion new programs and curricula that prepares students for the collective future workplace.

This opportunity comes at an exciting time for the School, as it will officially become a separate College beginning July 1, 2025, creating new prospects for growth, innovation, and distinction. Four departments are being formed in the College from previously aligned academic areas, providing leadership opportunities and the imperative for departments to build important infrastructure, including service committees, assessment processes, and a range of administrative functions. The School currently enrolls approximately 2000 students and has experienced remarkable growth since its inauguration in 2012, with continued expansion anticipated both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The School has developed a robust curriculum across its comprehensive span of disciplines and also maintains several innovative co-curricular programs.

The Department of Journalism and Sports Media will house two majors, Journalism and Sports Communication, as well as a minor in Journalism and a newly developed certificate in Spanish Language Journalism. The programs currently enroll over 350 majors, with approximately two thirds of those in Sports Communication, one of the university’s fastest growing majors. The department also supports several key co-curricular programs, including the Red Hawk Sports Network and NewsLab (the School’s broadcast journalism program). It also provides curricular and administrative support for The Montclarion student newspaper and benefits from opportunities in WMSC, the award-winning radio station housed in the School. Faculty in these areas also benefit from collaborative opportunities with the School’s Center for Cooperative Media, which strengthens local journalism through innovative training, project funding, and research. Students have been recognized with several prominent regional and national awards for their work in news and sports media, including multiple College Television Awards.

The ideal candidate will have an established record as a faculty member in one of the department’s disciplines. They should have a record of teaching, scholarship, and service that merits tenure at Montclair. They must have administrative experience, which could include serving as department chair, deputy chair, graduate director, assistant dean, and other leadership roles. The candidate must embrace the importance of responsibilities assigned to the chair, including efficient and equitable scheduling, faculty evaluation, assessment, student grievances, mentoring of junior faculty, student recruitment, and hiring and overseeing adjunct faculty. They must recognize the importance of resource management and prioritization. Ideal candidates will foster a positive environment where faculty work collaboratively towards stud