Texas Christian University
Tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor
FACULTY LEADERSHIP POSITION BEGINNING SPRING OR FALL 2025
POSITION DETAILS:
The Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas, invites applications for a full-time, on-campus, in-person tenure-track assistant or associate professor in its Department of Communication Studies or its Department of Strategic Communication beginning in January 2025 (preferred) or August 2025. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Communication Studies or Strategic Communication (e.g., advertising or public relations) and provide evidence of skilled teaching and peer-reviewed scholarship.
We seek applications from teacher-scholars who can contribute to the Schieffer College’s social scientific approach to the study of communication, and who can be appointed associate director of the Schieffer Media Insights Lab and faculty director of a post-baccalaureate certificate program in digital and social media analysis being launched by the lab and the college.
The Schieffer Media Insights Lab, opened in fall 2023, was created to address how today’s communicators can understand who, what, where, when, why and how audiences – whether sports fans, voters, consumers, company stakeholders, employees or competitors – are thinking, feeling and behaving. The lab provides AI-powered social media listening and facial expression analysis tools and training to help faculty teacher-scholars and their students identify implications for effective and ethical communication. The lab’s associate director will work in concert with the lab director to serve the needs of Schieffer College faculty and students, TCU colleagues and programs, and Fort Worth community stakeholders in learning to use analytical tools to measure the reach and impact of digital and social media.
The post-baccalaureate certificate program in digital and social media analysis will be launched by the Schieffer Media Insights Lab in 2025. The certificate consists of four three-credit courses that will provide knowledge and skills to address contemporary issues using social and digital media data and tools. The certificate program is designed for working professionals seeking to enhance their social and digital media skills, and for individuals seeking new skills to improve their career prospects. Courses will use the powerful analytical tools of the Schieffer Media Insights Lab to ethically curate and analyze data to solve important communication issues. To meet the needs of working professionals and students beyond the Fort Worth/Dallas area, we anticipate offering the certificate in an online, synchronous format during summer sessions.
We specifically seek candidates whose scholarly work examines digital and social media as they intersect with areas of strength in our Communication Studies Department (communication technology, health, interpersonal or organizational communication, or social influence in communication) or in our Strategic Communication Department (advertising, integrated digital communication, media planning, media analytics and measurement, media technology, or public relations).
As Schieffer Media Insights Lab associate director and digital and social media analysis certificate director, the successful candidate’s teaching load will be reduced from the standard annual 3-2 teaching load for tenure-stream faculty to an annual teaching load of 2-1 due to the administrative leadership duties. As tenure-stream faculty, the successful candidate also will receive course reductions in the first and fourth years on tenure track to support progress toward tenure. The administrative appointment is made on a three-year renewable basis and subject to annual evaluation by the Schieffer College dean with feedback obtained from relevant stakeholders (lab clients, certificate students, etc.).
The successful candidate’s faculty appointment would be located in either the Communication Studies Department or Strategic Communication Department, where the department chair and department faculty would conduct the candidate’s tenure and/or promotion reviews. The successful candidate would be expected to teach some of the relevant department’s core courses (such as interpersonal communication, organizational communication or communication theory in Communication Studies, or advertising, public relations, research or campaigns in Strategic Communication). In either department, the successful candidate would have opportunities to teach or develop courses related to their area of specialization in the department’s undergraduate and master’s degree programs.
Candidates seeking to be appointed at the associate professor level are expected to possess experiences and qualifications commensurate with that rank, such as having earned tenure at another university, completing at least five years of full-time university teaching experience, and possessing a record of significant peer-reviewed scholarly publication.
DEPARTMENT DETAILS:
The Schieffer College Department of Communication Studies is the academic home to 500 students, who complete the bachelor of science degree, the master of science degree, or the minor. The
department also offers TCU’s core essential competency in effective oral communication and houses TCU’s nationally ranked speech and debate program. The department’s faculty regularly publish in top tier journals and are active in the National Communication Association. The master’s degree program ranks among the most research productive in the nation and has a strong track record of placing students in professional positions and doctoral programs.
The Schieffer College Department of Strategic Communication is the academic home to 450 students, who complete the bachelor of science degree or the master of science degree. The department’s faculty regularly publish in top tier journals and are active in such organizations as the American Academy of Advertising and the Institute for Public Relations Research. As well, the department participates annually in the National Student Advertising Competition, is home to an award-winning student-led advertising and public relations agency, and to a Public Relations Students Society of America chapter and an AAF student chapter, Ad Association. Faculty also lead an annual Non-Profit Communicators Conference and the Certified Public Communication Program.
SCHOOL/COLLEGE DESCRIPTION:
In 2023, the Schieffer College celebrated the 10th anniversary of its naming for TCU alumnus and longtime CBS network TV correspondent Bob Schieffer. The college is the academic home for four departments: Communication Studies; Film, Television and Digital Media; Journalism; and Strategic Communication. Some 1,250 undergraduate student majors complete coursework in areas that include; advertising and public relations; cinema and media studies; digital and social media; health communication and media; interpersonal and organizational communication; journalism and news media studies; and sports broadcasting. About 30 graduate students pursue master’s degrees in Communication Studies or Strategic Communication, and some 60 full-time and 15 part-time faculty teach in the college. The college’s award-winning student experiential learning activities include print, video and digital news media, a speech and debate team, an advertising and public relations agency, a radio station, and sports broadcasting productions. The college also offers a number of off-campus study options to students.
ABOUT TCU:
Founded in 1873, Texas Christian University sits on 302 acres nestled in a primarily residential part of Fort Worth, just minutes away from downtown. The University includes seven schools and colleges, in addition to the John V. Roach Honors College and the Burnett School of Medicine.
Currently, TCU enrolls more than 10,200 undergraduates and 1,700 graduate students. Twenty-eight percent of students self-identify as a member of a minority group, five percent are international students, and forty-five percent are from out-of-state. Our students are supported by more than 2,200 faculty and staff. The University has more than 700 full-time faculty members and is a top 100 National University as classified by US News and World Report and has a Carnegie Classification of R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity.
At TCU, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are an educational imperative directly tied to the University mission, vision, and strategic plan. Fulfilling TCU’s mission to develop ethical leaders and critical thinkers in a global community depends on the University’s ability to attract and retain students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. A diverse and inclusive campus leads to innovation, broadened perspective, and understanding—values that are foundational aspects of higher education. For the fourth consecutive year, TCU has earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, which highlights ongoing commitment to build a comprehensive DEI strategy that aligns with core values and creates a campus culture where everyone is respected and included.
ABOUT FORT WORTH:
Like TCU, Fort Worth has the approachable, friendly charm of a smaller town, but offers the amenities, cultural activities, diversity and unique personality of a much larger city. Fort Worth, Texas, is the 13th largest city in the United States with an ever-growing population nearing 1 million. Fort Worth and TCU have grown together in a nearly 150-year relationship. You’ll find that many Horned Frogs remain here after graduation, thanks to the region’s thriving job market. Fort Worth is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and the number 1 tourist destination in Texas. In 2018, bizjournals.com ranked Fort Worth the 7th most affordable city to live and work in the United States and U.S. News and World Report named Fort Worth one of the Best Places to Live. Fort Worth, Dallas and Arlington all rank among the top 25 most diverse cities in the country.
Fort Worth is known for its vast array of cultural, educational and entertainment opportunities. The city boasts three world class art museums—the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The Bass Performance Hall is one of the premier performance venues in the country. Concerts, film festivals and other events are held regularly at Sundance Square, Panther Island and Near Southside venues.
REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONS:
Applications must include: a cover letter that addresses the position requirements, including leadership experience relevant to the administrative leadership opportunity; curriculum vitae; statement of teaching philosophy; evidence of teaching effectiveness; and a list of three academic references with current contact information included. Applications must be submitted electronically through the TCU HR system.
All questions regarding the application process should be directed to or 817-257-7790. Review of applications begins September 3 and will continue until the position is filled.
