Department/Organization
207301 - Communication Studies

Rank
Instructor

Position Summary
The Department of Communication Studies in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama is seeking dynamic teachers for multiple faculty positions as full-time, non-tenure-track, three-year renewable contract Instructors of Communication Studies to begin August 16, 2026.

Detailed Position Information
Successful candidates must be able to teach content in at least one of the following areas: interpersonal communication, organizational leadership, rhetoric and political discourse, and communication and culture. Ideal candidates will have a demonstrated record of excellence in teaching and service within communication studies. We are eager to work with individuals who possess a dynamic and engaging teaching style to instruct undergraduate majors and minors in communication studies, as well as students who take communication studies courses as electives and as part of their general education. Successful candidates will be able to provide quality instruction to main campus and distance learning students, both within large lecture and smaller class sizes. Candidates with professional experience outside of academia will be considered, especially in light of our department’s thriving online Master of Arts in Communication and Organizational Leadership degree. The teaching load is four courses per semester, with potential for additional summer course offerings. Instructor-line faculty at The University of Alabama have a promotion pathway as described here in the UA Faculty Handbook.- Teach four courses each semester in a range of communication studies courses at the undergraduate level, and possibly graduate level, in both face-to-face and online modalities.
- Establish and maintain a record of teaching excellence for main campus and distance learning students.
- Serve on department and college committees as appropriate.

About the Department of Communication Studies
The Department of Communication Studies emphasizes a broad understanding of the power of communication by studying theory and practice in the areas of interpersonal communication, organizational leadership, rhetoric and political discourse, and communication and culture. We are committed to cultivating responsible, informed, and civically minded leaders who will be future leaders in the field of communication. The department is a vibrant and collaborative community of twenty five full-time faculty members dedicated to furthering the education of over 1,000 undergraduate majors and minors. Our department is also home to a renowned forensics program and a cutting-edge Speaking Studio.

The department supports two distance learning programs, a Master of Arts in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. Faculty have the opportunity for compensated instructional design of both distance learning curricula.

For more information, visit our website at https://comstudies.ua.edu.

Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2025 and will continue until the positions are filled.
Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with experience.
Questions may be directed to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Caroline Parsons at
csparsons@ua.edu.

Minimum Qualifications
- Completed M.A. degree by August 15, 2026.
- Record of undergraduate teaching excellence.
- Ability to be an active and involved member of collaborative faculty team.

Preferred Qualifications
- Completed M.A. in Communication (or a related field with at least 18 credit hours in communication) by August 15, 2026. - Record of undergraduate teaching excellence in both face-to-face and online environments. - Special priority will be given to candidates with interdisciplinary interests and accomplishments, as well as professional work experience.

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
To be considered, applicants must submit: (1) a letter of application that contextualizes their qualifications, experiences, and approach to teaching within the course offerings of the Department of Communication Studies at The University of Alabama. (2) an updated curriculum vitae (3) the names and contact information of three references (4) evidence of teaching effectiveness. Only completed files will be evaluated. Materials can be submitted online at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu.

About the Division/College/School
The College of Communication & Information Sciences has four academic units, approximately 110 full-time faculty members, and serves approximately 3,500 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including approximately 95 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program. The college’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute dedicated to addressing societal and cultural issues related to communication and information research. The ICIR collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. The College is also home to the Public Opinion Lab, equipped with the Sprinklr data warehouse and custom data collection and management resources; a biometrics lab outfitted with state-of-the-art iMotions software and associated hardware; and the near-term development of an interactive VR/theater lab, among others. The college is also home to the Holle Center for Communication Arts, whose mission is guided by a commitment to advance narrative justice through innovative and arts-informed research, community engagement, and creative co-operation. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to Alabama Public Radio and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market.

About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.

In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.

UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.

For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.

UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.

Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.

The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.

Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf