FACULTY: Assistant or Associate Professor, Sports Media, Culture & Identity (tenure-track)

Job Description

Summary : The James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in Sports Media, Culture & Identity beginning August 15, 2024.

We are looking for a colleague with a teaching and research agenda focused on sports and its relationship with diversity, recognizing the significance of inclusive representation in sports media.

An interest in taking advantage of the Charlotte area sports market is desirable, as well as an interest in creating connections to professional sports teams and other sports-focused organizations in the Charlotte region.

The Knight School of Communication develops students into creative communicators who become engaged citizens and leaders in the communities they serve.

Alumni thrive in media industries, digital journalism, sports enterprise, public and community relations, corporate communication, law, human resources, health-related sectors, government, and education.

Our majors are encouraged to apply their communication knowledge and skills to serve the community in fundamental ways. This includes publication in professional media outlets through the Queens News Service and the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative and participation in our highly acclaimed digital and media literacy initiatives.

Sports Communication students are asked to create professional level content in multiple formats and platforms. Students can apply these skills through collaborating with Queens Athletics and through internship experiences with Charlotte area sports organizations.

The selected candidate should be able to impart in students an understanding of how discourses of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and religion influence perceptions of athletes, athletics, and sports.

The selected candidate should also be able to help students develop the applied skills needed for them to enter a career in the field of sports media.

We are hoping to hire a candidate who will teach courses in our sports communication curriculum and in other areas of our undergraduate curriculum.

An ability to contribute to our MA in Communication is also preferred. This position reports to the Dean of the Knight School of Communication.

This position is exempt from provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not eligible to earn overtime pay or compensatory time off for additional hours worked.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses
• Mentor and advise students
• Sustain currency and relevancy through a scholarly research agenda leading to peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Service to the unit, university, and profession
• Engagement in curriculum design and assessment within the program.
• Commitment to professional development in teaching
• High-quality communication and collaboration with colleagues and students
• Commitment and contribution to the University’s mission and strategic plans

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities

Other duties and special projects may be assigned to meet department and / or university goals

Qualifications

Experience, Knowledge and Skills Required

• A terminal degree (PhD or equivalent) in Communication, Journalism, Film, Mass Communication, Media & Cultural Studies, or closely related area, completed by August 2024.
• Evidence of high-quality teaching effectiveness
• Established program of primary research in the area of sports media, culture, and identity.
• Commitment to being involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Queens University and in the broader community.

Preferred Qualifications and Expectations :

• Experience mentoring undergraduate students in research activities and community engagement
• Experience using technology-supported pedagogies
• Willingness to contribute to future development of the BA in Sports Communication
• Interest in forging further connections between the Knight School and Queens Athletics

Application Process

Does this sound like a good fit? Click on the green I’m interested button and submit :

• A cover letter addressing the position qualifications and experience
• Teaching philosophy, including working with a diverse student body
• Current CV, AND
• Contact information for three professional references (name, email address, phone).

Applications received by November 5, 2023 will receive first consideration. Queens will continue to accept applications until the position is filled.

Additional Information

About Queens University of Charlotte

Located in the heart of the nation’s second fastest growing metropolitan area, Queens University of Charlotte leverages the city’s diverse and thriving environment as an extended classroom.

Nationally recognized for undergraduate programs in international and interdisciplinary education, Queens blends the best of liberal arts learning with professional preparation and community engagement .

Focused on supporting success for diverse learners, faculty build close and collaborative relationships with students and help them build intentional and individualized roadmaps for flourishing at Queens and beyond.

At the graduate program level, the University offers innovative educational experiences that help learners advance professionally and retool for new opportunities.

Our environs afford faculty myriad opportunities to advance their own professional growth and teaching and research interests by collaborating with vibrant industry, non-profit, and community organization sectors.

Because of our history of innovation and our legacy of strong leadership , Queens is positioned to be among the new forerunners of American higher education.

This is a defining moment for Queens. While other institutions are focused on sustaining and surviving, we are thinking much bigger.

Institutions that understand what is needed and are willing to reimagine what is possible can position themselves to thrive and strengthen their market position after the pandemic with innovative approaches that are deeply connected to the world and its greatest challenges.

• By 2030, Queens aspires to become the leading, private, national university of Charlotte with deep, meaningful, and reciprocal connections to the needs of our local community and economy;
• inventive and multidisciplinary academic programs that are connected to the world’s most pressing challenges and biggest areas of opportunity;
• a fully connected, integrated, and innovative set of experiences that support holistic wellness and wellbeing; a culture of continuous improvement and investment that enables faculty and staff to flourish and achieve their full potential;

and a comprehensive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion that begins on campus and radiates throughout the community.

Benefits

Queens offers comprehensive benefits to eligible employees, including : medical, dental and vision insurance, domestic partner benefits, defined contribution (matching) and supplemental 403(b) retirement plans, tuition remission and tuition exchange, Queens-paid life insurance, supplemental life insurance, dependent life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care, Health Savings Account), sick leave and long-term disability leave, paid parental leave, FMLA leave when eligible, reduced cost meals at Morrison Dining Hall, employee assistance program (EAP), free access to the Levine Center, wellness programs.

In addition, employees may choose benefits such as pet insurance, critical care insurance and legal assistance.

Queens University of Charlotte is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to supporting and celebrating all forms of diversity.

Queens does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, national origin, disability, political beliefs, veteran status, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, employment and hiring policies, or other University-administered programs.

Any individual with a disability who needs any reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to apply for a position or otherwise to participate in Queens' job search / selection process should contact the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources at 704.337.2222.

Physical Requirements (with or without reasonable accommodation) require ability to

• Remain in a stationary position, most of the time.
• Exchange accurate information with students, faculty and staff, frequently.
• Read reports, create presentations, use a computer system, most of the time
• Communicate with students, faculty and staff, most of the time.
• Write, type, and use the computer, telephone, copier, and other office equipment systems, most of the time.
• Move about inside the workspace to access resources and office equipment, and attend meetings across campus, regularly.
• Exert moderate force to move objects, occasionally.
• Think critically, concentrate on the task at hand, and respond quickly to changes in conditions, most of the time.

Work Conditions

• Must be willing and able to work a flexible schedule to meet requirements of the position, including teaching night or weekend classes.
• Must be able to work in offices, classrooms, virtually and in laboratory environments involves contact with faculty, students, staff, and parents on any given day.
• Work has deadlines, interruptions, moderate volume and can be stressful.
• Nothing in this job description restricts the university’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time;
• this description reflects the university’s assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned;

this job description is subject to change at any time.