Assistant Professor in Public Relations

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in Public Relations in both the on-campus and SJSU Online degree programs.
• Teach core and elective courses in areas such as public relations writing, research, media relations, digital and social media, strategic planning, crisis communication, and campaigns.
• Develop and maintain an active program of research, scholarship, or creative activity that contributes to the field of public relations or strategic communication. Design and deliver inclusive, engaging, and applied learning experiences appropriate to in-person and online instructional environments.
• Advise and mentor students regarding academic progress, internships, professional development, and career preparation.
• Contribute to curriculum development, assessment, accreditation, and ongoing program improvement.
• Cultivate relationships with public relations professionals, community partners, and professional organizations to support experiential learning and student opportunities. The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity—in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation—through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Requirements

• Masters degree (MFA, MA, MS) in Public Relations, Strategic Communication, Mass Communication, Communication, or a closely related discipline by the start of the appointment. Candidates who are ABD may be considered, provided the degree is completed by the start of the appointment.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred

• PhD in Public Relations, Strategic Communication, Mass Communication, Communication, or a closely related discipline by the start of the appointment. Candidates who are ABD may be considered, provided the doctoral degree is completed by the start of the appointment.
• Experience teaching public relations courses in online (synchronous/asynchronous), hybrid, and in-person formats.
• Ability to teach core public relations courses, particularly public relations writing, crisis, research methods, digital and social media, strategic planning, and campaigns. ● Professional experience in agency, corporate, nonprofit, government, or community based public relations.
• A developed or developing research or creative agenda in public relations, strategic communication, digital media, artificial intelligence, or emerging communication technologies.
• Experience integrating artificial intelligence, social listening, media monitoring, digital analytics, multimedia production, or data visualization into public relations teaching, research, or professional practice.
• Experience with client-based projects, experiential learning, community-engaged learning, or other innovative teaching approaches.
• Evidence of scholarly, teaching, or professional achievement, including publications, grants, awards, accreditation, or industry recognition.
• Experience mentoring and advising students from varied educational, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Engagement with professional or scholarly organizations such as PRSA, PRSSA, AEJMC, ICA, or NCA.
• Breadth of experience that supports curriculum development, internship programs, student-run agencies, or partnerships with professional and community organizations.

Benefits

• Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.