Weston&Sampson, Inc. is hiring: Assistant/Associate Professor - Communication -

Salary Range Commensurate with experience. Generous benefit package.

Number of Vacancies: 1.0

General Summary

The School of Communication at Western Michigan University invites applications for a full-time, academic year, tenure-track position in digital media, interactive design, and user experience at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, to begin August 2026. The successful candidate will contribute to a dynamic program in communication that situates digital media, interactive design, and user experience within a liberal arts curriculum, emphasizing critical thinking to inform student work. Candidates with scholarship that demonstrates a commitment to social justice issues are especially encouraged to apply. Review of applications begins April 10, 2025.

Major Duties

• Teach digital media, interactive design, and user experience courses in their area(s) of expertise, engage in curriculum development, participate in departmental and college committees, and develop industry relationships.
• Maintain a nationally recognized research and/or creative activities agenda and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
• Teach foundational courses is also expected.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. Communication, Mass Communication, or relevant discipline (ABDs are eligible for consideration but are required to complete their degree requirements by August 4, 2026) from an accredited institution.
• Provide evidence of strong potential to develop and maintain a nationally recognized program of scholarship and demonstrate the capacity for excellence in teaching.
• A scholar with the desire to teach foundational courses in digital media as well as interactive design, participatory content creation, and user-centered messaging.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience teaching major non-linear editing software in the Macintosh environment (e.g., Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro), with the ability to adapt to rapid advances in digital video technology.
• Demonstrate a record of contributions or a commitment to diversity and inclusion in their scholarship, creative activity, teaching, service, and/or student mentoring.

Special Instructions to Applicants

The School of Communication at Western Michigan University embraces the philosophy of engaged scholarship – a philosophy that grounds our theory and research in a practical effort to make an impact on our personal relationships, organizations, communities, society, and the global community. We have a nationally recognized master’s program and 18 tenured/tenure-track faculty who have national and international research and creative activity records and who are actively engaged in student mentoring. Our graduate program engages students in public scholarship, providing transparent criteria for student success, and employs the best practices such as teamwork, interdisciplinary approaches, and mentoring. Our undergraduate curriculum serves approximately 400 students in five majors, including Communication Studies; Digital Media and Journalism; Film, Video, and Media Studies; Interpersonal Communication; and Strategic Communication – and 150 students in three minors: Communication, User-Experience/ Human-Computer Interaction (UX/ HCI), and Journalism. This position coincides with a $42.3M renovation of Dunbar Hall, which includes a highly visible broadcast production space ideal for live news and sports shows, interviews with visiting scholars, professionals, or alumni, chroma key, photography shoots, or other performance-based activities.

The School of Communication is committed to the University’s strategic direction on inclusive excellence and equity and actively works to promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive University culture to ensure social sustainability and accessibility. We strongly encourage applications from candidates in underrepresented groups, including those with physical disabilities, neurological disabilities, as well as multilingual candidates for whom English is not a first language. We seek all candidates who have a passion for inclusion, accessibility, and related themes.

In support of the School of Communication’s commitment to scholarly and creative activity, the successful candidate will enjoy many opportunities to develop their research and/or production activity portfolio. Travel funding will be provided, with support for presenting at conferences, publishing in professional publications, creative activities, and developing leadership experience.

Go to: wmich.edu/hr/employees/faculty for benefits and other information.

WMU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities and all other qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.