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Title: Adjunct Faculty, Communication Studies

Area: College of Arts and Sciences

Department: Communication Studies

Employee Classification: Adjunct Faculty

Months per year: 4.5

Salary Range: $1,445 - $1,641 per credit (w/o Terminal degree: $1,445/credit; w/Terminal degree: $1,641/credit)

Review Date: April 4, 2025

Is this position eligible for relocation reimbursement or a signing bonus?: No

Job Purpose:

The Communication Studies Department at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, is seeking an instructor to teach one or two sections of COMM 100: Communication and Speech, beginning Fall 2025. We wish to welcome humanities-based teacher-scholars with a commitment to inclusive, equity-minded teaching to join a department with an innovative curriculum grounded in rhetoric, media, and cultural studies and animated by the concepts of social justice, civic engagement, and systems of power, privilege, and oppression.

We look forward to collaborating with a colleague who possesses strong pedagogical abilities, with particular sensitivity to inclusive, equity-minded teaching practices; who can address questions of diversity, equity, and social justice broadly considered; who can effectively teach the impacts and consequences of communication on society, media, culture, and identity; and who approaches communication as a constitutive material, social, cultural, and political endeavor.

We seek applicants who are invested in creative, reflective pedagogy and who have experience teaching about communication as symbolic action from a rhetorical, media, and/or cultural studies perspective. COMM 100, which is a requirement for all Gonzaga students, emphasizes communication as symbolic action and foregrounds civic engagement. This colleague may also be asked to teach one or more of our department’s theoretical foundation courses: Understanding Meaning-Making, Understanding Power in Culture, and Understanding Identity.

Additionally, while University service is not a requirement or an expectation for this position, all members of the department are invited and welcome to contribute to and participate in peer review of teaching activities, department committees, and special projects. Gonzaga University features an outstanding Center for Teaching and Advising that sponsors regular faculty development and education opportunities.

The Communication Studies Department is committed to inclusive excellence and to increasing the diversity of the campus community. Gonzaga University is a Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic institution, and is therefore interested in candidates who will contribute to its distinctive mission of educating students “for lives of leadership and service for the common good.” The University is committed to fostering “a mature commitment to dignity of the human person, social justice, diversity, intercultural competence, global engagement, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, and care for the planet.” Gonzaga’s campus sits adjacent to downtown Spokane, WA, along the Spokane River in the Inland Northwest’s most metropolitan region. We exist on the traditional homelands of the Spokane people, one of the Interior Salish speaking tribes of the region. Spokane is Washington’s second largest city and boasts a vibrant restaurant, entertainment, and arts community; it is also home to a diverse array of neighborhoods and popular outdoor recreational areas.

Successful applicants will have read the mission statement and engaged with it in their application materials. In alignment with Gonzaga University’s mission, we expect applicants to demonstrate commitment to issues of social justice, diversity, global engagement, and care for/solidarity with vulnerable and marginalized communities. We welcome applicants who can contribute to the departmental ethos and campus climate of inclusivity. Applicants are encouraged to describe their experiences with diverse populations and/or underrepresented and minoritized students.

Gonzaga University is an internationally prominent university with a faculty dedicated both to innovative teaching and ongoing teaching development and to socially transformative and justice-oriented research. We have a branch campus in Florence, Italy, as well as a robust study abroad program.

Essential Functions:

• Teaching one or two sections of COMM 100 per semester.
• Support the department, college, university, and discipline through service and other forms of academic citizenship.
• Hold office hours (amount determined in consultation with Department Chair).

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in Communication with concentrations in rhetoric, media, and/or cultural studies.
• Evidence of effective and reflective college-level teaching.
• Evidence of inclusive, equity-minded teaching practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Communication.
• Previous experience teaching a required Communication Studies introductory course to non-majors.

Educational Requirement:

Master's Degree

Physical & On-Campus Requirements:

• In-Office Presence: Ability to work on-site in typical office setting and participate in in-person meetings with colleagues: 5 days/week.
• Standing/Sitting: Ability to remain in a stationary position for a prolonged period: Daily (>75% of time).
• Walking: Ability to move about on foot to accomplish tasks: Daily (>75% of time).
• Lifting/Carrying: Ability to move or transport objects up to a specified weight: Often (50%-75% of time).
• Attention to Detail: Ability to focus on detailed tasks for extended periods: Daily (>75% of time).
• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify and resolve issues effectively: Daily (>75% of time).

Required Application Materials:

1. Cover letter that addresses the applicant's alignment with Gonzaga's Jesuit, Catholic, and humanistic mission.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. Statement of teaching philosophy that includes reflection on: a) your role and methods as a teacher, b) your goals for student learning and your approach to assessing that learning, and c) your ongoing growth as a teacher.
4. Statement of inclusive, equity-minded teaching that includes reflection on: a) how you create an environment in which all your students can learn, b) your strategies for including a diversity of perspectives, voices, and lived experiences in the learning process, c) your experience supporting traditionally underrepresented students in higher education (e.g., race, ability, LGBTQ+, first-gen).
5. Copies of graduate school transcripts; and
6. Names and contact information for at least three (3) professional references will be collected from advancing candidates during the interview process. References will be sent a link to upload a confidential letter of recommendation.