What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant/Associate Professor of Communication position at Design Observer?
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.
Major Responsibilities
The School of Communication follows university-wide tenure and promotion processes, guided by a governance document that outlines the activities and accomplishments considered in evaluations. This document provides clear criteria for teaching, research/creative activities, and service, while also allowing for flexibility depending on individual faculty members’ areas of expertise and contributions. Tenure candidates typically undergo formal reviews in their second and fourth years before undergoing a final review for tenure in the sixth year. Candidates will be evaluated based on their scholarly and/or creative work, teaching effectiveness, and service to the department, university, and profession.
Review of applications will begin April 10, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should visit http://www.wmich.edu/hr/jobs to apply.
Online applications include: 1. Curriculum vita 2. Letter of application that addresses fulfillment of qualifications and demonstrates skills, knowledge, and/or success in diversity, equity, and inclusion work 3. Candidates should submit evidence of teaching effectiveness and portfolio samples. This may include syllabi, student project briefs, and work products using relevant design tools (e.g., Figma prototypes, Adobe Creative Suite, user research reports, or motion graphics). Applicants are also encouraged to include sample syllabi from courses such as:
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 17 tenured/tenuretrack 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, to include 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 also boasts several active lab facilities that support innovative research and creative work. These include the Communication & Social Robotics Labs, the upcoming Experience Design (XD) Lab, and other specialized spaces designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning. 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. College The College of Arts and Sciences represents the foundation of learning and the academic heart of WMU. As articulated in the College of Arts and Sciences strategic plan, we are committed to fostering a community of diverse, inclusive, equitable, and globally engaged scholars, learners, and leaders. With 23 departments and interdisciplinary schools and institutes, WMU’s largest college offers a broad range of learning opportunities and career paths for our students. CAS students are among the very top students in the country, having received very competitive awards including Goldwater Fellowships, Udall Scholarships, Boren Fellowships, and Fulbright awards, among others. Kalamazoo Kalamazoo is located only two and a half hours by car from Chicago and Detroit and only 45 minutes from the beaches of Lake Michigan. It is in one of Michigan’s designated research corridors, maintaining a strong life sciences/biotech presence and supporting two leading medical centers. With 263,000 people in the greater Kalamazoo area, the community offers an array of cultural events, entertainment, and all-season recreation. The city supports an international keyboard competition and a nationally recognized symphony and has earned a reputation for a vibrant community theatre and visual arts scene. Relatedly, Kalamazoo is committed to social justice, community development and the elimination of generational poverty through its Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo initiative, with structural budgetary support provided by the City of Kalamazoo’s Foundation for Excellence program. Kalamazoo also is the home of the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship program offered to all Kalamazoo Public School students that covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees to all Michigan public (and many private) institutions of higher learning.
Major Responsibilities
- Maintain a nationally recognized research agenda
- Mentor undergraduate and graduate students
- Participate in departmental and college service
- Engage in curriculum development
- Develop experiential learning opportunities Minimum
- Ph.D. in Communication, Mass Communication, or relevant field (ABDs are eligible for consideration but are required to complete their degree requirements by August 5, 2026)
- Demonstrated strong potential for a nationally recognized program of research
- Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching
- Demonstrated record of contributions or a commitment to integrating inclusivity and equity into scholarship, teaching, service, or student mentoring Preferred Qualifications
- Experience teaching courses in digital media, interactive design, media and telecommunications, and user experience.
- experience teaching/using Adobe Creative Suite, with the ability to adapt to rapid advances in digital video technology, experience teaching/using interactive design software such as Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, and front-end web development frameworks (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React), familiarity with virtual and augmented reality design tools or mobile app development environments, or experience with user research methodologies (e.g., prototyping, wireframing, usability testing).
- Scholarship or creative activity that demonstrates a commitment to social justice issues
- Experience with experiential learning and student/faculty research collaboration
The School of Communication follows university-wide tenure and promotion processes, guided by a governance document that outlines the activities and accomplishments considered in evaluations. This document provides clear criteria for teaching, research/creative activities, and service, while also allowing for flexibility depending on individual faculty members’ areas of expertise and contributions. Tenure candidates typically undergo formal reviews in their second and fourth years before undergoing a final review for tenure in the sixth year. Candidates will be evaluated based on their scholarly and/or creative work, teaching effectiveness, and service to the department, university, and profession.
Review of applications will begin April 10, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should visit http://www.wmich.edu/hr/jobs to apply.
Online applications include: 1. Curriculum vita 2. Letter of application that addresses fulfillment of qualifications and demonstrates skills, knowledge, and/or success in diversity, equity, and inclusion work 3. Candidates should submit evidence of teaching effectiveness and portfolio samples. This may include syllabi, student project briefs, and work products using relevant design tools (e.g., Figma prototypes, Adobe Creative Suite, user research reports, or motion graphics). Applicants are also encouraged to include sample syllabi from courses such as:
- Introduction to UX/UI Design or web development
- Introduction to Media and Telecommunications.
- Advanced Interactive Media
- Digital Prototyping and User Testing
- HCI in Communication Technology 4. Unofficial copies of graduate transcripts Please direct any questions to Dr. Chad Edwards, chair of the search committee, at chad.edwards@wmich.edu.
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 17 tenured/tenuretrack 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, to include 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 also boasts several active lab facilities that support innovative research and creative work. These include the Communication & Social Robotics Labs, the upcoming Experience Design (XD) Lab, and other specialized spaces designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning. 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. College The College of Arts and Sciences represents the foundation of learning and the academic heart of WMU. As articulated in the College of Arts and Sciences strategic plan, we are committed to fostering a community of diverse, inclusive, equitable, and globally engaged scholars, learners, and leaders. With 23 departments and interdisciplinary schools and institutes, WMU’s largest college offers a broad range of learning opportunities and career paths for our students. CAS students are among the very top students in the country, having received very competitive awards including Goldwater Fellowships, Udall Scholarships, Boren Fellowships, and Fulbright awards, among others. Kalamazoo Kalamazoo is located only two and a half hours by car from Chicago and Detroit and only 45 minutes from the beaches of Lake Michigan. It is in one of Michigan’s designated research corridors, maintaining a strong life sciences/biotech presence and supporting two leading medical centers. With 263,000 people in the greater Kalamazoo area, the community offers an array of cultural events, entertainment, and all-season recreation. The city supports an international keyboard competition and a nationally recognized symphony and has earned a reputation for a vibrant community theatre and visual arts scene. Relatedly, Kalamazoo is committed to social justice, community development and the elimination of generational poverty through its Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo initiative, with structural budgetary support provided by the City of Kalamazoo’s Foundation for Excellence program. Kalamazoo also is the home of the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship program offered to all Kalamazoo Public School students that covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees to all Michigan public (and many private) institutions of higher learning.
