Position Overview

The University of Kansas seeks an Assistant Professor of Political Communication and Health in the Department of Communication Studies to begin in August 2024. This position is a full-time, tenure-track, academic-year appointment.

We seek a colleague who works at the intersection of political communication and health. Political communication is central to local, state, national, and international public and policy related health processes and contexts. Candidates for this position may have scholarly interests in subjects such as health-related messages generated by political actors in mediated contexts; health (mis)information shared through mass and digital media; the effects of political messages on health attitudes, knowledge, behavior, and policy; among other topics. The ideal candidate will build on the department’s core strengths, including a focus on disadvantaged social groups in political and health settings (e.g., underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, people of the global majority, LGBTQIA+ identified populations, women, people with diverse abilities and health conditions, food insecure populations, etc.). For this position, we seek a social scientist who brings innovative quantitative and/or qualitative methods to the department (e.g., computational social science, field experiments, qualitative analysis).

Founded in 1865, the University of Kansas is a Carnegie doctoral/research-extensive university and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Current enrollment at KU is 28,500, with students drawn from 110+ nations and all 50 states. Approximately 20% of KU students are members of underrepresented groups. The University offers opportunities to collaborate in its graduate and professional programs, which include public health, medicine, and a number of allied social science and humanities disciplines. KU prides itself on championship winning basketball and debate teams. The University of Kansas has a world-class academic Medical Center that includes the School of Health Professions, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing.

KU’s residential campus is in the center of a vibrant and culturally-rich community — a quintessential college town. Visitors, students, and new employees from outside the area enjoy a thriving downtown, diverse local and regional events, area lakes, vibrant arts and music scenes, and an indelible history. Lawrence, a progressive college town with a population of approximately 95,000, boasts a lively scene with many music venues, award-winning restaurants, and a nationally celebrated independent bookstore among its many independently owned small businesses. Lawrence is located 40 minutes west of metropolitan Kansas City and 30 minutes east of Topeka, the state capital. The short drive to Kansas City provides quick access to historic jazz clubs, museums, world-class music and theater venues, and professional sports teams.

At the University of Kansas, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are an important part of our culture and university strategic plan. Applications from members of underrepresented groups are encouraged, noting the value that differences bring to our organization, students, staff, faculty, and community. The Jayhawks Rising Strategic Plan was developed around three Institutional Priorities: creating a clear and ambitious direction to fulfill our mission to educate leaders, building healthy communities, and making discoveries that change the world. Additional information is available at https://jayhawksrising.ku.edu/.


Job Description

This position is situated in the Department of Communication Studies. The department is celebrating its 100th anniversary during the 2023-2024 academic year. The department serves approximately 400+ majors and minors at the undergraduate level and approximately 45 graduate students across our M.A. and Ph.D. programs. The championship-winning KU debate team is also within the Department of Communication Studies. The department currently has 20 full-time faculty members who are organized into two dominant areas of expertise: (1) Rhetoric and Political Communication and (2) Relationships and Social Interaction. Ideal candidates will complement the department’s existing strengths in political communication. The Department of Communication Studies takes inclusion, diversity, equity, and access as central values and maintains that we should treat each other with respect and dignity. We seek a colleague who upholds these values in their teaching, research, and service. To learn more about our departmental initiatives, please visit our webpage: https://coms-idea.ku.edu/.

The Department of Communication Studies is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which is the largest school on campus and plays a central role within the University. The College emphasizes interdisciplinary, experiential learning and global awareness, houses a vibrant university wide Honors Program, and has created strong affiliations with outstanding cross-disciplinary research centers, including the Institute for Policy and Social Research, the Institute for Leadership Studies, and the Hall Center for the Humanities. College faculty and research staff are welcomed as members in all KU’s designated research centers and institutes.

Job Duties
Research (40%) - Tenure-track faculty contribute to the research mission of the Department of Communication Studies through a program of research that leads to publication of academic scholarship in articles, books, proceedings, or other works such as presentations at professional and academic conferences. The tenure-track faculty member for this position is expected to develop original scholarship in their area of expertise related to political communication and health.

Teaching (40%) - The expected teaching load is a 2/2 (typically two classes in the fall semester and two classes in the spring semester; four classes total) taught each academic year. Courses will be taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels across the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degree programs. This tenure-track faculty member is expected to teach existing courses in political communication and to develop new courses related to political communication and health. Other duties of this position include developing and updating curriculum, supervising and mentoring graduate teaching assistants, and assisting with curricular assessments among other duties as assigned.

Service (20%) - The candidate will contribute to service in the department, college, university, discipline, and community. Ideal candidates will demonstrate their ability to work in collegial and collaborative environments.
Faculty Code of Conduct
All faculty and staff members are expected to act in a manner that promotes collegial relationships and shows respect toward students, staff, and colleagues. Faculty members are expected to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the Faculty Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, currently viewable at: http://policy.ku.edu/FacultyCodeKULawrence/faculty-code-of-rights.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. or be near completion of a Ph.D. in the discipline of communication or a closely related field (e.g., mass communication, journalism, political science, media studies). The doctoral degree should be completed before the start date of hire; ABD candidates are welcome to apply;
Potential for a productive research agenda in topics at the intersection of political communication and health communication;
Potential for effective student mentorship; and
Potential for teaching college courses.