Location: Moraga, CA
Open Date: May 08, 2024
Deadline: May 22, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description:Background:

Founded in 1863, Saint Mary's is a residential campus nestled 20 miles east of San Francisco in the picturesque Moraga Valley. Based in the Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions, Saint Mary's currently enrolls more than 4,000 students from diverse backgrounds in undergraduate and graduate programs. The De La Salle Christian Brothers, the largest teaching order of the Roman Catholic Church, guide the spiritual and academic character of the College.

As a comprehensive and independent institution, Saint Mary's offers undergraduate and graduate programs integrating liberal and professional education. Saint Mary's reputation for excellence, innovation and responsiveness in education stems from its vibrant heritage as a Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts institution. An outstanding, committed faculty and staff that value shared inquiry, integrative learning and student interaction bring these traditions to life in the 21st century. The College is committed to the educational benefits of diversity.

The Communication Department seeks to hire a per-course faculty member to teach Comm 110, Rhetoric and Public Discourse, in the Fall of 2024.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11:40am - 12:55pm

This course will be taught in person, on campus.

Course Description

This course examines general principles of argument and advocacy as they relate to rhetorically creating change in different spheres of social life. Communication scholar, Rod Hart, writes that advocacy “is the human creature's most natural way of changing the world. It is also the most civilized way of doing so. Bombs, torture and mayhem change the world too, but those are primitive modalities and they lead to unstable outcomes. Symbolic influence is better. It lasts longer and it's less noisy.” Students will explain the importance of communication in civic life and explore how the conventions of argument change-and how advocacy functions-in different societal spheres. Students will develop an understanding of argument and evaluation theories, while also embodying those theories by developing practical advocacy and critical appraisal strategies. Finally, students will identify the challenges faced by communities and the role of communication in contributing to the resolution of those challenges. This course involves significant public speaking (speeches) as well as some writing.


Qualifications:
Candidates should have a graduate degree (PhD or equivalent preferred) in Communication or related field with evidenced teaching experience. The position requires a familiarity with and commitment to the Communication field, student-centered teaching, and a liberal arts education, as well as an appreciation of and respect for the social justice oriented learning/teaching environment St. Mary's fosters as a Lasallian educational institution.

Candidates must reside in California.

Salary: $7,447-$10,308 dependent on qualifications. The salary range for this position is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the College and SEIU, Local 1021, available here.


To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/145987