"COFAC-3904, Associate Professor or Full Professor; Chairperson"

Towson University (TU) is one of the nation’s top 100 public universities. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University fosters a climate that is grounded in respect to cultivate the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.

Position: The College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC) invites applications for Chairperson of the Department of Communication Studies with the faculty rank of Associate or Full Professor. Preferred start date July 2026.

Qualifications: PhD in Communication Studies, or a related field, and should be eligible for consideration as associate or full professor. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success as an educational leader at the department, college or university level, with a minimum of 3 years of administrative experience that includes a strong record of teaching, service, and scholarship within the field of Communication Studies. The candidate must be committed to the department’s emphasis on interdisciplinarity in scholarship and teaching.

Responsibilities: The chairperson is both a faculty member and departmental leader. In addition to the expectations of a faculty member in terms of teaching, scholarship and service, the role of the chairperson will emphasize leadership. Working closely with the faculty and staff in the department, the Chair is responsible for guiding the department administratively. The Chair will lead faculty and staff to create an effective learning organization by: Ensuring that the needs of the students in the programs supported by the department are met; Supporting the scholarship and professional growth of faculty and staff; Supporting the department’s commitment to mentoring for students, staff and faculty; Providing recommendations regarding faculty reappointment, merit, tenure and promotion and staff performance evaluations; Fostering curricular innovation and experiential learning to grow student enrollment; Supporting program development for the Public Communication Center, the Cultural Studies Program, TUNE, the Debate Program, and the Graduate Program; Increasing scholarships and Study Abroad/Away funding for students; Advocating for the academic mission, values, and needs of the department, college, and university; Assuming administrative responsibility in staffing classes and collaborating with department faculty/staff in planning the schedule; Supervising assessment of programs and courses and leading review of academic programs; Increasing visibility of the department across the university; Administering the departmental budget and collaborating with the department faculty in the planning of the budget; Serving as the Department's representative and liaison with other University offices and departments; serving on elected and appointed committees and acceptance of other duties as assigned by the Dean.

The Department: The department (www.towson.edu/comm) offers undergraduate majors in Communication Studies and Cultural Studies and undergraduate minors in Communication Studies, Cultural Studies, and Professional Communication. At the graduate level, the department offers a Master of Arts in Communication and Advocacy. The department offers the majors and minors at our main campus and our Towson University Northeast (TUNE) campus and annually enrolls approximately 400 majors served by 14 full-time and 25 part-time faculty members. Department faculty specialize in rhetoric, organizational communication, critical/cultural studies, performance studies, intercultural communication, and critical/qualitative research methods.

Application Process: Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. A letter of application addressing the candidate’s unique profile in relation to this position and the department. Please address teaching, scholarship and administrative experience in the letter. A current CV with the names of at least three references and contact information (letters of recommendation may be requested from candidates who continue to a later stage of the process). Unofficial transcripts of institutions of higher learning. A one-page philosophy of leadership statement. Click here to apply. Please note that the search number for which you are applying is COFAC-3904.

Salary and Benefits: Targeted salary range: Associate Professor, $115,000-$120,000; Full Professor, $125,000-$130,000 commensurate with experience. Benefits: TU offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent health, life and retirement plans; and tuition remission.