Lecturer/ Speech (Individual Events) Coach

Tenure Status: Non-Tenure Track

Department: Communication - 265100

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Communication or related field

Areas of Interest

• Experience coaching and/or competing in individual events
• Experience with, or understanding of, intercollegiate debate
• Experience teaching Public Speaking or related course

License/Certification Required

The ability and willingness to maintain a valid driver's license, to successfully complete Appalachian State's Multi-Passenger Vehicle Driver Approval Process and to drive a van to tournaments is required.

Description of the Department or Unit

The Department of Communication employs 41 full-time faculty members dedicated to teaching more than 1,000 students who major in advertising, communication studies, electronic media/broadcasting, digital journalism, and public relations. The department is also home to multiple award-winning student organizations and student-run media outlets, which are open to all students on campus: The Appalachian news organization, AppTV, The Peel Literature and Arts Review, Second Story Media, a student-run communication agency, WASU-FM radio, and the university's intercollegiate debate team. Departmental staff members who report to the chair include three full-time media advisors and an engineer who manages the production equipment and studios used in the department. Learn more at https://communication.appstate.edu

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Department of Communication at Appalachian State University welcomes applications for the position of Lecturer/Speech (Individual Events) Coach. The position will begin August 2026. The successful applicant will teach courses in the Department of Communication (including Thinking Through Communication and Public Speaking) and will coach a competitive, intercollegiate speech team, which is part of our forensics program that also includes a competitive debate team. Responsibilities also include advising students and serving on departmental committees. A Master's degree in Communication or related field and knowledge of intercollegiate forensics is required. Preference will be given to candidates with experience coaching and/or competing in individual events. Experience with, or understanding of, intercollegiate debate is also preferred.

The Forensics program focuses on assisting students in maximizing their learning and achieving their full potential as speakers. Duties of the Speech (IE) Coach include organizing and conducting team meetings, practice rounds and coaching sessions; traveling to tournaments as a supervisor, coach and judge; organizing recruitment and on-campus showcase events; promoting the team results; and other duties as determined by the Director of Forensics and the Department Chair.

• Teaching courses in the Department of Communication, including Public Speaking and Thinking Through Communication
• Serving as an academic advisor to students
• Serving on departmental committees
• Holding office hours as required by Appalachian State University
• Attending speech team meetings, and running them as needed
• Conducting and organizing practice rounds during the week as needed
• Running and organizing coaching sessions during the week as needed
• Running and organizing speech drills throughout the week
• Maintaining and organizing relevant folders on the team Google Drive
• Attending Speech/Debate tournaments as needed
• Leading and supervising team travel
• Assisting with topic preparation at tournaments
• Fulfilling judging obligation at tournaments
• Observing team members and offering post-round critique as available
• Assisting students with needs that arise over the course of a tournament
• Acting as a responsible party for handling inter-team conflict, or other issues that require leadership intervention
• Organizing recruitment events
• Organizing on-campus events that showcase the skills utilized in speech competition
• Reporting the results of tournaments to the appropriate promotional outlets
• Handling other duties as determined by the Director of Forensics and the Chair of the Department of Communication

Proposed Date of Hire: 08/01/2026

Suggested Salary Range: Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

To apply, visit https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/52037