"Teaching Assistant/Associate/Full Professor and Director of Public Speaking Instruction"

Job Details

Teaching Assistant/Associate/Full Professor and Director of Public Speaking Instruction Department of Communication University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Department of Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks applicants to be a Teaching Asst/Assoc/Full Professor and the Director of Public Speaking Instruction. The Director will be charged with serving as the Course Director for Communication 101, a multi-section public speaking course that is the highest enrollment course in the department (more than 2000 students per year). The Director will oversee all aspects of Communication 101. This position will include a teaching component with up to three courses per academic year. The teaching assignment will include a mixture of Communication 101 and other Department of Communication courses as needed. The Director will be appointed as a specialized faculty member in the Department of Communication. The anticipated title is teaching assistant professor; however, candidates with extensive experience related to professorial appointments may be considered for teaching associate and teaching full professor titles. A doctorate in Communication or a related field is required at the time of appointment. In addition to teaching, the Director will be responsible for administering all aspects of the course. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Train, mentor, and supervise teaching assistants that are assigned to teach in Communication 101.
• Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and supervise additional teaching assistants and full-time staff as needed.
• Design curriculum, syllabi, and course materials while remaining consistent with the Illinois Articulation Initiative’s oral communication guidelines.
• Review and make decisions on textbooks, handbooks, and multimedia materials.
• Oversee the course’s Learning Management System.
• Work with department to schedule sections strategically to balance student demand with staff availability.
• Meet with students to discuss grade issues or complaints regarding the course.
• Adjudicate and process academic integrity cases.
• Build relationships with various academic advising, student success, and student affairs offices around campus to better serve students.
• Work with Directors of Communication 111/112 and the Speakers Workshop to develop collaborations and shared resources.
• Oversee articulations of course transfer requests.
• Build relationships with campus units to increase enrollment and assure the course's service to the campus-wide community.
• Report regularly to the head of the Department of Communication about challenges and successes within the course.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A doctorate in Communication or related field.
• At least two years of university-level teaching of public speaking or instruction in other courses requiring substantial presentational skills.
• Demonstrated promise of excellent leadership.
• Demonstrated experience working successfully in communication-focused settings with students from varied backgrounds, including but not limited to socioeconomic status, veteran status, places of origin, family background, gender, race and ethnicity, neurodiversity, varied physical abilities, and the intersection of these.
• Ability to teach all components of public speaking, from preparation to presentation.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience supervising or working in a multi-section course.
• Experience with supervising or mentoring new teachers.
• Experience with assessment and course evaluation.

SALARY AND APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

The Teaching Assistant/Associate/Full Professor position is a full-time, benefits-eligible, 9-month, non-tenure track position, renewable yearly subject to enrollments, funding, and positive performance evaluation. The Director of Public Speaking Instruction appointment is a 0% administrative position appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is July 1, 2026. The budgeted salary range for the position is $65,000-$77,000 plus $12,000 administrative stipend for serving as the Director of Public Speaking Instruction. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints. Employee benefits are competitive and include those in recognized marriages or civil unions (for same-sex and different-sex partners).

Application Procedures & Deadline Information Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on September 15, 2025. To apply for this position, please create a candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of application, curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., teaching portfolio, student evaluations, etc.), statement of research interests, and contact information for three professional references. Applicants should also include a statement detailing how their teaching, service and/or scholarship has contributed to the success of students from racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds that are underrepresented in their academic field. Letters of recommendation may be requested electronically from reference contacts at a later date. For further information about this specific position, please contact Cara Finnegan, Professor and Search Chair, caraf@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.