Assistant Professor of Communication, UAF College of Liberal Arts

To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized for unrestricted employment in the United States. No work visas will be sponsored for this position.

The College of Liberal Arts Department of Communication seeks a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Communication to join the team on the University of Alaska Troth Yeddha campus in Fairbanks, Alaska. The successful applicant will be qualified to teach Public Relations, Foundational COM Theory, Organizational Communication Theory and Practice, & Research Methods at the upper-division and graduate levels; teach general education courses in communication to support the general education curriculum; and advise undergraduate and graduate students. Experience in online instructional design and teaching in Canvas or a comparable LMS is required. It is preferred applicants have experience chairing MA Thesis/Project Committees as well as experience advising students to ensure progress toward degree completion.

The candidate is expected to serve on department committees and thesis/project committees. The candidate may serve on College of Liberal Arts and university-wide committees; perform community outreach; and perform other duties as assigned.

We are especially interested in applicants who bring complementary areas of expertise that will diversify our course offerings. Complementary areas of expertise that particularly interest the department are Interpersonal Communication, Leadership, Science Communication, Indigenous Studies, Critical Cultural Studies, Mixed Methods Research, and LGBTQ+ Studies.

The Department of Communication offers a minor, BA, Accelerated BA/MA, and a MA in Professional Communication.

To thrive in this role, the applicant should possess experience in teaching in the field of study at the college/university level, as well as experience developing curriculum and teaching materials for various teaching modalities. The ability to work with and instruct students of different backgrounds and with different learning styles is of extreme importance. You will be expected to teach 2-3 courses per semester. Depending on the needs of the department, you may be required to teach foundational courses.

To thrive in this role, candidates should have a strong interest in teaching and mentoring students in online modalities and have experience in instructional design and pedagogy. They need to be comfortable with learning and using instructional technologies in their courses.

The primary focus will be on sustaining course offerings for COM Undergraduate and Graduate students. In addition, the position will support graduate students working on COM-related theses/projects. The successful candidate will also build COM curriculum to continue to diversify COM course offerings.

In addition, the successful candidate will be part of a small, close-knit department that values teamwork, respect, and mutual support, and needs to be comfortable working as an active team member.

Minimum Qualifications:

PhD in Communication at time of appointment.

Evidence of preparation to teach upper-division and/or graduate-level courses in Public Relations, Foundational Communication Theory, Organizational Communication Theory and Practice, and Research Methods.

Experience with online instructional design and online teaching in Canvas or a comparable Learning Management System (LMS).

Position Details:

This position is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha' campus in Fairbanks, Alaska. This is a full-time, faculty position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, faculty time off, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. 

Application review will begin on February 01, 2027. To ensure consideration, please submit your application by 11:55 PM Alaska Standard Time on January 31, 2027.

Please include the following with your application:

1. Cover letter

2. CV

3. Philosophy of teaching and research statement

4. Article length essay or published work

5. Transcripts showing PhD matriculation

6. Names and contact information for current supervisor, past supervisor, and one other professional reference

☎️If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Ellen Cruse or Miriam Stelges, CLA HR Coordinators, at uaf-cla-hr@alaska.edu or 907-474-7231.

This position is represented by United Academics-AAUP/AFT (UNAC). https://unitedacademicsak.org/

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at ua-ada@alaska.edu.

The University of Alaska (www.alaska.edu) is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution.  The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

All employees at the University of Alaska are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism when conducting or engaged in university business.

*Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.  The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.  

Access to the reports is available at:

UAA: (Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension) Online: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person: UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or police@uaa.alaska.edu / 907-786-1214 or uaa_deanofstudents@alaska.edu. 

UAF: (Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus) Online: https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or uaf-orca@alaska.edu.

UAS: (Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus) Online:  https://uas.alaska.edu/compliance/clery-act/annual-security-reports.html. Request a paper copy in person: Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing  uas.orca@alaska.edu.