Position Title: Assistant Professor

Employee Classification: LC Faculty TT/TN 9m

College/Division: Arts and Sciences College

Department: 330450-COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable):

Target Hourly/Salary Rate:  Commensurate with qualifications

Appointment Full-time Equivalency:  1.0

Exempt or Non-Exempt:  Exempt

Summary:  Join the Department of Communication Studies at New Mexico State University! We are seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor to teach communication studies and develop an innovative research program.

Classification Summary:
NMSU invites applicants for a full-time 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor in Communication Studies with a research interest in Communication Science/Global Communication. Specific areas of scholarship include artificial intelligence, augmented or virtual realities, and/or international communication. Research methods that utilize quantitative, qualitative, or computational approaches are highly encouraged. Other desired areas of scholarship and intellectual interest include political communication, environmental communication, conflict management, risk communication, nonprofit communication, and/or community engagement. Candidates will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in theory and methods, as well as have the opportunity to develop courses in their area of scholarship and teaching interests.

Classification Standard Duties:
Faculty in this position are responsible for teaching a 3/3 load, conducting and publishing empirically based research in their field of inquiry, collaborating with students and other research teams, contributing to curriculum development, participating in service and outreach activities, and engaging in strategic initiatives aligned with the university, college, and department of Communication Studies at NMSU. Faculty are expected to contribute to the department, college, and university’s mission to advance innovation and address regional, national, and global challenges through research and education.

Required Education, Experience, Certification/License, Equivalency
Education: earned Ph.D. in Communication or a closely related field by time of hire, August 2026. Candidates who are ABD will be considered, but they must have completed their Ph.D. by August 2026.

Experience: Evidence of scholarly productivity, commitment to excellence in teaching engaging undergraduate and graduate courses in their area of expertise, student mentorship, and a strong potential or demonstrated record for obtaining external research funding. Strong candidates will have taught traditional face-to-face 16-week semesters and have experience with 8-week asynchronous course formats.

Additional Qualifications:
Ability to work effectively in a collaborative and collegiate academic environment, can demonstrate a strong record of published scholarship and effective teaching at the collegiate level, as well as a strong desire and interest in pursuing external funding.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge: Advanced understanding of Human Communication, specifically Communication Science or Global Communication scholarship and course development.

Skills: ability to conduct independent research and produce scholarly research, and effective teaching methods for collegiate courses in a face-to-face and asynchronous format.

Abilities: conduct empirical-based research in the area of interest and engage in service and outreach.

Teaching and Curriculum Development: This position requires candidates to teach face-to-face courses in Las Cruces and develop new courses in their area of expertise. Experience with asynchronous course design is a plus.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
Faculty in this position are expected to teach a 3/3 course load of undergraduate and graduate courses in a face-to-face setting each spring and fall semester on the Las Cruces Campus, which offers courses in a traditional 16-week semester. Candidates will also have the opportunity to teach in our NMSU Global program, which offers 8-week asynchronous courses. Both a BA in Communication Studies and an MA with a concentration in Leadership Communication are offered through NMSU Global.

Candidates are also expected to conduct and publish original empirically based research in the area of Science and/or Global Communication, as well as engage in Service and Outreach.

Preferred Qualifications

Special Requirements of the Position

Department Contact:  Jeanne Flora, 575-646-2801, floraj@nmsu.edu

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Bargaining Unit Eligibility: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule: 

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.