Academic Unit Head, School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Working Title:
Academic Unit Head, School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

State Role

Title:

N/A

Position Type:Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Arts and Letters

Department: 100361 - Writing, Rhetoric and Tech Comm

Pay Band:N/A

Pay Rate:Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position?No

Is this a grant-funded position?No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position?No

Beginning Review Date:11/09/2026

Mission

We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision

To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are

Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

The School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication, which is part of the university's College of Arts and Letters, has approximately 40 full- and part-time faculty members. The program is a vibrant stand-alone writing department dedicated to the art and science of writing across a variety of modes and genres. The School offers B.A. and B.S. degrees, a minor, and an M.A. in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication.

It also has a strong presence in the university's General Education Program, offering over 150 sections of first-year writing each year. The program's innovative curriculum emphasizes critical rhetorical awareness in creating and consuming user centered texts; navigating the ethical complexities of emerging technologies; and hands-on workplace experience, with students completing a required internship and working with clients and partners regularly.

The department is part of JMU's College of Arts and Letters, which enrolls more than 3,100 undergraduate majors and about 150 graduate students across ten academic units. Home to several interdisciplinary centers and institutes, the college embraces the teacher-scholar model and encourages excellent applicants within our particular disciplines, as well as scholars and teachers eager to work across them.

We seek a faculty advocate with a strong and continuing record of research and teaching experience that is consistent with appointment at the level of advanced Associate or Full Professor at an R2 institution. The AUH, or department chair, is a 12-month tenured appointment with a 1-1 teaching load, beginning July 1, 2027.

• * hold a Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Technical Communication, or Writing Studies (or a related field with substantial graduate coursework in a Writing Studies field) and have attained the rank of advanced Associate or Full Professor, with a record of teaching and research achievement meriting consideration of tenure upon appointment;
• *…