Assistant Professor, Communications

The University of Tampa is a medium-sized, comprehensive, residentially based private institution of more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The University is ideally situated on a beautiful 110-acre campus next to the Hillsborough River, adjacent to Tampa’s dynamic central business district, which is a growing, vibrant, diverse metropolitan area. UT reflects this vibrancy; with 25 consecutive years of enrollment growth UT boasts 260 student organizations, a multicultural student body from 50 states and more than 100 countries, and “Top Tier” ranking in U.S. News and World Report.

The Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Letters at The University of Tampa invites applications for a tenure‑track Assistant Professor position with teaching and research interests in business and professional communication to begin in August 2027. The total teaching load is 3 courses (4 credits each course = 12 total credit hours) per semester over two 15‑week semesters per academic year.

This position will contribute to both the undergraduate Communication and Speech Studies (CSS) program and the graduate Master of Professional Communication (MAPC) program.

Desired qualifications include readiness to teach undergraduate courses such as SPE 200 Oral Communication, SPE 208 Speech for Business and the Professions, and SPE 308 Group Communication, along with MAPC graduate courses, as well as a willingness to potentially serve in a programmatic leadership role during the pre‑tenure process, such as SPE 208 Course Director or Center for Public Speaking Director.

Faculty are expected to be teacher‑scholars informed by their area of study when teaching and mentoring students. The ideal candidate will be committed to excellence in teaching, have proven experience engaging students in learning by doing, and be available to have teaching availability during the day and the evenings. Tenure‑track faculty are additionally expected to maintain a productive scholarly agenda and be engaged on campus.

The Department of Communication is the largest in the College of Arts and Letters, with four undergraduate majors:
Communication and Speech Studies;
Journalism;
Advertising and Public Relations; and Communication and Media Studies. The position sits specifically within the Communication and Speech Studies program and the hiring committee is composed of primarily CSS faculty members. The department also contributes to two interdisciplinary graduate programs, the MA in Professional Communication and the MA in Social and Emerging Media.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. or terminal degree in Communication or another closely related field by the time of appointment. The position is in beautiful Tampa, Florida. Salary and benefits are competitive.

Applications will be reviewed by the committee, with first‑round interviews conducted via Zoom and final‑round interviews taking place on campus. Finalists may be required to submit to a criminal background check.

The University of Tampa delivers challenging and high‑quality educational experiences to a diverse group of learners. The University has a strong core curriculum rooted in the liberal arts, an enduring commitment to internationalization that has garnered the Senator Paul Simon Award, and a practical, experiential approach to learning. The University offers more than 200 areas of study, including majors in our colleges of Arts and Letters, Business, Natural and Health Sciences and Social Sciences, Math and Education and 18 master's programs, and 3 professional doctoral programs.

The College of Arts and Letters (CAL) is a place where theory meets practice and expression meets experience. Guided by faculty who are talented artists and distinguished scholars, students come to CAL to study everything from fleeting snaps to enduring works of classic literature. The College is home to eight collaborative and innovative academic departments:
Art and Design, Communication, English and Writing, Film, Animation and New Media, Languages and Linguistics, Music, Philosophy and Religion, and Theatre and Dance. As a…