IMPORTANT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Upload Resume or Curriculum Vitae for automatic population of information to the application.The contact information, work experience, and education listed on your Resume/CV will be parsed and input into your Montclair application.Review information and double-check all fields containing information that the system parsed – the software is intelligent, but you need to verify that the data is accurate.In the “My Experience” section, you will find a Resume/CV upload option where you can submit your cover letter and all other supporting documents.

Note: If you have an expansive CV, we recommend that you apply manually and only include the positions you have held in the last ten (10) years. You will then be able to attach your Resume/CV, as well as all other supporting documentation in the "My Experience" section of your application.

Job Description

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University invites applications for a faculty member to serve as chair for the Department of Journalism and Sports Media. Qualified candidates will have a distinguished record of teaching, research/creative work, and service that qualifies the for tenure on appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. This person will have the opportunity to lead an engaged and talented faculty in ensuring academic and co-curricular programs are contemporary and industry aligned while continuing to build the national reputation and distinctiveness of programs within the department. They will also lead the department in furthering critical interdisciplinary work both in the School and across the University. The department chair will provide leadership in supporting external engagement with industry and community, lead the department in best practices in a range of administrative functions, and champion new programs and curricula that prepares students for the collective future workplace.

This opportunity comes at an exciting time for the School, as it will officially become a separate College beginning July 1, 2025, creating new prospects for growth, innovation, and distinction. Four departments are being formed in the College from previously aligned academic areas, providing leadership opportunities and the imperative for departments to build important infrastructure, including service committees, assessment processes, and a range of administrative functions. The School currently enrolls approximately 2000 students and has experienced remarkable growth since its inauguration in 2012, with continued expansion anticipated both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The School has developed a robust curriculum across its comprehensive span of disciplines and also maintains several innovative co-curricular programs.

The Department of Journalism and Sports Media will house two majors, Journalism and Sports Communication, as well as a minor in Journalism and a newly developed certificate in Spanish Language Journalism. The programs currently enroll over 350 majors, with approximately two thirds of those in Sports Communication, one of the university’s fastest growing majors. The department also supports several key co-curricular programs, including the Red Hawk Sports Network and NewsLab (the School’s broadcast journalism program). It also provides curricular and administrative support for The Montclarion student newspaper and benefits from opportunities in WMSC, the award-winning radio station housed in the School. Faculty in these areas also benefit from collaborative opportunities with the School’s Center for Cooperative Media, which strengthens local journalism through innovative training, project funding, and research. Students have been recognized with several prominent regional and national awards for their work in news and sports media, including multiple College Television Awards.

The ideal candidate will have an established record as a faculty member in one of the department’s disciplines. They should have a record of teaching, scholarship, and service that merits tenure at Montclair. They must have administrative experience, which could include serving as department chair, deputy chair, graduate director, assistant dean, and other leadership roles. The candidate must embrace the importance of responsibilities assigned to the chair, including efficient and equitable scheduling, faculty evaluation, assessment, student grievances, mentoring of junior faculty, student recruitment, and hiring and overseeing adjunct faculty. They must recognize the importance of resource management and prioritization. Ideal candidates will foster a positive environment where faculty work collaboratively towards student success, creative and scholarly initiatives, and department innovation. While candidates from all disciplines within the department are welcomed to apply, the candidates must be able to articulate a positive vision for the future of journalism education and how academic programs can best prepare students for that evolving and technologically driven opportunity. Department chairs do maintain a teaching schedule, reduced for their administrative load, and receive additional compensation for their administrative responsibilities throughout the summer.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Strong candidates should hold a Ph.D. in journalism, communication, media, or other appropriately aligned discipline; those candidates with an appropriate master’s degree and a strong history of academic administrative leadership can also be considered. Candidates must have a record of scholarly or creative work appropriate to tenure at the associate or full professor level at an R2 institution; a demonstrated history of being an engaged and committed classroom instructor who will work with a diverse student population; a history of building innovative curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities; and an ability to articulate a vision for a department in journalism and sports media that provides outstanding educational and career opportunities to a broad and aspiring student population. We appreciate candidates with a proven track record in securing external funding and developing partnerships. Candidates must have past academic administrative experience.

THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA:

Founded in 2012, the School of Communication and Media offers a range of dynamic programs in communication and media to a talented and diverse student population of approximately 2000 students. Offering degrees in advertising, animation and visual effects, communication and media studies, film and television, journalism and digital media, social media and public relations, sports communication, and an MA in strategic communication and media, the School prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. It maintains several critical strategic partnerships, including membership in NBCU Academy, the summer residency program for Ghetto Film School, and a highly collaborative partnership with WNBC/Telemundo 47. The School houses award-winning student programs that include WMSC Radio, The Montclarion newspaper, Hawk Communications PR Agency, the Red Hawk Sports Network, Hawk+ OTT streaming platform, a Los Angeles residential program, and News Lab, as well as the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication and the Center for Cooperative Media, the latter of which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local and collaborative journalism. Recent national recognitions for the School include an Edward R. Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and two College Television Awards from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and several SVG Sports Media nominations.

Beginning July 1, 2025, the School will become a separate college, allowing it unique opportunities for new growth and innovation. The College will consist of four departments: Animation, Film, & Television; Communication and Media Studies; Journalism and Sports Media; and Strategic Communication. The College will continue the upward trajectory of the work of the School’s faculty, staff, and students, aspiring towards a model of inclusive excellence and national recognition across its departments, degrees, centers, and programs.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT:

Montclair State University is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse campus community that is representative of the State of New Jersey through inclusive excellence and equal opportunity. Montclair State University's commitment to access and equity is designed to prepare each graduate to thrive as a global citizen.  As an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution we are working to support a campus-wide agenda to foster a community that both values and promotes the varied voices of our students, faculty, and staff. The University encourages candidates to apply who will contribute to the cultural tapestry of Montclair State University and who value teaching a diverse student population, many of whom are first generation students.

SALARY RANGE:       Commensurate with experience    

STARTING DATE:      September 1, 2025

   

REQUIRED MATERIALS: 

Cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, and representative publications, which can be uploaded during the application process.

3 letters of recommendation, which can be sent to: scmsearchcom@montclair.edu 

APPLY BY:   The position is open until filled and application review begins immediately.

Department

School of Communication and Media

Position Type

Faculty

Contact Information:

For questions or concerns, please contact Human Resources' Workday Recruiting Support at 973-655-5000 (Option 2), or email talent@montclair.edu.

EEO/AA Statement

Montclair State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution with a strong commitment to diversity.

Additional information can be found on the website at 
www.montclair.edu/human-resources/about-us/eo-aa-and-diversity/

Title IX and 34 C.F.R. 106 Policy

Montclair State is required by Title IX and 34 C.F.R. 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex or gender, and does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in the operation of education programs and activities.  The requirement to not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in the operation of education programs and activities extends to admission and employment. For further details, please visit: https://www.montclair.edu/human-resources/job-seekers/