What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Professor of Communications position at Ave Maria University?
The Communications Program at Ave Maria University seeks an Assistant Professor to teach a range of technical courses that will complement the program’s current offerings in communication studies, rhetoric, and writing. Candidates with terminal degrees are encouraged to apply (i.e., MFA, MBA, PhD).
Candidates should be willing to teach Audiovisual Productions (COMM 350), an introductory technical course that all Communications majors must take. For those without extensive experience in Audiovisual Productions, a willingness to learn and can-do attitude may suffice.
Candidates should also be capable of instructing students in one or more of the following areas:
- Media Production (advanced audiovisual productions, podcasting, animation, illustration, photography, cinematography, editing, podcasting, social/digital media production, broadcast journalism)
- Writing for media (screenwriting, audio drama, video games, graphic novels)
- Performance (screen acting, voice acting, public speaking)
The ability to teach in the Communications and Literature Department’s Rhetoric & Poetics (RETP) courses, which cover the rhetorical and literary tradition from antiquity onwards and which instruct students in writing and speaking, will be considered favorably.
All candidates should be excited to develop communication courses for a program rooted in the rhetorical tradition and the Catholic intellectual, spiritual, and social traditions. Successful candidates will seek to embody the Communications and Literature Department’s mission of uniting argument, storytelling, and cultural analysis. Appointment begins Fall 2026.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Applicants should submit:
- a cover letter that outlines their research interests, relevant teaching competencies, and any significant professional experience that could enrich student experience
- a curriculum vitae
- a short statement relating their philosophy of teaching to the University’s Catholic mission as expressed in Ex Corde Ecclesiae
Additionally, applicants should arrange for three letters of recommendation to be submitted in support of their application upon request.
Incomplete applications missing any components, especially the Ex Corde Ecclesiae statement, will not be considered.
If you received any graduate degrees from an institution outside the United States, you must provide a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Find a full list of NACES members at http://www.naces.org/members.htm.
Questions should be directed to Dr. Justin Bonanno, Chair of the Department of Communications and Literature, at justin.bonanno@avemaria.edu.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The position is subject to final administrative approval. Ave Maria University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Ave Maria University provides an excellent benefit package to full-time faculty and staff.
Ave Maria University is a Catholic, liberal arts institution of higher learning dedicated to the formation of joyful, intentional disciples of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament, scholarship and service.
For more information about Ave Maria University, please visit www.avemaria.edu.
