Description
The Department of Journalism & Creative Media, in the College of Communication & Information Sciences at The University of Alabama, invites applications for the position of Department Chair, a tenured 12-month position at the level of full professor to begin July 1, 2026.
The successful candidate will lead a nationally recognized, multidisciplinary academic unit that is poised to grow its impact and prominence. The Department has a faculty of teachers, researchers, and artists with national and international reputations, producing high-profile scholarship across multiple areas, including (but not limited to) media effects, journalism studies, critical-cultural studies, film production, and creative nonfiction writing. The Department offers students a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses through academic programs in journalism and creative media, as well as access to real-world experience through in-house professional media outlets in the College’s Digital Media Center. The new chair will have the opportunity to help further realize the potential of this multifaceted unit, collaborating with faculty to develop a forward-looking, distinctive vision for the Department’s future.
Candidates should have in-depth experience in at least one of the Department’s subdisciplines in the journalism and creative media areas as well as an understanding and appreciation of the other subdisciplines. Candidates should also have a background in higher ed leadership and a commitment to supporting and developing faculty. Candidates with strong knowledge of today’s changing academic and professional media fields will be well positioned to work with faculty to create effective strategies for innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship and educational offerings.
Application Process
To apply, please provide the following:
Cover letter highlighting your overall match for the position
Curriculum vitae
Names and contact information for three references
Applications submitted by November 15, 2025, will receive full consideration, and review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Wilson Lowrey, at [email protected].
The University of Alabama is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic communities are encouraged to apply.
About the Department of Journalism & Creative Media
The Department of Journalism & Creative Media (JCM) is one of four academic units in the College of Communication & Information Sciences. The Department is home to 36 full-time faculty who teach more than 900 undergraduate and graduate student majors. JCM offers undergraduate majors and minors in News Media and Creative Media, as well as a major concentration and a minor in Sports Media. The News Media major includes courses in electronic reporting, multimedia and visual journalism, specialized writing, and conceptual areas of journalism and mass communication; the Creative Media major includes courses in filmmaking, screenwriting, production management, and critical studies in film/television. JCM’s News Media major and professional master’s programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. JCM also offers a Master of Arts degree in Journalism & Media Studies, which can be completed online or on campus. Additionally, Department faculty have the opportunity to teach in the College’s doctoral program.
About the College of Communication & Information Sciences
The College of Communication & Information Sciences has ~110 full-time faculty members serving approximately 3,500 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including ~100 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program in which the JCM Department participates. The College also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center (DMC), which houses professional media outlets that offer students opportunities for experiential education. The DMC is home to Alabama Public Radio and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market. The College’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute that collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. The College is also home to the Holle Center for Communication Arts, whose mission is guided by a commitment to advance narrative justice through innovative and arts-informed research, community engagement, and creative co-operation.
About the University of Alabama
Located in Tuscaloosa, The University of Alabama is the state's flagship public university and offers a full course of academic programs and social life to its over 40,000 students. The university maintains several research institutes that unite researchers from various disciplines, including faculty in the Department of Journalism & Creative Media, to address pertinent societal issues. These include the Alabama Cyber Institute, Alabama Life Research Institute, Alabama Materials Institute, Alabama Transportation Institute, and Alabama Water Institute, among others. As the state's flagship university and a sea-grant and space-grant institution, The University of Alabama and its students and faculty address challenges at the cutting edge of scientific inquiry while also driving economic growth and serving the societal needs of the state, regional, national, and global communities. The university is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
About Tuscaloosa, Alabama
The city of Tuscaloosa has a metropolitan population of more than 110,000 and offers an excellent quality of life and various multicultural resources and opportunities. The walkable downtown offers many cultural and outdoor activities, a wide variety of local restaurants spanning a broad range of cuisines, monthly art walks, a 7,470-seat outdoor amphitheater, and a very reasonable cost of living. Tuscaloosa is a morning's drive from the Smoky Mountains, Gulf Coast beaches, New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta.
Requirements
Candidates are expected to meet the following minimum qualifications:
A Ph.D., M.F.A., or other terminal degree in a related field.
Scholarly achievement and reputation consistent with departmental expectations for the rank of full professor. Associate professors who meet this standard will be considered for appointment to full upon hiring.
A record of teaching excellence in courses relevant to department disciplines.
Leadership experience in higher education.
Experience in a department-relevant media profession is a preferred qualification but not required.
