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42306BR

Extended Job Title:

Asst Professor of Practice - Public Relations

Organization:

Texas Tech University

Position Description:

The Department of Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management in the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, Assistant Professor of Practice to begin September 1, 2026 (official on-duty date is mid-August 2026).

Requisition ID:

42306BR

Travel Required:

None

Major/Essential Functions:

At Texas Tech University, the Professor of Practice title is used to recruit individuals with exceptional backgrounds and achievements in academic, business, government, or other professional practice. Primary responsibilities normally will be to teach in an area of expertise, mentor students in professional and career preparation, and liaise with professional contacts and entities on behalf of the department or program.

In line with TTU’s strategic priorities to engage and empower a dynamic student body, enable innovative research and creative activities, and transform lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship, applicants should have experience working with a breadth of student populations at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels within individual or across the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.

As a faculty member in the Department of Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management, you will be expected to:

+ Contribute to the teaching mission of the department’s undergraduate program and the college’s professional master’s programs.

+ Mentor undergraduate students.

+ Advise student organizations.

+ Develop a record of professional excellence.

+ Maintain professional currency in public relations or a closely related strategic communication field.

+ Provide service to the department, college, university, and profession.

Grant Funded?:

No

Pay Basis:

Monthly

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

+ 5+ years of professional experience in applied strategic communication settings.

+ A record of successful experience teaching at the university level in public relations or a closely related field in strategic communication.

+ Experience teaching across a variety of modalities (face-to-face, online, hybrid).

+ Experience mentoring undergraduate student organizations such as PRSSA or related organizations that advance public relations and strategic communication (e.g., International Association for Business Communication).

+ Experience advising student teams participating in the Bateman Case Study Competition.

+ Potential for establishing industry-academic partnerships.

+ A record of community-engaged outreach.

Department:

CoMC Dept of PRSC

Job Type:

Full Time

Job Group:

Assistant Professor

Salary Grade:

800

Does this position work in a research laboratory?:

No

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Please include the following documents in your application:

+ Curriculum Vitae.

+ Cover Letter.

+ Teaching Statement.

+ Statement of Professional Excellence and Currency.

+ Work samples or link to online portfolio.

+ Other documents directly related to required qualifications.

+ Candidates who are invited for Zoom interviews will be asked for the names of three references. References will not be contacted without notifying the candidate.

Questions about this position should be directed to Prof. Lisa Low, Search Committee Chair at [email protected].

The application deadline is October 13, 2025.

Safety Information:

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Pay Statement:

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan. For additional information, please reference the institutional pay plan by visiting www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/payplan.

EEO Statement:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.

About the College:

The College of Media & Communication (CoMC) ( http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/ ) at Texas Tech University serves approximately 2,400 students across its six undergraduate- and five graduate-degree programs. CoMC offers a student-centered learning environment with high standards for teaching and engaged learning, while benefiting from the resources of an R1 research university. College metrics for undergraduate student retention and graduation rates are near the top at Texas Tech across many categories, and CoMC graduate-student enrollment is at record-high levels. In addition to traditional spaces for offices, classrooms, and computer labs, the College’s 120,000-sf building includes an esports lab, student-run agency suite, a commercial-range FM radio station, 2,000 square feet for student organizations and graduate-student offices, and several multimedia production spaces equipped with industry-grade equipment and software. At 13,000 square feet within the building, the CoMC Center for Communication Research (CCR) is the country's premier academic research facility for the study of communication, cognitive and affective processing of information, and media effects. The CCR’s labs and equipment can be used for audience testing, content analysis, experimental surveys, eye-tracking, focus groups, psychophysiological measurements, and robotics/AI integration. The College has rebuilt its research infrastructure and made strategic hires resulting in all-time highs in external funding applications and grant awards. Further strengthening the University’s stable budget environment, state taxpayers in 2023 approved a $3.9 billion research endowment, the Texas University Fund (TUF), that brings $44 million annually to Texas Tech to support faculty research and scholarly/creative activities. Interdisciplinary research strengths across the College’s departments include computational communication, sports communication/media, organizational/corporate communication, and crisis/risk/health communication. Faculty affiliates of the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication engage in teaching, research and community outreach related to Hispanic and international/intercultural communication ( comc.ttu.edu/research/hihic ). With strong campus-wide enrollment growth and experienced academic leadership, the College continues an upward trajectory in alignment with the University’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, its $1.2 billion comprehensive campaign, and its charted path toward membership eligibility by 2035 in the Association of American Universities (AAU).

In addition to Hispanic and international communication, research strengths among college faculty include strategic, science/health, gaming/AI, leadership, interpersonal/organizational, and political communication as well as social scientific research methods. The college’s Center for Communication Research offers state-of-the-art facilities for studying audience responses to media messages ( www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/research/ccr/ ). The Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication studies and offers programs in Hispanic and international/intercultural communication ( comc.ttu.edu/research/hihic ).

About the Department/School/Area:

The Department of Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management (PRSC; https://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/programs/publicrelations/ ) is home to more than 440 undergraduate face-to-face and distance students, with 16 full-time faculty members. The department trains students how to manage integrated communication programs, campaigns, and resources to effectively and ethically advocate for the organizations and causes that our students are passionate about. It combines the diverse expertise of both professional and research faculty members to create a rigorous curriculum that develops students’ proficiency in communication, leadership, media relations, global communication, ethics, data analysis, new technology, critical thinking, and strategic planning so that they are “client ready.”

About the University:

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

About Lubbock:Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

Applications must be received by:

10/20/2025

Faculty Qualifications:

+ A master’s degree in public relations, strategic communication, or a related field, or a combination of work experience and the required number of graduate-level credit hours (18) to teach undergraduate courses in the state of Texas.

+ At least 3 years of professional experience in public relations or a closely related strategic communication field.

+ Demonstrated commitment to maintaining professional currency.

Duty Point:

TTU Lubbock, main campus and affiliated facilities