Lecturer/Assistant Director of Debate

James Madison University, United States

Updated: about 2 months ago
Location: Harrisonburg, VIRGINIA
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: ;

Position Details
Position Information


Working Title Lecturer/Assistant Director of Debate
Position Number 2883
Posting Number F2331
Position Type Instructional Faculty - Full Time
Position Status Full Time
College/Division College of Arts and Letters
Department 100017 - School of Communication Studies
Pay Rate Commensurate with Experience
Specify Range or Amount
Is this a JMU only position? No
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Position Summary Information


About James Madison University
Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.
Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.
Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.
JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.
General Information
The School of Communication Studies at James Madison University invites applications for a Renewable Term Appointment (RTA) faculty member at the rank of lecturer. Employment begins in August 2024. We seek a candidate with substantial experience in NDT/CEDA style debate who can contribute innovative teaching and coaching experiences to the classroom and our nationally competitive debate program.
The School of Communication Studies at James Madison University is composed of 42 faculty and over 700 majors. Its curriculum is organized by 7 concentrations from which students can choose to focus: Organizational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication, Advocacy Studies, Public Relations, Cultural Communication and General communication.
The School cultivates a socially and culturally inclusive intellectual community that recognizes how historical, political, and social structures are embedded in processes and studies of communication. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are core values championed by the school. We believe that preparing our students to contribute to a more equitable community is essential and we incorporate this belief into our curriculum, practices, and policies.
The department provides a solid foundation for faculty creativity, collaboration, research, and teaching. The diversity of our students and faculty is rapidly increasing: We excel in global education and community engagement, co-curricular experiences such as debate, and we have a demonstrated commitment to creating a culture of inclusivity. We are especially interested in applicants who have a demonstrated commitment to building an equitable and inclusive scholarly environment and debate program.
The College of Arts and Letters in which the School of Communication Studies is located, enrolls over 3100 undergraduate majors and about 150 graduate students across ten academic units in the humanities, social sciences, and communication studies. Home to several interdisciplinary centers and institutes, the College employs 270 full-time faculty. We embrace the teacher-scholar model, and encourage excellent applicants within our particular disciplines, as well as scholars and teachers eager to work across them. We look to enhance our existing interdisciplinary strengths and to extend our offerings in global cultures, politics, and religions, as well as in global justice, disability studies, and digital humanities.
Duties and Responsibilities
Applicants must be able to teach the basic course (i.e., communication fundamentals and public speaking) and assist with day-to-day management of the debate team including administrative activities, coaching, and traveling to and judging at tournaments with our nationally competitive debate program. Additional duties may include helping organize public debates, recruiting, conducting outreach to the community and area schools, and completing other duties as negotiated with the academic unit head and Director of Debate. There may be opportunities for qualified candidates to teach courses in the school’s core and concentration curricula. The course load for this position is 2/3. With the addition of debate team coaching and administrative responsibilities, this is the equivalent of a standard 4-4 teaching load for lecturers. The position is promotable.
Qualifications
A master’s degree in communication is required at the time of appointment. Successful candidates will evidence a commitment to maintaining a successful debate program and building an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist environment in their instruction and coaching, and demonstrate support for building those environments in the department and university. Preference will be given to candidates who can mentor a diverse community of students and have experience teaching or researching issues of interest to students of historically underrepresented and underserved communities.
Applicants should have substantial experience as a participant and/or coach of NDT/CEDA style debate. Experience with debate team administration, including an understanding of the fiscal processes involved in team management, is desirable. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license.
Conditions of Employment
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Posting Detail Information


Posting Date 10/19/2023
Beginning Review Date 11/30/2023
Closing Date
Open Until Filled Yes
Proposed Starting Date 08/24/2024
EEO Statement
James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. 
 
We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality. 
 
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.
Reasonable Accommodation Request
If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or [email protected] . You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.
Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report
Notice of Availability – Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as: crime prevention, the university police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, protocols for the immediate notification of students and staff upon confirmation of a significant emergency on campus and other matters of importance related to security and safety. The report includes statistics for the most recent three-year period of reported crimes that have occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by JMU or its affiliates; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report includes campus housing fire statistics for the most recent three-year period, a description of each on-campus student housing facility fire safety system, the number of fire drills held during the previous calendar year, policies or rules on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames in student housing; and procedures for student housing evacuation in the event of fire along with other fire safety information.
The JMU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report includes the Harrisonburg campus and the three overseas branch campuses; Florence, Antwerp, and London. It is available electronically http://www.jmu.edu/publicsafety/clerycompliance/2018Annual-Security-and-Fire-Safety-Report.shtml
You can obtain a copy of any of this report by contacting the Office of Public Safety, MSC 6810, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 or request that a copy be mailed to you by calling (540)568-6769/6913.
Minimum Reference(s) Required 3
Quick Link for Direct Access to Posting https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/15784
Additional Posting Information
Review of applications will begin on November 30 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants must apply online at https://joblink.jmu.edu/ where they can complete the faculty profile and upload the following documents:
  • Letter of application, which should include a discussion of the candidate’s teaching and coaching experience and philosophy, research interests, and a statement of inclusive excellence that includes specific strategies and examples for advancing inclusivity in the classroom, debate program, and university paying particular attention to the Strategic Priorities of JMU. https://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/strategic-priorities.shtml .
  • Curriculum vitae;
  • Evidence of teaching and coaching approach, effectiveness, and/or innovation (uploaded to JobLink as “Other Document #1”);
  • Copy of unofficial transcripts (combine into one PDF);
  • Names, phone numbers and email addresses for three academic references.


    • Questions should be addressed to the search chair, Dr. Pete Bsumek ([email protected]).

    Similar Positions