Robertson School - Public Relations

Mission or Goal of Unit:

The mission of the College of Humanities and Sciences is to serve as the intellectual heart and soul of our institution and wider community. The College of Humanities and Sciences:

• Prepares lifelong learners to participate actively as engaged and responsible citizens
• Propels scientific research and scholarship to improve the human condition, cure and treat diseases, and promote healthy environments
• Grounds us in our history, critically examines our present human condition and empowers students to create more equitable local and global communities
• Provides communities with a passionate and creative workforce that serves as a powerful engine for economic development and innovative solutions to problems

As the intellectual lifeblood of VCU and our community, the College of Humanities and Sciences seeks to inspire our students to explore their passions and dreams as individuals and provide the context to understand their place in the world and connections with others-locally, globally and throughout time. Most importantly, our educational and research environment addresses an array of technological, health-related and societal problems, as well as providing profound insights and reflections of what it means to be human and humane..

Chief Purpose of this position: The Robertson School of Communication at Virginia Commonwealth University invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in Fall 2025.

This is an exciting time to be at VCU and a great opportunity to join our forward-thinking school. VCU is one of the nation’s premier urban, public research universities. With 28,594 students, it is one of the largest universities in Virginia. The Robertson School is accredited by ACEJMC and has approximately 720 students. The School’s focus is to help students get good media jobs upon graduation. It attracts a diverse student body, and about 50% of our students are racially and ethnically diverse and/or members of other diverse groups. The candidate should reflect the School’s commitment to teaching excellence, community engagement and cultural diversity.

Candidates will have a PhD in public relations or a related field and an academic scholarship track record. The successful candidate will have a scholarship focus in AI and the media and will have demonstrated a commitment to innovative developments in the business of public relations.

Position Responsibilities: This new faculty member will primarily teach undergraduate public relations courses and graduate courses in our master’s program. The successful candidate will have a research focus in AI and the media and a research agenda and activities that lead to publications in refereed journals, books and conference presentations and other scholarly pursuits. They will be expected to work directly with our developing AI and Media Lab initiative as a lead researcher in this initiative and point of contact for research-related concerns.

Required Qualifications: Candidates must have: (1) a Ph.D. degree in public relations or in a related field; (2) an academic scholarship track record and a strong interest in AI in media; (3) a proven track record of inspiring, guiding and mentoring others to reach their full potential; and (4) high expectations for students. Successful college teaching experience is highly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications: Preferred candidates will have a successful record of working with diverse and underserved populations and a demonstrated potential to do so at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Please submit the following: (1) A letter of application; (2) A current curriculum vitae including the names and contact information of three references; (3) A statement on Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (see https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/ for details); and (4) One PDF file or links to three non-returnable samples of teaching materials along with your teaching evaluations from the last two years, and three non-returnable samples of scholarly work related to AI. Review of applicants will begin in mid January. The position remains open until filled. For additional information, contact Dr. Baobao Song at bsong@vcu.edu or visit the School’s website at http://robertson.vcu.edu.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Required Documents:
•Cover Letter/Letter of Application
•Curriculum Vitae including three references
•Statement on Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
•Teaching and scholarship materials

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Eligible
Rank: Assistant Professor
Months: 9
Department: Robertson School

Contact Information:
Dr. Baobao Song
bsong@vcu.edu