Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of English (Technical Communication)

Position Title Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of English (Technical Communication)

Requisition 202400130F

Rank Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor

FLSA status Exempt

Hiring Salary 

Commensurate with education and experience.

Position Category 

Position Type Full-Time Tenure Track

College College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department Dept of English

Open Date 10/15/2024

Quicklink https://shsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/40841

Contact Name Dr. Carroll Nardone

Title 

Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professor of Technical and Professional Communication

Program Director of the Technical and Professional Communication Program

Contact Phone 936 294 2203

Contact Email cfnardone@shsu.edu

Duties Performed in the Usual Course of the JobThe Department of English at Sam Houston State University seeks applications for an open-rank Professor of Technical and Professional Communication. This 9-month tenure-track position starts with the Fall 2025 semester.

The chosen candidate will teach three courses per semester (face-to-face and online) and support SHSU’s growing program in Technical Communication. Activities will include:

Teaching in the online Master of Arts in Technical Communication program. Maintaining an active research agenda, at a level representative of a R2 university. Teaching upper-level and graduate courses in technical communication, rhetoric, design, style, digital literacies, proposal writing, ethics, editing, user experience, and intercultural technical communication (among others).

Teaching the undergraduate technical writing introductory course, required by over 20 majors on campus.

Teaching at least one Composition I or Composition II course, required in the university core curriculum. 

Supporting the program, department, college, and university through service.

Educational Requirements for the Position 

An earned PhD in Technical Communication, Professional Writing, Rhetoric, or related field.

Experience Required for the Position 

Applicants must possess the following qualifications:

Evidence of an active research agenda that represents a broad stance on and approach to technical communication. Areas of need include design thinking; rhetoric of health and medicine; experience architecture; content management; innovative approaches to artificial intelligence; or similar.

Experience teaching college-level courses in Technical Communication as the instructor of record.

Experience teaching Technical Communication in an online setting.

Evidence of excellent communication skills.

In addition, desirable candidates will demonstrate a commitment to working with the Center for Community Engagement to develop and foster community and industry partnerships. Experience working as a professional writer.

Other Requirements for the Position 

Faculty in Technical Communication teach in computer-based classrooms and have access to the Iris Technical Communication Suite. This creative space provides faculty and students with technologies in audio, video, print, and digital document production. Iris features the following tools:

Professional sound booth.

3-D printer.

Eye-tracking software.

Audio/video workstations.

Collaborative spaces.

Document folding and binding equipment.

Photography tools, including DSLR cameras, green screens, and soft box lighting.

Mobile productivity devices, including drones and phone gimbals.

Interested applicants should apply online at http://shsu.peopleadmin.com. The first-round application requires the following materials:

Letter of interest that includes the scope of the applicant’s research, teaching, and professional experiences and goals as they relate to the program in Technical Communication at SHSU and the students we serve.

Curriculum vitae.

Unofficial academic transcript for terminal degree (applicants may submit an unofficial transcript for initial screening, but all official academic transcripts are required for credential review prior to hiring).

Three letters of recommendation.

Please note: References provided in the References section of the application will receive an automated email reference request at the time the application is submitted.

If chosen for an interview, you will be asked to submit additional documents, including a statement of teaching philosophy and sample published work. Additional materials may be requested throughout the consideration process.

Special Instructions Summary 

SHSU’s growing program in Technical Communication is housed within the department of English. The program hosts a junior-level service course, ENGL 3330 Introduction to Technical Writing, which instructs approximately 600 students per semester. The online MA program in Technical Communication graduated students who work with well-known companies, including Hewlett-Packard, NASA, and major hospital corporations. Additionally, several students have been accepted into PhD programs in technical communication. The program collaborates closely with the nationally recognized SHSU Online to deliver high-quality online learning to students around the world. Also, the faculty have brought in community and industry partnerships that provide students with opportunities to develop their professional skills in technical communication through SHSU’s Center for Community Engagement.

About SHSU and the English department

Home to a student population of over 22,000, Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is in Huntsville, Texas, on the rapidly developing Interstate-45 corridor between Houston and Dallas. SHSU is 70 miles north of downtown Houston and 170 miles south of Dallas, ideally situated between the 4th and 9th largest cities in the country and two of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the United States. SHSU prides itself on providing a quality education to all students, with a student body comprised of more than 50% first-generation students and over 50% students of color. The university has a large contingent of military veterans. G.I. Jobs, an organization dedicated to aiding vets in their transition from military to civilian life, has recognized SHSU Online as a Military Friendly School. In Fall 2023, SHSU welcomed its largest first-year class in history and celebrated a retention rate of over 75% for returning students.

A great name in Texas education, Sam Houston State University offers over 85 bachelor’s degree programs, more than 60 master’s degree programs, 10 doctoral programs, and 1 professional doctoral program (DO), including award-winning programs, nationally and internationally recognized scholars, and innovative initiatives to help students develop and succeed. SHSU is classified as a “R2: Doctoral University—High Research Activity” by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and it was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report for being one of the top performers in social mobility. In addition, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education classified SHSU as a “Community Engaged” university. This honor has been awarded to 311 public institutions nationwide, and it acknowledges SHSU’s significant commitment to serving the community. Learn more about SHSU here.

The Department of English is a large, multidisciplinary department composed of over 40 full-time and 45 part-time faculty members across specializations in literature, creative writing, technical communication, composition and rhetoric, secondary education, and language and linguistics. Students pursue degrees in English across the department’s various graduate programs in literature, creative writing, and technical communication, and the undergraduate degree in English. Additionally, the department houses the first-year composition program and the integrated reading and writing program that assists developmental students in their first-year composition classes. The department is located on campus in the Evans Complex, which contains dozens of classrooms designed for close discussion, dozens of faculty offices, two computer labs, a maker space, the award-winning Texas Review Press, a recently remodeled “engaged” classroom space, two conference rooms, a student lounge, faculty breakroom, and a 100+ seat auditorium capable of holding large lectures and film screenings.

Open Until Filled Yes

EEO Statement 

Sam Houston State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and Smoke/Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or gender identity or expression. Sam Houston State University is an “at will” employer. Employees with a contract will have additional terms and conditions. Security sensitive positions at SHSU require background checks in accordance with Education Code § 51.215.

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