Job Details

Assistant Professor in Rhetoric and Culture

Position Number: 6581026
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Communications - Media & Communication Studies

Assistant Professor in Rhetoric and Culture

Requisition Number: 67360
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Faculty
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date:
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Department of Communication in the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) invites applicants for a tenure-track, assistant professor position in Rhetoric and Culture of Radical Global Imaginaries. A PhD with a specialization in rhetoric and culture is required at the time of appointment, as is an emerging record of excellence in research related to: Native and Indigenous sovereignty and knowledges, decoloniality and anti-colonialism, rhetoric and law (including in areas such as race and intellectual property, post-apartheid reparations, migrant, immigrant, and refugee rights, critical Artificial Intelligence policy), planetary imaginaries, climate justice, deterritorialization, abolitionist radical imaginaries, and/or international law and policy.
Eligible candidates should be willing and able to teach classes in rhetoric and culture, as well as publish with expertise in one or more of their research areas. Candidates should be prepared to teach undergraduate and graduate courses, and mentor students in their area(s) of specialty. Expectations would include teaching foundational rhetoric courses including rhetorical methods, rhetorical criticism, argumentation and advocacy, as well as courses in the candidate's area of expertise such as rhetoric, culture, and law.
We hope the candidate will make connections within Rhetoric and Culture, across the department, and with the broader campus. The ideal candidate will contribute to and complement our existing critical, qualitative, and transnational scholarly research strengths in: African thought; Black radicalism; climate and environmental justice; sustainability and storytelling; critical and cultural studies; feminist, queer, and trans rhetorics; Latinx and Chican@ Studies; critical theory; and/or social movements. We also expect the candidate to make connections across the three department areas of Community & Social Interaction, Organizational Communication, and Rhetoric & Culture. In addition to a robust and growing agenda related to sustainability across campus, all of our current Rhetoric and Culture faculty are affiliate faculty in Ethnic Studies, and we encourage intellectual and pedagogical relationships with interdisciplinary centers on campus, including: the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies, the Center for African and African American Studies, the Latin American and Latinx Studies Center, and the Center for Asian Studies.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Department of Communication is a vibrant intellectual community committed to the critical, humanistic, and social scientific study of communication and offering BA, MA, and PhD degrees. It is one of three inter-collaborating areas: Rhetoric & Culture, Community & Social Interaction, and Organizational Communication. Department faculty members are recognized as national and international leaders in their fields.
The College of Communication, Media, Design and Information (CMDI) is at the forefront of the revolution in communication, digital technology, and design. CMDI prides itself on offering students an interdisciplinary education with a focus on innovation and creativity! Our students and faculty from seven departments think across boundaries, innovate around emerging problems and create culture that transcends convention.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

The position will teach 4 courses per year, assigned as two courses per semester, and will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses and to mentor students in their area(s) of specialty.
The position is expected to be a productive scholar and contributor to their discipline, commensurate with the expectations and standards of a public R1 university.
The position is responsible for providing service and leadership to their department, college, university and profession.

What You Should Know

The University of Colorado Boulder has implemented a reference check program with respect to final candidates for tenured faculty appointments. The reference check program is intended to allow CU Boulder to collect and review information about a candidate's conduct at their current and previous institutions, specifically conduct related to sexual misconduct, harassment, and/or discrimination - before making hiring decisions. All final candidates for tenured faculty appointments are required to complete an Authorization to Release Information.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this position is $82,000 to $91,000.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be authentic. Be engaged. Be Boulder.

What We Require

PhD in communication with a specialization in rhetoric and culture. Completion of the degree is required by the time of appointment.

What You Will Need

Research agenda that contributes to knowledge in one of the identified areas of expertise.
Demonstrated ability to teach foundational classes in rhetoric and culture.
Expertise in and ability to teach at least one of the following areas: native and Indigenous sovereignty and knowledges, decoloniality and anti-colonialism, rhetoric and law, planetary imaginaries, climate justice, deterritorialization, abolitionist radical imaginaries, international law and policy.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

Current CV.
A letter of application clarifying your qualifications and professional goals.
Writing sample, which could include a published article or chapter, etcetera.
Evidence of Teaching Excellence. This could include course materials, peer teaching observations, student evaluations, etcetera.
Syllabus/Syllabi.

All files must be converted to PDF format.
During the application process, you will need to enter contact information for three (3) references. We may request confidential letters of recommendation at a later time. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.
For full consideration, please apply by October 16, 2025. The position will reman open until filled.
For questions, please contact Professor and Search Chair, Phaedra Pezzullo at phaedra.pezzullo@colorado.edu.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Assistant-Professor-in-Rhetoric-and-Culture/67360