Assistant Professor of Culture and Media Studies

Position Summary

The School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia College invites applications for a position as Assistant Professor of Culture and Media Studies that will begin in August 2026. The successful candidate must have a PhD in Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Communication Studies, or a comparable area by August 1, 2026. The successful candidate must have experience teaching first-year courses such as Introduction to Culture and Media Studies or Introduction to Oral Communication and must have an interest in teaching major-level classes such as Culture and Power, Media and Cultural Literacy, and Media Ethics and Law. The successful candidate will supervise internships and teach capstone classes. Experience in digital design is desired for this position.

Columbia College seeks candidates who aspire to excellence in teaching, leadership, and research, and who can build collaborative relationships within the college and the profession. Columbia College is a liberal arts college committed to creating a learning community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to provide leadership as the program chair by planning, staffing, and assessing courses in the new Culture and Media Studies major that combines theory and practice associated with cultural analysis, media production, and graphic design. Combining critical thinking skills with practical application abilities, the Culture and Media Studies degree prepares students for a variety of careers while also cultivating a respect for the value of humanistic and inclusive thinking that is an essential dimension of a liberal-arts education.

This position is a nine-month, full-time, tenure-track appointment. The standard teaching load is twelve credit hours for each of the fall and spring semester. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to design and deliver courses in a variety of formats, including online and hybrid modalities, and is expected to teach core courses in the major such as CMS 100, core classes in the general education curriculum such as COMM 100, and major offerings in the Culture and Media Studies program. The candidate is expected to have flexibility in class scheduling to meet the needs of the institution. Faculty members are expected to participate in faculty governance and academic program activities, and to engage in service as well as scholarship and professional development. Columbia College offers a competitive benefits package. 

Qualifications
The successful candidate must have an earned PhD by August 1, 2026. All required documents must be completed for the application to be reviewed.

Applications
To apply, a candidate must submit the following materials through the online submission portal (all in one pdf file except for the cover letter, which may be uploaded as a separate document):

• A cover letter describing teaching interests and experiences
• A current curriculum vitae
• A formal statement that addresses teaching philosophy and methodology
• A formal statement regarding research and other scholarly endeavors
• Names and contact information for three references
• Copies of graduate transcripts (unofficial copies of transcripts will suffice for the initial stage)

If interested in applying for this position, submit the above materials through the online submission website at https://www.columbiasc.edu/about/employment.

If you have any additional questions regarding the position, please contact Dr. David McCracken, Dean of Arts & Sciences via email at [email protected]

About Columbia College
Columbia College was founded in 1854 as Columbia Female College by the Methodist Conference of South Carolina. Today, Columbia College offers a personalized liberal arts education that is open and inclusive to all. The College provides educational opportunities that develop students' capacity for critical thought and expression, lifelong learning, and acceptance of personal responsibility.

Columbia College empowers students to change the world with Courage for Innovation, Commitment to Social Justice, Confidence through Service, and Competence in Leadership. In furtherance of its mission, the College is responsive to the needs of students, the communities to which it belongs, and the greater global society.

Columbia College encompasses the historic undergraduate day college as well as evening, online, and graduate programs. Total enrollment is approximately 1600. The College is noted for faculty who foster academic excellence through collaborative teaching and learning; a vital learning community in which character, ethics, and values are cultivated; the study of leadership enhanced by opportunities for practical application; programs that capitalize on advances in technology; and learning environments that extend beyond the classroom