Assistant Professor of Practice in Public Relations, Tombras School of Advertising and Public R...

Assistant Professor of Practice in Public Relations, Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations (Fall 2027)

Location:
Knoxville, TN
Open Date:
Sep 3, 2026
Close Date:
Oct 7, 2026
Description:

Assistant Professor of Practice, Public Relations

The University of Tennessee's Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations seeks a full-time, non-tenure track (NTT) Assistant Professor of Practice position to begin on August 1, 2027 on a 3-year, renewable appointment.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate level courses (4/4 load) and performing School-related service at the discretion of the Director. Courses assigned may include: Principles of Public Relations, Graphic Design, Research, Cases, Writing, Advanced Writing, Law and Ethics, and Campaigns, or other special topics courses in the major. Applicants should have the requisite classroom or applied experience to teach these courses. Recent relevant industry experience is highly desired.

The Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations

Housed in the College of Communication and Information, the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations made history as the first named school at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the first named school of advertising and public relations in the SEC and among all land-grant institutions in the country.

The Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations includes 23 full-time faculty members who engage in quantitative and qualitative research with the goal of advancing public relations and advertising theory and informing practice. Four full-time faculty members are in the professor of practice teaching series with student undergraduate instruction as priority responsibility while maintaining strong relationships and connections to industry. The school offers coursework at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The School includes approximately 600 undergraduate majors and 50 M.S. and Ph.D. students. Visit the websites for the College and School for more information.

The College of Communication and Information

The College of Communication and Information (CCI) consists of four schools: Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Studies, Information Sciences, and Journalism and Media. CCI has approximately 1,700 undergraduate students (across five majors in advertising, public relations, communication studies, information sciences, and journalism and media) and approximately 500 graduate students (including College-wide M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in communication & information and an M.S. degree in information sciences). The College’s Research & Innovation Center (RIC) provides a wide array of support services for CCI faculty interested in pursuing sponsored research. The Center involves dozens of researchers across various disciplines and agencies to focus the array of talent in CCI, the University of Tennessee, the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (40 minutes away), and other research institutions in the pursuit and conduct of sponsored research. College-wide research facilities include: the Adam Brown Social Media Command Center, the Scripps Convergence Lab, a User Experience Lab, and a Message Effects/Focus Group Lab.

The University of Tennessee and Knoxville

The University of Tennessee is the state of Tennessee’s flagship university and its only public Carnegie Research 1 institution. As a land-grant university and as Volunteers, serving the state and nation is key to its mission. UT enrolls approximately 40,000 students at its Knoxville campus. The University culture is guided by adherence to core values that define the Volunteer spirit and include seeking knowledge, leading with innovation and integrity, advancing access and engagement, engaging locally and globally, and embracing responsible stewardship of resources. Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Knoxville has a metropolitan statistical area population of more than 950,000 people. This moderate-sized city has a vibrant nightlife that includes numerous theaters and museums, a great music scene, a symphony orchestra and an opera company, world-class restaurants, many cultural festivals, and a downtown market square. Surrounded by 8 lakes and the Tennessee River, the Knoxville area boasts wonderful year-round water activities, including boating, fishing, and swimming that make for scenic and breathtaking views of the area. Knoxville is also home to many leading corporations, including Warner Brothers/Discovery, Regal Cinemas, Bush Brothers & Company, Tennessee Valley Authority, Ruby Tuesday, Pilot Flying J, and Alcoa. It also has several prominent advertising/public relations firms and is the fifth largest video production center in the United States.

The Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to promote an atmosphere where all members of the university community feel welcome and can thrive.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required, in addition to significant industry experience and a commitment to student success. Master's degree and prior university teaching experience is preferred. 
• For candidates with a traditional academic background, a terminal degree, and significant teaching experience, the Teaching Professor series may be considered. 

 

Application Instructions:

To apply, please submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae or resume, and the names and contact information of at least three references on Interfolio. Additionally, if you have classroom experience, please send teaching evaluations. Submit applications on Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/192928. Please email adpr@utk.edu with any questions. Review of applications begins October 7, 2026 and continues until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to eoa@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to investigations@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-0717.