Open Rank, Non-Tenure Track Faculty, College of Communication and Information (Fall 2027)

Open Rank, Non-Tenure Track Faculty, College of Communication and Information (Fall 2027)

Location:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Open Date:
Sep 28, 2026
Close Date:
Nov 1, 2026
Description:

The College of Communication and Information (CCI) at the University of Tennessee invites applications and nominations for a non-tenure track faculty position to start August 1, 2027. The position will be under one of the following: the lecturer series, the teaching professor series, or the faculty of practice series, with classification and rank depending upon the candidate’s qualifications. The selected candidate will be appointed to the school within CCI that most closely aligns with their training, qualifications, and experience.

The primary responsibility of NTT faculty is teaching. This position will teach undergraduate classes in the new college-wide professional development series that launched in fall 2025 and help students outside of the classroom enhance their career readiness skills. Working with a curriculum managed by the CCI Office of Professional Development, the position will teach courses in the 3-course series (CCI 101, CCI 201, and CCI 401) and collaborate with other professors to ensure consistent facilitation of the course series. Additionally, this position will teach college-wide introductory course for non-majors, CCI 150.

The CCI professional development series is comprised of three, one-hour courses that creates a cohesive professional development approach and embeds professional development in a student's academic journey so that all CCI majors are:

• Exposed to information and experiences that will improve their success as students and graduates
• Develop an appreciation for their major as well as how their major fits into the larger field of communication and information
• Encouraged to explore; tying students’ Clifton Strengths to their academic, co-curricular, and career explorations; and fosters greater development of career competencies
• Integrating career exploration into the academic experience early for CCI students

 

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 majors (across six undergraduate majors in advertising, public relations, communication studies, information sciences, journalism and media and the online BSCI) and approximately 500 graduate students.

 

The University of Tennessee and Knoxville

The University of Tennessee is the state of Tennessee’s flagship university and a public Carnegie Research 1 institution. As a land-grant university and as Volunteers, serving the state and nation is key to its mission. The University culture is guided by adherence to core values that define the Volunteer spirit and include seeking knowledge, leading with innovation and integrity, 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 850,000 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 eight 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.

Qualifications:
Required:

 

• The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in student success and must be able to work effectively across all levels of the University.
 

Preferred:

• Demonstrated effectiveness in teaching at the undergraduate level and experience effectively engaging many students (course materials, course design, teaching evaluations, etc.).

• Prior experience delivering professional development programs or experiential learning opportunities, such as internships, service-learning courses, etc.

• Ability to engage students from their freshman year to senior experience.

• Industry experience is desirable but not required.

 

Per the University of Tennessee faculty handbook, each NTT series is described below:

Lecturer Series: Faculty appointed to this title series hold a degree (or its professional equivalent) appropriate to their disciplines.

• Lecturer: Individuals holding this rank have shown promise for excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.
• Senior lecturer: Individuals holding this rank have demonstrated excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.
• Distinguished lecturer: Individuals holding this rank have demonstrated and maintained a consistent record of excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.

Teaching Professor Series: Faculty appointed under this title series hold the terminal degree appropriate to their disciplines at time of appointment. The following ranks or titles may be assigned: teaching assistant professor, teaching associate professor, and teaching professor.

• Teaching assistant professor: Individuals holding this rank have shown promise for excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.
• Teaching associate professor: Individuals holding this rank have demonstrated excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.
• Teaching professor: Individuals holding this rank have demonstrated a consistent record of excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.

Faculty of Practice Series: Appointment to the faculty of practice title series is for those who have achieved distinction in their chosen field of practice, and who bring to the university unique practical experiences and talents that will benefit students. The expectation is that those appointed to a faculty of practice position have professional experience in the field.

The following ranks or titles may be assigned to faculty of practice: assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, and professor of practice. Faculty appointed to this title series should hold the terminal degree in the field at time of appointment and/or have equivalent capabilities by virtue of professional experience, professional licensure and/or certification.

• Assistant professor of practice: Individuals holding this rank have shown promise for excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.
• Associate professor of practice: Individuals holding this rank have demonstrated excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.
• Professor of practice: Individuals holding this rank have demonstrated and maintained a consistent record of excellence in areas of responsibility assigned to them.

Application Instructions:
To apply, please submit a letter of application with a cover letter indicating interest, curriculum vitae or resume, and the names and contact information of at least three references on Interfolio. Additionally, if you have classroom experience, you may send teaching evaluations. Please email cci@utk.edu if you have any questions about the position.

 

Review of applications begins November 1, 2026, and continues until the position is filled.

 

This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.

 

 

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.