Assistant Professor of Public Relations

Assistant Professor of Public Relations

Department of Communications

College of Communications

Assistant Professor of Public
Relations
Fall 2027

The Department of Communications at California State
University, Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure-track
Assistant Professor position in public relations, with an
appointment beginning in August 2027. This is your opportunity to
bring your passion and expertise to a dynamic, future-oriented
faculty where you will directly impact nearly 1,500 diverse
students across our premier mass communications programs. Situated
in the second-largest media market in the United States, CSUF
offers an unparalleled ecosystem for collaboration and
innovation—complete with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, an
elite internship center, award-winning student media, and our
signature annual COMM Week. If you are eager to lead impactful
scholarship, mentor driven storytellers, and thrive within a deeply
supportive academic community, we welcome your application to join
us in shaping the future of public relations.

Position
At CSUF, our communications
faculty are passionate teacher-scholars who bring creative
discovery to life in our classrooms, labs, and studios. We're
looking for a collaborative colleague to teach a variety of public
relations courses—from PR writing and ethics to our senior
capstones—and potentially co-lead PRactical ADvantage, our
student-run agency. In this role, you will mentor students, advise
them on their career paths, and help shape the future of our
department and university communities.

As a tenure-track faculty member, you will maintain an active
research agenda, producing impactful scholarship or creative work
in public relations, strategic communications, or related mass
communication disciplines aligned with tenure requirements. We seek
a colleague who is eager to fully engage in the life and ongoing
development of our department—whether through student mentorship,
committee service, or collaboration within the broader university
and professional communities. To support our diverse student body,
candidates should also expect to teach evening and graduate-level
courses occasionally.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in mass communications,

strategic communications, communications, or a related field.

• Professional experience in public relations or a closely

related field, including experience in an agency, corporate,
in-house, nonprofit, or similar capacity.

• Demonstrated potential for excellence in undergraduate

teaching.

• Ability to balance teaching, conducting scholarship and/or

creative activities, and working collaboratively with colleagues on
department and university service activities.

• Ability to successfully teach a wide range of public relations

classes, including but not limited to PR writing, corporate and
nonprofit PR, principles and ethics of PR, and capstone
courses.

• Ability to interact effectively orally and in writing with a

wide and culturally diverse range of students and colleagues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of successful scholarly research or creative

accomplishments in public relations, strategic communications, mass
communications, or related fields.

• Experience with and ability to incorporate digital

communications strategy, social media analytics, content creation,
and/or emerging communications technologies into teaching,
scholarship and/or creative activities.

• Membership and active involvement in PRSA, or its international

equivalents, and/or APR accreditation.

• Ability to contribute to accreditation self-study, curriculum

development, and assessment of student learning.

• Ability to lead high-impact programs emphasizing student

mentoring and professional engagement.

• Evidence of a professional network, including contact with

industry leaders.

NOTE: Representatives from the Department of
Communications will be at the 2026 AEJMC Conference in August. If
you will be attending the conference, please indicate that in your
cover letter.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and
Employment
This position is open and available to all
regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.
Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws,
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) provides equal
opportunity in education and employment without unlawful
discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity
means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the
resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a
university environment and in their communities. CSUF complies with
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in
Higher Education Act, California's Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section
31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and
federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU's Nondiscrimination
Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment,
segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all
forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all
university programs, policies, and practices.

In addition, California State University, Fullerton is a leading
public university known for its strong academic programs and
commitment to student success. As one of the largest campuses in
the CSU system, Cal State Fullerton fosters innovation,
collaboration, and professional growth. The university values
teaching, research, and service, creating an environment where
students, staff, and faculty can thrive. Cal State Fullerton is a
designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and
Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The
university also received the prestigious Seal of Excelencia in 2021
and 2024 from Excelencia in Education, the nation's leading
authority on Latinx student success. Cal State Fullerton is an
equal opportunity employer with a diverse student population of
over 45,000 and a faculty and staff population of 4,000. Cal State
Fullerton is firmly committed to helping students achieve academic
excellence, career success, and economic mobility. Joining Cal
State Fullerton means becoming part of a dynamic team dedicated to
making a meaningful impact. We continuously seek individuals from
various disciplines who share the university's mission and core
values. We welcome you to consider joining the Titan community.

Application

A complete online application must be received by electronic
submission to be considered. To apply, please visit

https://hr.fullerton.edu/workforce/careers.html,
choose full-time faculty, search for the position
559323, and provide the following required
materials:

• Cover letter in which you respond to the required

qualifications.

• Curriculum vitae.
• Graduate transcripts (unofficial copies are sufficient for

initial review).

• Research statement.
• Teaching statement.
• Candidate statement on commitment to inclusive excellence (no

more than 500 words):

• Inclusive excellence

is a strategic framework that recognizes the importance of
diversity, equity, and inclusion in achieving organizational
success and high-quality learning and teaching. It's a way of
thinking and acting that integrates these values into all aspects
of an institution, from curriculum and pedagogy to recruitment and
hiring. Essentially, it means that excellence is not just about
achieving high standards, but also about ensuring that all members
of the community have the opportunity to thrive and contribute
(Williams et al., 2005).

• With the Inclusive Excellence Statement, we aim to learn about

the applicant's perspective on their past and present contributions
to and future aspirations for promoting and engaging with a diverse
student population. This statement should showcase the candidate's
professional experience, intellectual commitments, and/or
willingness to teach and create an academic environment supportive
of all students, including but not limited to those of diverse
ages, abilities, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities,
languages, religions, and sexual orientations.

• Cal State Fullerton

serves a student body that reflects the rich cultural, ethnic, and
socioeconomic mosaic of Southern California. Please provide
concrete examples of how you, as a faculty member, will support our
students in one or more of the following areas, which fall under
the areas of awareness and understanding, experience and
commitment, and future plans.

• Your contributions (past, present, or future) to embedding

perspectives that are reflective of the student population into
your teaching and/or scholarship.

• Your experience in service activities that are reflective of a

diverse student population.

• Your experience and commitment to mentoring and providing

opportunities to a diverse student body inside and outside the
classroom environment.

• Your experience integrating creative activities that are

inclusive of the identities of our student body and
communities.

• A list of three references with relevant contact information:
• Finalists must submit three letters of

recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to
submit. On the References page of the online application, enter
information and email addresses for three referents who will
provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At
the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a
request via email along with information on uploading the letter.
You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back
into your applicant portal.

• Finalists will be asked to have each of their

three referents submit a letter of recommendation. Please have
these ready for the referents to offer should you proceed to this
search phase.

• Semifinalists and/or finalists may be asked to submit

additional materials for further consideration (e.g., scholarly
articles, portfolio, etc.).

Please direct all questions about the position to the search
committee chair, Frank Russell, at frussell@fullerton.edu or call
657-278-1066.

Application Deadline

To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be
received by October 1, 2026. The anticipated
appointment date is August 16, 2027.

The College and Department
The Department
of Communications is one of the largest and most diverse mass
communications programs in the United States, situated in the
second-largest media market in the country. Nearly 1,500 students
are enrolled in four concentrations (advertising,
entertainment/tourism, journalism, and public relations) with
nearly 50 full- and part-time faculty members. The Department
operates international programs, a graduate program, numerous
laboratory facilities, an internship center, award-winning student
media, a student advertising and public relations agency, a
week-long signature university event called COMM Week, and many
other student organizations, clubs, and competitions. For more
information about the department, please visit: http://communications.fullerton.edu/comm.

The Department of Communications is one of four departments in
the College of Communications along with Cinema and Television
Arts, Communication Science and Disorders, and Human Communication
Studies.

Compensation

The Assistant Professor
(Academic Year) classification salary range is $6,221 to $13,224
monthly (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated
hiring range is $6,851 to $6,985 per month.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and
qualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibits
employers from paying its employees less than those of the opposite
sex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work
(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm).

Summer research grants, moving expenses, start-up funds, and a
reduced teaching load may be available.

CSUF Benefits
An excellent comprehensive
benefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse,
domestic partner, and dependent fee-waiver; access to campus
child-care; and a defined-benefit retirement through the state
system and optional tax-sheltering opportunities. For a detailed
description of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/.

New employees hired by the CSU for the first time who first become
CalPERS members on or after July 1, 2017, are subject to a 10-year
vesting period for retiree health and dental benefits.

Additional Information

At the time of
appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must
have authorization from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services to work in the United States. For information on the
University policy on support for non-immigrant probationary faculty
visa acquisition, please visit the Faculty/Staff Visas and
Permanent Residency page: https://hr.fullerton.edu/risk-management/faculty-staff-visas-permanent-residency/default.php.

Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based on
the strength of the applicant pool.

CSU Policies
The person holding this
position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California
Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the
requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July
21, 2017, as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be
completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be formally
offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete
the background check may affect the application status of
applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who
apply for the position.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified
applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Notice of
Non-Discrimination based on Gender or Sex and Contact Information
for Title IX Coordinator.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU)
Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose
business operations reside within the State of California. It
requires hiring employees to perform CSU-related work within the
State of California. The employee must be able to accept on-campus
instruction, be assigned, and come to campus when needed. The CSU
also prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanently
from a business location outside of the United States.

Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have
received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision
determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the
last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the
minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of
employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of
the application process must also sign a release form that
authorizes the release of information by the applicant's current
and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated
allegations of misconduct.

To apply, visit https://careers.pageuppeople.com/873/fl/en-us/job/559323/assistant-professor-of-public-relations
je-bd6d8ca7a6b141eb9e1e6f92b38c7fb2