Position Description:
Director, School of Journalism
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California

The Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California seeks a director to lead its accredited School of Journalism.

The ideal candidate is passionate about the mission of journalism and recognizes that the changing media and societal landscape calls for forward-thinking, innovative, ethics-based education in both public relations and journalism. She or he must be committed to the professions, to the training of the next generation of practitioners, and to the value and use of scholarly work relevant to both fields.

The candidate should have a distinguished professional background as well as a familiarity with the academic community. He or she should be a national leader among journalism professionals and educators, eager to take advantage of recent technological developments to build an innovative, cutting-edge curriculum. He or she will have the vision, creativity and leadership necessary to maintain a journalism education program that prepares students for success in a rapidly changing industry.

A successful applicant must be able to inspire, lead and manage journalism and public relations practitioners and those who write about the practice of journalism from various perspectives. Working with the dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the director of USC Annenberg’s School of Communication, the candidate should be a team player able to engage colleagues throughout the university, successfully operating at the highest international and interdisciplinary levels.

Specific Responsibilities
Reporting to the dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication, the director of the School of Journalism is a tenured position with responsibility for:
• Developing, in conjunction with the faculty and the dean, the School’s evolving mission, goals and long-range strategic plans.
• Providing leadership in academic and professional communities; helping to lead public and scholarly debate on the future of journalism and public relations; promoting and participating in teaching and scholarly research.
• Leading recruitment of new faculty; providing academic leadership and professional development opportunities to faculty; assigning appropriate administrative roles
to faculty.
• Developing and managing the School of Journalism’s budget; maintaining and updating the journalism school’s courses and curriculum; preparing reports necessary for the university and national accrediting agencies.

Traits and Characteristics
The director will have exceptional verbal and written skills, substantial experience working successfully under pressure in a complex environment, and the proven ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with many constituencies. The ideal candidate will be a nationally celebrated journalist with outstanding achievements as a scholar, experience in academic life and an impressive record as an institution-building administrator.

While most candidates have more experience in either professional or academic life, all candidates should have some experience in both. Candidates will have a strong vision for the future of journalism and public relations education as well as for the challenges and opportunities created by the new technology, the role of the school in a multicultural community and global society, and the special part that can be played by USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism. All candidates should have the professional and/or academic credentials and stature to be eligible for tenure as a full professor at USC.

Education and Compensation
An advanced degree is preferred. Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with qualification and experience. Relocation assistance may be available.

Application
Submit curriculum vitae or resume and a letters of interest to:

Professor Joe Saltzman
e-mail: saltzman@usc.edu
USC Annenberg School for Communication
3502 Watt Way
Los Angeles, California 90089-0281
FAX: (213) 740-3772

Application review begins November 1, 2007.
The University of Southern California is an equal opportunity employer.

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About the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a leading private research university. Founded in 1880 and elected to membership in the Association of American Universities in 1969, USC is among the top dozen universities in the United States in funded research. Named College of the Year 2000 by Time Magazine/Princeton Review for its involvement with neighboring communities, USC has grown dramatically in the past decade. This is thanks to vigorous leadership, a series of major gifts, its location in an urban center on the Pacific Rim, and the unique interdisciplinary opportunities made possible by combining the strengths of its College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and outstanding professional schools in business, engineering, journalism, law, medicine and other fields.

About the USC Annenberg School for Communication
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the USC Annenberg School for Communication is among the nation’s leading institutions devoted to the study of journalism, communication and public relations, and their impact on politics, culture and society. With an enrollment of more than 1,900 graduate and undergraduate students, USC Annenberg offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations.

About the School of Journalism
Founded in 1927 and joined with the Annenberg School for Communication in 1994, USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism provides training in the theory and practice of journalism and public relations. In addition to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and public relations, USC Annenberg is home to a number of research centers and professional education programs covering topics ranging from digital media integration to arts journalism to strategic public relations.