We're hiring five faculty in advertising and sports media
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 - 10:30pm
The College of Journalism and Mass Communications launched searches in October for five new faculty to join our advertising and public relations (ADPR) and sports media and communication (SPMC) programs.
"We are tremendously excited about these hires." said Shari Veil, dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. "These additional faculty will position us to build on robust programs and expand opportunities to serve additional students, conduct research and creative activity that enhances our professions and contribute to the future of Nebraska's workforce and economy."
These hands-on programs have seen tremendous growth in student enrollment recently. The ADPR program is the 5th largest major at UNL with more than 600 majors. The master's program in integrated media communications, and the PR and social media graduate certificate have also grown in the past three years.The SPMC undergraduate program has grown to 245 majors since its launch in the fall of 2017. The college has plans to add a graduate certificate in sports promotion in the next few years.
Job growth is also expected in these disciplines. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Nebraska will see an increase in public relations positions of 10.1% and advertising of 14.7% by 2029. Growth in sports media and communications is not tracked, but according to Business Wire, 23.7% of the $488.5 billion sports market is in media rights. Additionally, the explosion of esports has opened new avenues for sports promotion, event planning and live streaming.
As the only accredited journalism and mass communications program in Nebraska, the college is uniquely positioned to contribute to the future of these professions in the state. To do so, the college will hire two assistant professors in advertising and public relations and one assistant professor in sports media and communication. These tenure-leading positions will support the program through teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, conducting research and creative activity and serving the college, university and state of Nebraska. Additionally, the college seeks two assistant professors of practice in advertising and public relations with experience in sports promotion. These non-tenure-leading positions will teach classes in both majors and contribute to the development of a graduate certificate in sport promotion.
