JAMES E. BURGESS CHAIR IN JOURNALISM ETHICS

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication seeks a full-time faculty member to fill the newly endowed James E. Burgess Chair in Journalism Ethics beginning August 25, 2008.  Appointment can be at any rank appropriate for the candidate's credentials, and may come with tenure.

We seek applications from scholars and from senior media professionals with a track record of research, teaching and/or professional work strongly related to journalism ethics.  The successful candidate must be committed to teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, conducting academic research or engaging in high level professional activity, and contributing to service activity inside and outside of the School.  Teaching will include journalism ethics and other courses matching the candidate's qualifications and interests, as well as advising graduate students.  Under the terms of the endowment, the chair-holder will conduct an annual conference for students and professionals on contemporary issues in American journalism ethics.  The person will also be expected to assume a major role in developing and participating in a center for the study, debate and exposition of ethical issues in journalism.

Qualifications: Academic applicants must have a Ph.D. or expect to complete it by August 2008; research and publications commensurate with their experience or evidence of ability to carry out a high-quality research program; and evidence of or potential for teaching excellence.  Professional journalistic experience is strongly preferred. 

For applicants from the professional world, a master's degree is preferred in addition to a substantial and outstanding record of professional accomplishment and demonstrable interest in journalistic ethics, teaching and contributing to academic or professional scholarship.

The School and the University: The School of Journalism and Mass Communication (www.journalism.wisc.edu) is one of the oldest in the United States.  Approximately 20 faculty and instructional staff direct 400 undergraduates and more than 100 graduate students. At the graduate level, the School provides professional and research master's degrees and shares a leading doctoral program with the Department of Life Sciences Communication.   A unit in the College of Letters and Science, the School is a community of productive scholars and educators who value scholarship of the highest quality and instruction in the theory and professional practice of journalism and strategic communication (including advertising and public relations).  The School is open to scholarship taking a variety of forms -- social scientific, humanistic and/or professional, depending on faculty members' interests and qualifications.

James Burgess, whose support has made the chair possible, is the former publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison and was executive vice president of Lee Enterprises.

Applications: Telephone and email inquiries are welcome. Contact Prof. Robert Drechsel, search committee chair, 608-263-3394 or drechsel@wisc.edu.  To apply, send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, names and contact information for three references, and samples of scholarly or professional work to:

Prof. Robert Drechsel
Chair, Search Committee
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Wisconsin-Madison
821 University Avenue
Madison. WI 53706-1497

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by November 1, 2007.  Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, information regarding the applications must be released upon request. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.  We actively seek a diverse faculty.

Please see full Position Vacancy Listing through the UW Office of Human Resources here.