Assistant Professor of Communication (Communication Theory) bei College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, Order of Saint Benedict, MN

About the Department

The Strategic Communication Studies Department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position starting in fall 2026.

Why Join Us?

 The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees, including:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Generous Vacation and Sick Leave
• Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Tuition Remission for Eligible Dependents
• Employer Contributions to a Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program with access to free or discounted counseling, legal guidance, financial coaching, and more

Join a committed team dedicated to safety, community, and service in a supportive and values-driven work environment.

To learn more about our benefits, visit mycsbsju.edu/jobs.

The Strategic Communication Studies Department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University invites applications for an assistant professor tenure track faculty position with primary focus on communication theory.

Review of application materials will begin on Oct. 10, 2025. Preliminary interviews will begin in November.

DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

• The Strategic Communication Studies Department at CSB and SJU is a dynamic and interdisciplinary team of nine teacher-scholars with a broad range of specializations.
• We are dedicated to providing students with a strong liberal arts education and career readiness, which is why the department recently reimagined the major to include two concentrations: public relations, advertising, and marketing, as well as public advocacy and leadership.
• Our department contributes to inclusive and supportive learning environments through small class sizes, hands-on learning experiences, and student-centered teaching practices. This includes high impact educational practices, such as community-engaged learning, undergraduate research, global education, and internships.
• Our major is one of the top six at The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB), a liberal arts college for women, and Saint John's University (SJU), a liberal arts college for men, are located in the central lakes area of Minnesota, surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of pristine forests, prairies, and lakes. The campuses are minutes away from St. Cloud, an increasingly diverse regional center with a population of over 100,000, and 70 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some CSB/SJU faculty and staff choose to reside locally, while others commute from the Twin Cities. Both St. Cloud and the Twin Cities offer a wide range of fine arts, cultural, dining, recreational, and sporting opportunities.

CSB/SJU are Catholic colleges in the Benedictine tradition enlivened by values of community, hospitality, stewardship, and justice. The schools are dedicated to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons. Students, staff and faculty from many diverse belief systems and backgrounds collectively bring a rich dimension to the academic, cultural, and religious experience at CSB/SJU. We welcome faculty who devote themselves with passion and integrity to their disciplines and to a transformative education of their students. Please view our brochure regarding Higher Education in the Catholic and Benedictine Tradition.

With a total enrollment of approximately 2,900 students, faculty members develop relationships with students in small classroom settings and have opportunities to work closely with students on research projects, experiential learning experiences, and study abroad programs. Recent initiatives to create a dynamic general education curriculum and to develop plans for a new teaching and learning center demonstrate strong institutional support for faculty development.

Institutional Inclusion Visioning Statement

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU) believe that an excellent liberal arts education requires an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference and that everyone deserves to feel safe and morally valued. To that end, we will challenge our own practices and systems. Our commitment to an inclusive environment will be incorporated into all decision-making processes. We dedicate ourselves to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons.

CSB and SJU offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program (click the benefits tab above the position summary section to view more information). For further information regarding our institutions, visit CSBSJU.

The posted wage represents CSB and SJU's good faith estimate of likely compensation at the time of posting. Actual pay will be dependent upon several factors, including the candidate's experience, qualifications, and skills, and may fall outside of the range indicated.

Position Duties

Teaching responsibilities for this position include teaching Introduction to Human Communication (an introductory course in communication theory that emphasizes the differences between social scientific, interpretive, and critical theories), Gender Communication or Intercultural Communication, Conflict and Communication, and a general curriculum first-year course that functions as an introduction to students’ general education experience and as a writing-intensive course. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching 12 credits per semester plus contributing to departmental level and university service, developing scholarship, and student advising. Formal student advising is waived for the first year of employment but will be expected in subsequent years. University level service is not expected until after third year review.

Minimum Qualifications

Required:

• PhD completed by August 2026 in Communication or relevant field (social science emphasis), with demonstrated proficiency in communication theory and interpersonal, organizational, gender, or intercultural communication
• Willingness to adapt courses to fit department and institution needs
• Demonstrated ability to teach effectively in person at the undergraduate level
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusive pedagogy
• Commitment to being an engaged faculty member at a residential undergraduate liberal arts campus
  • Our institution highly values and thrives on working in community. Candidate must maintain a significant on-campus presence (typically at least 3 – 4 days per week) during the academic year, attend department events, and be responsive to students and colleagues during working hours when not on campus.
  • Demonstrated scholarship trajectory
  • Demonstrated commitment or willingness to continue professional & pedagogical development, including willingness to participate in effective pedagogy mentoring
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff

Preferred:

• Ability to also teach one or more of the following courses: Organizational Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Group Communication, Listening, or Family Communication

Other Qualifications

Applications are accepted online by clicking on "Apply" above. Applicants are asked to provide the following materials:

If you require an accommodation to participate in the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University hiring process, please contact Human Resources at (320) 363-5500 or [email protected].

It is the policy of CSB and SJU to conduct a pre-employment background check. An offer of employment is contingent upon a successful background check. 

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers.