Wenzhou-Kean University
Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU), located in Wenzhou, China, one of three Sino-American universities along with NYU Shanghai and Duke Kunshan University, is approved by the Ministry of Education of China. Launched in 2012, WKU offers a unique model of higher education in partnership with Kean University, a comprehensive, public university in the state of New Jersey that is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Wenzhou is one of the most vibrant and economically advanced developed cities on China’s East Coast, located one hour by plane and three hours by high-speed train from Shanghai.
WKU sits on approximately 500 beautiful acres and currently enrolls about 5,100 undergraduate students, and it is now in the midst of a rapid growth that will bring enrollment to 7,000 students within the next three years. All instruction is in English and all curriculum is provided by Kean University.
In addition to its current 18 undergraduate programs, WKU has been approved by the Ministry of Education for offering 8 Master’s and 3 doctorate programs. WKU highly values research-powered teaching and learning, and the average number of faculty publications and the Field-weighted Citation Impact are among the best of leading Chinese academic institutions.
About the Job:
The Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts is seeking vibrant candidates to teach a full range of undergraduate Communication courses related to PR and Digital Advertising, including, but not limited to: Media Relations and Publicity, Specialty Writing for the Web, Social Media, Media Advertising, Digital Advertising Analytics, and other upper level Communication electives.
All faculty positions are full-time assignments, effective for the year of 2025. These positions are full-time assignments appointed on a 3-year contract at the first instance. Please find the Recruiting Categories below for more information on each position.
A tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor is a full-time, 10-month employee who teaches 24 credits per academic year (a 6-credit course release per academic year is available in the first three years of appointment for grant proposal development and other substantial research initiatives). The course release may be available by application on a competitive basis after the initial three years of appointment. A start-up grant will be provided to launch student-engaging research programs. The candidate will be expected to participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including high-quality teaching, research, advising, student learning support, and service to the university and/or professional community. The tenure-track appointment requires publications in internationally recognized and vigorously peer-reviewed journals.
A Lecturer is a full-time, 11-month employee who teaches 39 credits per year, or a 10-month employee who teaches 30 credits per year. A lecturer provides student and learning support services during the assigned period. Lecturers will be expected to provide high-quality teaching, student advisement, learning support services, and service to the university/college/school/program and/or professional community and perform related work as required. Lecturer positions are non-tenure track.
Candidates with doctorate degrees from reputable universities (Carnegie R1 institutions or comparable research institutions with strong academic reputations in the fields) are encouraged to apply.
Teaching assignments and related responsibilities may include day, evening, weekend and online courses. Interest or experience in using advanced instructional technologies to improve the teaching/learning process is highly desirable. All faculty may be required to teach General Education courses as needed. Opportunities are also available to teach disciplinary support courses. Candidates with an interest in teaching across disciplines are encouraged to apply.
Faculty positions at WKU offer:
Annual salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience with the range of $58,000-$68,000 for a lecturer and $68,000-$75,000 for an Assistant Professor. A well-rounded healthcare coverage, academic travel up to $2,000, housing options and subsidy up to $3,000, home traveling up to $6,000 (2 international round-trip airfares), a reimbursement to cover relocation expenses up to $1,000, shuttle bus to campus for work, and up to 8% front-load retirement benefits within accordance with completion of years of service with the University. WKU tuition waiver up to 50% for spouse/dependent children of faculty for undergraduate programs. Tuition discount of private/international kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools for children of faculty. A collegial environment. Startup grant of up to 80,000 RMB. Three-year initial contract. Six-credit course release per academic year for the first three years. The opportunity to teach high-quality students. About 50% of graduates have been admitted to graduate schools at the World’s Top 50 Universities, and about 60% of graduates at the World’s Top 100 Universities.
Qualifications
A Ph.D. in Communication Studies or related field is required; ABD can be considered with completion prior to the effective date of employment. A Ph.D. from reputable universities (Carnegie R1 institutions or comparable research institutions with strong academic reputation in the fields) is preferred. A minimum of two years of teaching experience in a college or university setting is preferred. Fluency in English is required.
Application Instructions
Applicants are REQUIRED to apply online. To receive full consideration by the search committee, candidates need to submit the following documents via Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/156069).
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled. Candidates should send a cover letter, CV, statement of teaching statement, a research statement (tenure track application only) describing research interests, past accomplishments in research, and future research plans, unofficial transcripts, and the email contact information of three professional references. Three current letters of recommendation (within the last 9 months) will be required before advancement. Official transcripts for all degrees are required before appointment.
Background Screening:
Wenzhou-Kean University conducts background screenings on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.
