Assistant Professor in Political Communication and AI

Position Rank and Title:

Assistant Professor, Political Communication and AI

School/Department Name:

College of Social Sciences / Communication Studies

Compensation:

Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $88,000 - $92,000

Target Start Date:

August 17, 2027

Application Deadline:

October 16, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of Communication Studies at San José StateUniversity is pleased to announce a search for an AssistantProfessor of Political Communication and AI beginning in August2026. We seek a teacher-scholar whose research and teachingexamines the intersections of political communication, artificialintelligence, democratic life, and public discourse through socialscientific, interpretive, rhetorical, and/or critical paradigmaticperspectives and research methods. Areas of specialization mayinclude, but are not limited to, AI and political communication,misinformation and disinformation, political polarization, platformgovernance, digital campaigning, civic engagement, algorithmicpublics, public advocacy, political rhetoric, public opinion, andthe ethical, social, and democratic implications of emergingcommunication technologies. In addition to developing and/orupdating graduate and undergraduate courses in politicalcommunication, rhetoric, and digital media, this colleague willteach courses in communication theory and research methods, as wellas general education offerings. The ideal candidate will lead thedepartment in establishing robust local and national governmental,policy, and technological partnerships, as well as internshipprograms related to civic and public sectors. The Department of Communication Studies at San José StateUniversity is a vibrant and diverse academic unit offering B.A. andM.A. degrees. We are committed to critical, innovative, andjustice-oriented approaches to teaching, scholarship, and publicengagement. The department values interdisciplinary research,inclusive teaching practices, and collaborations with SiliconValley communities. Faculty and students actively engage inimpactful research, contributing to scholarly conversations atregional, national, and international levels. We also retain a longhistory of offering high-impact educational opportunities,including student research, community-engagedlearning/service-learning, study abroad, our robust internshipprogram, and our senior seminar (“capstone”) course. Thedepartment’s Teaching Associate (TA) program provides graduatestudents with hands-on teaching experience, preparing them forcareers in academia and beyond. All of these support our mission toeducate students to effectively participate in diverse local andglobal communities. Our faculty span a range of expertise andbenefit from access to a wide array of resources, includingresearch support, the University Grants Academy, collaborativespaces, professional development opportunities through facultylearning communities, and channels for research collaboration withstudents such as our very own COMM+ Lab and the UndergraduateResearch Opportunity Program. In addition, as a department we arehighly active in college and University-wide initiatives—includingthe Veterans Advisory Council; Project Rebound; the Center forFaculty Excellence and Teaching Innovation; the Humanities Program;Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Academic Senate,and the Trans-Teach In. Our faculty are regularly sought out forleadership roles across campus, reflecting both our commitment andinfluence in shaping the broader community. The Department of Communication Studies is part of the College ofSocial Sciences, which is committed to equitable and inclusiveteaching and learning. The College sees faculty and student successas inextricably linked, and strives to provideculturally-sustaining, and academically-affirming approaches tosupporting and engaging students and faculty. We provideopportunities for faculty development around asset-based, holisticstudent success, and support scholarship of engagement thataddresses issues that affect our campus and community. In allofour endeavors, we strive to build leadership capacity and foster aculture of support and belonging for faculty, staff, andstudents. The Department of Communication Studies and San José StateUniversity value institutional excellence and are committed toadvancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enrollmore than 40,000 students, many of whom are historicallyunderserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students arefirst-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grantrecipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution(HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific IslanderServing Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holisticlearning environments that facilitate both individual andcollective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivateinclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building,and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelonglearning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve. We invite all applicants to include a Statement of InstitutionalExcellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share howyour lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSUcommunity—particularly in relation to student success. A guide towriting this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines .

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Communication Studies, or a closely related field(completed by time of appointment)
• Evidence of a well-defined, active and on-going research agenda demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, including inclusive and equity-minded pedagogy
• Ability to teach existing courses in the department and develop new courses in the candidate’s areas of expertise
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Strong record of teaching excellence, teaching experience, and a record of service.
• Research and/or community engagement addressing the impacts of AI on historically marginalized communities in political contexts.
• Scholarly and/or teaching engagement with the intersections of political communication, rhetoric, technology, race, gender, and power.
• Background in decolonial, feminist, queer, or critical race theories as they relate to political communication and technology.
• Experience in political and/or technological activism.
• Experience or interest in developing curriculum related to political communication, AI and ethics.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach and develop undergraduate and graduate courses in communication studies, including core and elective offerings.
• Maintain an active research agenda leading to peer-reviewed publications and public scholarship.
• Engage in service to the department, college, university, and the broader community.
• Advise and mentor students, including supervising graduate theses or projects.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity– in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at or by email at

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at or by email at

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August 04, 2026 (9:00 AM) Pacific Daylight Time