Non-Tenure Track Instructor and Debate Coach
Non-Tenure Track Instructor and Debate Coach
Employer Active
Job Alert
You will be updated with latest job alerts via email
Share
Job Alert
You will be updated with latest job alerts via email
Job Description
Western Washington University with over 15000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school is nationally recognized for its educational programs students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham Washington a coastal community of 90000 overlooking Bellingham Bay the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes Bremerton Everett Port Angeles and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes such as being named one of the top public masters-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success increasing our Washington impact and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship research and creative activity. Westerns greatest strength is the outstanding students faculty staff and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff faculty administration student and external constituents. Further individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic societal environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences the Communication Studies Department and the Western Washington Debate Program supports Westerns mission which states that together with our students staff and faculty we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women people of color people with disabilities veterans and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.
The Department currently has 10 full-time and additional part-time faculty serving approximately 200 undergraduate majors. We focus on the centrality of human communication for understanding our relationships our communities and ourselves. Our teaching scholarship and service nurture inclusive discourse critical thinking and cooperative solutions in a diverse global community. We offer opportunities to develop communication skills and explore communication theories within a rigorous liberal arts program. Learn more about the Communication Studies Department at Forensics program is home to the Western Debate Union a co-curricular organization that offers WWU students access to a national caliber intercollegiate debate experience involving in-depth preparation and coaching at the hands of skilled argumentation experts to attend competitions hosted throughout the country (and across the globe in some cases). Tournaments weekly business meetings practices and sessions with coaches occur throughout the Fall Winter and Spring quarters and are accessible to all WWU students regardless of skill level or prior experience. The majority of students who join have no prior speech or debate experience but find the program rewarding and a key outlet for establishing community and friendship through reasoned argumentation. The Western Debate Union is committed to building student research critical thinking communication and community-building skills.
The Department of Communication Studies at Western Washington University (WWU) invites applications for a Non-tenure track faculty position with a 1-year renewable teaching position in Communication Studies starting September 16 2025. Renewal is contingent upon budget approval from the university. We seek a communication scholar who can teach Introduction to Argumentation and Debate at the undergraduate level. The teaching load is 6-8 courses per academic year on a 10-week quarter system (i.e. teaching at least 2 courses in each of three quarters per year).
The successful candidate will also have service duties as a Debate Coach for the WWU Debate Program. The debate coach will be primarily tasked with two major responsibilities. First they will provide essential support for student participation in competitions. They do so by working closely with students throughout weekend tournaments to prepare their arguments and provide advice and guidance prior to the start of individual debate rounds. They also adjudicate debate sessions among other participating schools at a tournament (the providing of judging is a required criteria for event attendance at most tournaments). The Debate Coach also provides help with travel logistics throughout a tournament such as driving ensuring students can access lodging and providing supervision over undergraduate students throughout the trip. Second they serve as argument and research instructor to aid student preparation prior to attending tournaments. Such work includes holding published office hours to review student work and provide feedback conduct practice sessions and attend business meetings.
- Masters Degree in Communication Studies or related field;
- Evidence of effective teaching at the college or the university level;
- Experience coaching and teaching intercollegiate academic debate or related competitive experience in intercollegiate academic debate.
- Current drivers license clean driving record and ability to travel regionally nationally and internationally for competition while overseeing students.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with diverse students and staff including a demonstrated ability and commitment to cultivating learning environments that are equitable and inclusive of students with diverse social identities and backgrounds.
- Ph.D. in Communication Studies or related field;
- Experience with research-based debate formats (i.e. CARD NDT-CEDA policy debate NFA-LD).
- Experience coaching multiple formats of intercollegiate debate.
Salary
The non-tenure track faculty appointment the teaching per credit range is $1028- $1350commensurate with experience and qualifications. Typical teaching responsibility is 8 credits per quarter (fall winter spring).
For the accompanying non-tenure track service Debate Coach appointment the 10.5 month hiring range is $22749-$29574 commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Following academic years will be subject to the Deans approval.
Bargaining Unit
United Faculty of Western Washington
Application Instructions
To be considered for the position application materials must be submitted via WWUs PageUp Westerns online employment management system. Candidates should upload the following as part of a complete application: 1) a letter of application specifically addressing their qualifications; 2) a CV; 3) a separate statement addressing their demonstrated ability and commitment to cultivating learning and working environments that are equitable and inclusive of students faculty and staff with diverse social identities and backgrounds; and evidencing their commitment to fulfill teaching and mentoring responsibilities in ways that provide equitable and inclusive learning environments for all students (refer to WWUs ADEI webpage); 4) evidence of successful teaching (e.g. philosophy on teaching student evaluations course materials etc.); 5) graduate transcripts; 6) A separate statement outlining your philosophy of debate teaching that addresses how you would approach coaching and teaching Collegiate Advocacy Research Debate (CARD). CARD format and philosophy details are available for review at and 7) the contact information of three references. For questions regarding the position application process or department contact Christa Schulz Department Manager at or .
Application review begins August 1 2025; position is open until filled
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race ethnicity color national origin age citizenship or immigration status pregnancy use of protective leave genetic status sex sexual orientation gender identity gender expression marital status creed religion veteran or military status disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law in its programs or activities including employment admissions and educational programs. See WWUs Policies onProhibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance Title IX and ADA Coordinator Western Washington University Old Main 126 (MS 9021) 516 High Street Bellingham WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay);
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation please contactHuman Resources Disability Services 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The Clery Act). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Westerns campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use crime prevention the reporting of crimes sexual assault and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at . The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires and rehires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.
Employment Type
Full Time
