Adjunct Professor of Business Communication

The Department of Business Communication in the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California is seeking applicants for a part-time Adjunct Professor, non-tenure track position, for the 2023-2024 academic year.

USC defines two categories of appointment for faculty working less than fulltime.  These are “adjunct” and “part-time.”  The difference in the categories is primarily based on the nature of a faculty member’s professional work outside of teaching at USC.

Definition of Adjunct Faculty

USC reserves the “Adjunct Faculty” appointment for faculty teaching less than full-time at USC, who are employed full-time in a primary profession or career elsewhere. Adjunct faculty typically teach only one course per year but, in exceptional cases, may teach one course per semester, if approved by the dean. For example, a full-time freelance artist, a lawyer employed full-time at a firm, a pharmacist employed full-time by a pharmacy, or a consultant/entrepreneur/CFO who teaches 1-2 classes a year for USC would be considered an adjunct faculty member.   A retired person who considers themselves fully retired, but teaches 1-2 classes a year for USC, could be considered Adjunct Faculty or Part-time Faculty.

Definition of Part-time Faculty

USC reserves the “Part-time Faculty” appointment for faculty teaching less than full-time who are not employed full-time in a primary position or career elsewhere. For example, a therapist with a part-time private practice, a musician who books performances on what they consider to be a part-time basis, a biologist who has a part-time job in a lab, or someone retired from a career who teaches less than full-time at USC could be considered “Part-time Faculty.”  Part-time Faculty under this definition may teach a maximum of 3 courses per semester, and we hope to limit that to 2 courses per semester as full-time faculty numbers increase.

Adjunct faculty for the 2023-2024 academic year would be assigned to teach the undergraduate course: Advanced Writing for Business. Candidates should have experience teaching composition on the university level and have strong oral communication and technical writing skills.  

The most qualified candidates will have documented success in teaching at the college level, a background in business and writing with an understanding of today’s global business environment, and a master’s degree or Ph.D. in a related field.

Candidates should submit a letter of application, resume or CV (on-line), and any teaching evaluations if available.

Our faculty come from a range of professional and academic backgrounds and take pride in their commitment to delivering an education that reflects trends in current business communication studies. They are a collaborative and inclusive group of scholars who value diverse pedagogical, curricular, and methodological approaches. The Department of Business Communication is the largest unit of its kind in the U.S. and one of seven academic units at USC Marshall. We contribute to Marshall’s renowned high-ranking undergraduate, graduate, international, online and executive education programs.

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles as in the largest private employer in the city. As an employee of USC, you will be part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family. USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for outstanding persons of every race, gender, creed and background. USC is building a diverse faculty that embraces a range of disciplinary traditions. We are a collaborative and inclusive group of scholars who often work together, and with teams of graduate students. We are also committed to an environment that embraces diversity of topics and methodological approaches.

The per course salary range for this position is $7,500-$14,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

USC is building a diverse faculty that embraces a range of disciplinary traditions. The University will consider all candidates for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy.

USC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance.