Abstract
This article provides a detailed account of faculty recruitment and hiring practices in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of New Mexico, focusing on strategies for achieving program stability within a master’s-level institution. The discussion identifies the department’s dual challenge: maintaining rigorous hiring standards while managing the instability created by faculty turnover. Operating as a “committee of the whole,” the faculty conducts affirmative action–compliant searches that emphasize collaboration, transparency, and collective decision making. Candidates are assessed for their fit within the department’s tripartite mission of teaching, research, and service, with balanced competence across all areas preferred. Particular attention is given to teaching effectiveness and the ability to integrate research with instruction in a primarily undergraduate environment. The analysis concludes that while careful screening fosters excellence, it also increases faculty mobility, as strong hires are often recruited by doctoral-granting or private-sector institutions—a paradox of success that defines hiring at comprehensive, state-supported universities.
Recommended Citation
Frandsen, Kenneth D.
(1987)
"Hiring Practices in an MA Program,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 59, Article 18.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol59/iss1/18
