News Digest - May 5, 2017

5/5/17 News Digest by Luling Huang

Dear ACCS Members,
I am pleased to share the latest 2017 ACCS email digest with you.
 
Highlights:
1. Call for award nominations: Outstanding Thesis/Dissertation Award & Early Career Award, ACCS, NCA 2017
2. Call for submissions: Visual online communication in BRICS countries, China Media Research
3. Position announcement: Media learning lab director and communication instructor for the International College Beijing, University of Colorado Denver
4. Position announcement: Part-time lecturer positions (2017-2018) at The Journalism Department, Ithaca College
 
If you would like to share position announcements, conference announcements, call for submissions, or other information to ACCS members, please email me at [email protected]. Our next email digest is scheduled for June 1, 2017.

1. Call for award nominations: Outstanding Thesis/Dissertation Award, Early Career Award, ACCS, NCA 2017
The Association for Chinese Communication Studies (ACCS) invites nominations for the following awards to be given at the division business meeting at the 2017 NCA convention in Dallas, Texas:
Outstanding Thesis/Dissertation Award; Early Career Award
The deadline for nominations for all awards is Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Nomination materials should be sent (in pdf format) via email to Dr. Bo Feng ([email protected]) with the subject line “ACCS 2017 Award Nomination.”
Outstanding Thesis/Dissertation Award
This award honors the most outstanding MA thesis/dissertation related to Chinese communication studies completed in the prior two-year period. To be eligible for the award given in 2017, the nominee must a) be a current ACCS member (to join or renew membership, go to http://www.chinesecommunicationstudies.com/membership.html), and b) have successfully defended and deposited his/her thesis between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016.
The selection committee/research committee will judge the thesis/dissertation based upon the quality of the scholarship, including its conceptual or theoretical foundation, methodological rigor, originality and creativity, substantive contribution, and potential impact in the field. The award will be presented annually at the ACCS business meeting at the NCA convention.
The following materials are required for nomination: (a) a nomination letter, which may come from the advisor of the thesis/dissertation, a member of the student’s committee, or a professional colleague and must contain full contact information for the nominator including name, phone number, mailing address, and email address; (b) full contact information for the nominee and proof of completion of the thesis/dissertation along with the defense date; (c) a one-page abstract of the thesis/dissertation; and (d) a representative chapter, selected sections of the thesis/dissertation, OR a paper distilling it, up to 30 (double-spaced) pages maximum, excluding references, tables, and figures. A nomination for this award does not preclude the thesis/dissertation from being nominated for awards in other divisions.
Early Career Award
This award honors a scholar who is still in the early part of his/her career yet who has already played an important role in contributing to the area of Chinese communication studies. To be eligible for this award, the scholar must be no more than eight years past receipt of his/her Ph.D. (that is, to be eligible for the award given in 2017, the scholar must have received the Ph.D. after January 1, 2009). This person must also be a member of the ACCS at the time of the nomination (to join or renew membership, go to http://www.chinesecommunicationstudies.com/membership.html).
The scholar’s body of work must contribute significantly to the knowledge of Chinese communication, intercultural or international communication involving Chinese culture, broadly defined, and must show promise for continued contribution. The selection committee will judge a scholar’s contribution and promise based on productivity and the strength of the published work, including its theoretical or conceptual foundation, originality, methodological rigor, and impact. The award will be presented annually at the ACCS business meeting at the NCA convention.
The following materials are required for the nomination:
(A) one nomination letter (self-nominations are encouraged),
(B) a copy of the nominee’s vita, and
(C) three representative samples from the nominee’s body of work.

2. Call for submissions: Visual online communication in BRICS countries, China Media Research
This special section of China Media Research invites scholars from a broad range of disciplines to submit manuscripts on the theme of “Visual Online Communication in the BRICS Countries”. Visual Online Content here refers to imagery, GIFs, emoticons, pictures and other visual means that accompany text in an online environment, non inclusive of the audiovisual content and moving images. Despite the increasing prominence of visual online content on social media such as WeChat, Weibo, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as traditional mass media websites across the BRICS countries, comparative academic studies focused on visual content are scarce. Recent discussions focused on plurality of emoticons such as hijabs, or emoticons with different facial color. Despite discussions in the public sphere, there is a lack of cross-cultural studies looking at the differences in imagery. This call for submissions therefore hopes to fill this research desiderate.
Arguably, a lack of visual communication research in the BRICS countries is attributed to the prevalent Western tradition in communication research. This special section serves to overcome the dominance of Western approaches in visual communications research. Following these considerations, scholars are invited to submit their original manuscripts that address the following topics, among others:
- Comparative studies of visual online content from the BRICS countries, including at least one BRICS country as comparative country;
- Content or discourse analysis of journalistic visual content, advertisements, PR and political communication visual content and social web visual content in the BRICS countries;
- Research on use of emoticons in the BRICS countries.
Both qualitative and quantitative approaches investigating visual online content in the BRICS’ countries are welcome. Submissions must not have been previously published nor be under consideration by another publication. An extended abstract (up to 1,000 words) or a complete paper at the first stage of the reviewing process will be accepted. All the submissions must be received by May 26, 2017. If the extended abstract is accepted, the complete manuscript must be received by August 13, 2017. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the APA publication manual (6th edition) and should not exceed 8,000 words including tables and references. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed, and the authors will be notified of the final acceptance/rejection decision. Please visit http://www.chinamediaresearch.net for more information about the quarterly journal of China Media Research, which publishes both print and online versions.
Please direct questions and submissions to the CMR special section guest editor Maria Faust at [email protected].

3. Position announcement: Media learning lab director and communication instructor for the International College Beijing, University of Colorado Denver
The CU Denver Department of Communication invites applications for a non-tenure-track teaching position at the International College Beijing (ICB). The job will commence in September, 2017. Depending on the performance of the individual hired, multi-year renewals are possible. Depending on departmental needs, this position may also have the opportunity to teach a semester at the Denver campus, thus rotating semesters between teaching in Beijing and teaching in Denver. We seek to hire a Communication generalist who can also direct the ICB’s Media Learning Laboratory.
About the ICB: 
Located in the Haidian District of Beijing, ICB is an international partnership between the China Agricultural University (CAU) and the University of Colorado Denver that offers complete undergraduate programs in Economics and Communication. All courses are administered and taught by CU Denver faculty in English, and the degree earned is awarded by CU Denver. The ICB program offers a thriving and collegial environment that embodies the best promises of international education and features classes on diversity, globalization, new media (analysis and production), civic engagement, and more. For more information about the CU Denver/ICB program, please see the International College Beijing web site: international.ucdenver.edu/Beijing. 
Job Description: 
In addition to the teaching roles described below, we seek a candidate who can fulfill the service role of directing the ICB’s Media Learning Laboratory, a facility serving the entire ICB program, where students learn how to analyze and produce a wide range of media. In this capacity, the successful candidate will need to: 1) be familiar with basic studio lighting set-ups and the operation of a variety of professional-grade video cameras; 2) be conversant with the Adobe Creative Suite, Apple's Final Cut X, and other graphic software design platforms; 3) be an experienced teacher of these skills and manager of such resources; and 4) be an enthusiastic facilitator of the student projects produced in this Learning Lab. Fulfilling this role will count as part of the Instructor’s service component to the Department.
In addition to directing the Media Learning Lab, the teaching load is 7 courses per academic year (4 in fall and 3 in spring). The instructor will be responsible for teaching a range of communication courses, such as Communication and Citizenship, Global Communication, Communication and Diversity, Intercultural Communication, Qualitative or Quantitative Research Methods, Introduction to Strategic Communication, Advertising, Advanced Strategic Communication, New Media, New Media Production and Management, and Media Writing Skills.
Instructors also receive two round-trip airline tickets between Beijing and their home country, international health insurance, and free on-campus housing. Semesters are 15 weeks long; semester start dates are based on the lunar calendar with fall semesters beginning early to mid-September, and spring semesters beginning in mid-January to early-February.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire (see note below regarding Chinese citizens). Faculty hired to teach at ICB must be able to meet the requirements to obtain the appropriate visa to work in China. The University does not have direct authority to hire Chinese citizens working in China.  Interested Chinese citizens should contact Megan Jorgensen ([email protected]) for additional information.
Qualifications
An M.A. in Communication is required; a Ph.D. in Communication or closely allied field is preferred. Preference is for an individual who has experience teaching in an international setting and a personal and scholarly interest in diverse cultures. Fluency in or the desire to learn Mandarin is valued. The successful candidate must demonstrate excellence in teaching.
Salary and Benefits:
Salary is commensurate with skills and experience. The University of Colorado offers a full benefits package. Information on University benefits programs, including eligibility, is located www.cu.edu/employee-services.
The University of Colorado Denver is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees. 
The University of Colorado strongly supports the principle of diversity. We encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and all veterans. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work. Alternative formats of this ad are available upon request for persons with disabilities.
The Department of Communication is committed to promoting civic engagement and the use of communication to foster a more equitable and humane world. These values are embedded in our curriculum and embodied in all aspects of our faculty’s performance.
Instructions to Applicants: Questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Stephen J. Hartnett, [email protected], +1 303.315.1914 (Denver is on USA Mountain Time). Candidates will submit a letter of introduction, a full CV, sample syllabi and other evidence of teaching excellence electronically by going to the CU Careers website (www.cu.edu/careers) and applying to Job number 09254. Letters of recommendation will only be requested of finalists, but should be ready for submission. Review of applications will begin on May 15; the search committee will interview finalists during the second week of June.

4. Position announcement: Part-time lecturer positions (2017-2018) at The Journalism Department, Ithaca College
The Journalism Department is creating a pool of qualified candidates for part-time lecturer positions for possible openings in the Fall and Spring of academic year 2017-18. Possible openings may include, but are not limited to, courses in: Introduction to Journalism, Investigative Journalism, Journalism History, Journalism Law, News Editing, and Visual Journalism.
Masters degree preferred. Bachelors with significant professional experience may be considered.
Ithaca College is committed to building a diverse academic community and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply. Experience that contributes to the diversity of the college is appreciated.
Interested applicants must apply online at http://ithaca.peopleadmin.com and attach a resume/CV and cover letter and a list containing the contact information for three professional references. Questions about online application should be directed to the Office of Human Resources at (607) 274-8000. Screening of applications will begin immediately.
At Ithaca College, a comprehensive residential campus community of 6,500 students, we strive to be at the forefront of the higher education landscape. Our strategic plan, IC 20/20, positions us to offer a distinct integrative learning experience that makes students ready for the personal, professional, and global challenges of our age. To learn more about Ithaca College, visit us at Ithaca.edu