Assistant Professor of Digital Media Production, Department of Informatics

This is a tenure-track full-time faculty position. Tenure-track faculty at FHSU generally allocate their efforts across three core areas: Instruction (60%), scholarship and creative activity (20%), and service (20%).

Instruction: Faculty members at Fort Hays State University typically teach four courses each semester. Faculty members may also advise graduate students and supervise independent study work students.

Scholarship and Creative Activity: The Department of Informatics recognizes various forms of scholarship and creative activity, including the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching. This includes local, regional and nationally distributed media productions as well as sole or collaborative publications. The successful candidate for this position should demonstrate a strong commitment to scholarship in this broad definition and they should also be capable of articulating a clear scholarly research agenda.

Service: Faculty members are expected to contribute to the University, the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Department of Informatics, the region, and their profession through service activities. Active participation in these areas is an integral part of the role, as it helps strengthen our institution and fosters a sense of community both within and beyond Fort Hays State University. The Department also values service contributions that enhance our civic engagement.

Eligibility: Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Minimum Qualifications: Master's Degree in digital media production, media studies, or audio production; or a master's degree in a closely related field with 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline from a university with institution/regional accreditation. The candidate must have audio production experience.

All prospective candidates who meet the minimum qualifications are encouraged to apply.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. Degree in digital media production with professional credits in audio production.

• Three years of university/college teaching experience

• Evidence of teaching excellence in a college/university setting

Instructional Responsibilities: A successful candidate must have a skill set in digital audio and media production, experience teaching graduate as well as undergraduate media production students, and the basics of designing and teaching foundational as well as upper-division courses in a combination of any of the following Informatics digital media production subspecialties:

• Multi-track field recording 

• Production sound recording

• Sound editing 

• ADR and foley arts 

• Sound effects workflow 

• Mastering and finishing appropriate to the various destination platforms

  • radio/streaming/podcast

  • television/cinema/social media 

• Project management for digital media production

• Production infrastructure support (IT) 

• Media production software support

Candidate will likely teach classes including, but not limited to, Beginning Audio Production, Advanced Audio Production and Introduction to Electronic Media as examples.

Candidates should have experience teaching foundational, conceptual, and practical elements of digital media within a college or university setting. Candidates should have a strong background in student-centered and hands-on approaches to teaching including experience in or commitment to working with students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles.

Faculty are also encouraged to develop or modify courses to allow students to engage with emerging trends.

Rank: Instructor (a non-tenure track rank), Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor rank depending on the education and experience.

Appointment Date: Either January 2026 or August 2026.

Salary: Faculty salaries are set at 90% of current College and University Professional Association (CUPA) averages by rank and discipline.

Benefits: To review our competitive benefit package, please visit FHSU Benefits.

Priority Deadline: November 16, 2025. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately following the priority deadline and will continue until the position is filled.

Application Process: To apply for this position, please visit FHSU Careers. Only electronic applications submitted through the webpage will be accepted.

Required Application Documents: The candidate must submit one PDF document containing:

• Cover Letter (not to exceed one page).

• Curriculum Vitae

• Unofficial Transcripts

• Contact information for three professional references (optional for the initial application, may be requested later).

If you have questions regarding the position, please contact:

Kevin Shaffer, Interim Chair
Department of Informatics

About the Department:
The Department of Informatics, located in Hammond Hall at Fort Hays State University is notable for its innovative culture and successes.  The Department was built upon the theme of the movement and use of information.  It has grown strongly over the last decade due to the quality of instruction in serving students and has substantial industry support.  FHSU Informatics currently instructs undergraduate academic concentrations in: Web and Mobile Application Development; Computer Networking and Telecommunications, Health Informatics, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, and Digital Media Production and Journalism.  It offers multiple emphases in the Masters of Liberal Studies and Masters of Professional Studies degrees as well as a BBA and MBA in Management Information Systems. The Informatics Department currently serves more than 500 undergraduate majors and approximately 75 graduate students. The Informatics Department has quality facilities including multiple video and audio studios, multiple video editing bays, a music recording studio, web development labs, computer networking/telecommunications labs, and graduate research labs. All classrooms are mediated with built-in computing, Internet access, multi-media tools, and projection screens. Teaching, research, and creative equipment and software is typically state-of-the art.  More information can be found at

About the College:

The Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCOBE) offers business undergraduate degree programs and curricula in Management, Entrepreneurship, HRM, Marketing, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Accounting, Management Information Systems, Business Education, Finance, and International Business & Economics. Additionally, RCOBE offers a variety of graduate degrees and concentrations including a Master of Business Administration, as well as Masters of Professional Studies degrees in HRM, Cybersecurity, Web & Mobile App Development and Computer Networking.

Community of Hays

FHSU is located in Hays, a vibrant college town of approximately 20,000, located halfway between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. Hays is the regional center for education, health care, professional services, shopping, culture, and recreation for the western half of Kansas. The community boasts excellent recreational programs and facilities, including the comprehensive Center for Health Improvement, Hays Aquatic Park, Smoky Hill Country Club, Hays Municipal Golf Course, and extensive walking, running, and biking trails. Hays is within 45 minutes of two large lakes that offer great opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The Hays Municipal Airport provides connecting service to Denver with several flights daily. The Hays community is home to excellent Pre-K and K-12, public and private schools. With over 60 restaurants, major retail outlets, a low unemployment rate, and very short commute times, the city provides a safe, welcoming, low-cost, high-quality living environment for the residents who call "Hays, America" home.

Notice of Non-discrimination – Fort Hays State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or veteran status.

Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.

Notice to KPERS retirees applying for a position: Recent legislation changes working-after-retirement rules for both you and your employer if you go back to work for a KPERS employer. Please contact your KPERS representative or for further information on how this might affect you.