Assistant Professor of Sociology: Criminal Justice or Social Work, Latinx/e focus 

The sociology program in the Department of Social Sciences at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA seeks applications for a full-time (academic year), tenure- track Assistant Professor to begin September 11, 2025. Area of Specialization: Criminal Justice or Social Work with a Latinx/e focus. The faculty member will support and teach in the Cal Poly 2+2 sociology bachelor’s degree program at the Allan Hancock College campus, a Hispanic-serving institution, as well as at the San Luis Obispo campus. Additional teaching in one or more of the following classes is preferred: Genders and Sexualities, Sociology of the Family, Sociology of the Life Course, Social Movements, Social Change, and/or Sociology of Complex Organizations.

The ideal candidate will have a combination of university-level teaching experience and research potential. We are seeking applicants with a Ph.D. in sociology or closely related discipline completed before the start of the appointment, evidence of involvement with the Latinx/e community, demonstrable expertise in critical studies of criminal justice or social work with a focus on marginalized communities, and experience working with underrepresented students in research, teaching, service, advising, mentoring and/or community engagement.

The primary teaching and service responsibilities will be to support the 2+2 program. The 2+2 program is a recent partnership between California Polytechnic State University and Allan Hancock Community College in Santa Maria (~35 minutes from the Cal Poly main campus in San Luis Obispo). Students in the program apply at the end of their associate degree and, if accepted, complete two years of Cal Poly classes as transfer students at the Allan Hancock campus. Many 2+2 students are Latinx/e, lower socioeconomic status, and/or first generation. 2+2 students graduate with a BA degree in Sociology from Cal Poly and are prepared to take positions in areas such as law enforcement, human resources, or social services or enter a K-8 credentialing program.

Although Cal Poly is primarily a teaching university, our faculty are expected to balance teaching with an active program of research/professional development (including publication), student supervision and advising, and participation in service activities at the department and college/university level. The typical teaching load is 12 units (three courses) per quarter, with a reduction in course load in each of the first two years to help new faculty establish an active program of research and professional development. Cal Poly strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), especially in the classroom and among its areas of study.

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) sees diversity as central to its mission and is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment within the college and university. We value our diversity of complex and intersecting identities, while striving to maintain an environment that is socially just, equitable, respectful, and inclusive. The successful applicant should be able to clearly demonstrate how they have infused these values and student learning objectives into their work. They should be prepared to present clear examples of how they would infuse these areas into their work as a faculty member.

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees, and our community. Bringing people together from different backgrounds, experiences, and value systems fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly's values of free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility. Cal Poly's commitment to DEI informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring, and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Cal Poly strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), in the classroom, in scholarship, and in service experience. This position is part of a university-wide cluster of searches designed to increase curricular coverage of areas related to DEI, as well as to promote inclusive and equity-minded teaching strategies across the university. Successful candidates will be expected to contribute to the university’s goals in these areas. Candidates selected through this DEI cluster hire will be given start-up funds to support their work in DEI, and a dedicated mentor will be given upon appointment. Once hired, candidates will collaborate with their dean and others to develop a plan for utilizing these funds for supplemental compensation, assigned time, or professional development activities. 

For more information about Cal Poly’s DEI-Focused Cluster Hires, please visit: https://academic-personnel.calpoly.edu/clusterhire

The other searches are for positions in the following disciplines across campus:

• African American Politics and/or Policy (Political Science)
• African American Psychology (Psychology & Child Development)
• DEI-focused University Archivist (Special Collections and Archives, Library)
• Director of General Engineering (Dept. dependent on specialty)
• Environmental Health in Latinx/e Populations (Kinesiology and Public Health)
• Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development, focus on Latinx/e or Black populations (Natural Resources and Environmental Science)
• Exercise Physiology (Kinesiology and Public Health)
• Metadata and Cataloguing Librarian (Collection Strategies and Discovery, Library)
• Spanish Language Journalism (Journalism)
• Visual and Performing Arts Education, focus on Black and Latinx/e populations (Liberal Studies)

Salary: Anticipated Hiring Range: $90,276 - $98,244/year, $7,523 - $8,187/month 
(Note that hiring level will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate.)

Due to CSU policies, the person hired must reside in the state of California at the time of hire and for the entirety of the appointment.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in sociology or closely related discipline (earned or nearing completion, with degree awarded before the start of the appointment)
• Evidence of potential for scholarly and/or creative achievement in sociology
• Ability to teach criminal justice and/or social work courses
• Evidence of involvement with the Latinx/e community
• Demonstrated effectiveness in college or university-level teaching
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral use of the English language
• Willingness to teach at both campuses in-person or virtually based on program need

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with underrepresented students in research, teaching, service, advising, mentoring and/or community engagement
• Evidence of involvement with and commitment to community college/transfer students
• Evidence of scholarly engagement with social justice-oriented frameworks, theories, and/or practices
• Experience in online teaching
• Ability to teach courses in three or more of the following areas:
  • genders and sexualities
  • the family or the life course
  • social change or social movements
  • organizations
  • other core courses (e.g. race and ethnicity, sociological research methods)
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to student-centered learning and teaching
• Demonstrated ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse populations and fostering a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive environment

Candidates will have the following responsibilities

• Teach, conduct research, and perform Cal Poly service responsibilities at the Allan Hancock College campus to support the 2+2 program
• Teach at the San Luis Obispo campus to support the overall sociology program
• Advise students about concentrations and supervise senior projects
• Build relationships with the local community to support 2+2 student internships
• Teach courses in the sociology upper-division curriculum including criminal justice or social work, as well as additional core courses for the major and upper division electives
• Teach courses at both campuses in-person and/or virtually based on program need
• Contribute to the University’s mission of “Learn by Doing”
• Develop and maintain an active research agenda that involves undergraduate students
• Develop and teach undergraduate classes based on the candidate’s own interests

Special Conditions

All CSU employees are designated "mandated reporters" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act. As a condition of your employment, you will be required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 and any subsequent amendments.

Following a conditional offer of employment, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate may start work with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may result in the withdrawal of the offer of employment. Note: Cal Poly cannot deny an applicant a position solely or in part due to a criminal conviction history until it has performed an individualized assessment and linked the relevant conviction history with specific job duties in the position being sought.

Please note: Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Sensitive positions are those requiring heightened scrutiny of individuals holding the position based on potential for harm to children, concerns for the safety and security of people, animals, or property, or heightened risk of financial loss to Cal Poly or individuals in the university community.

For health and well-being, Cal Poly is a smoke & tobacco-free campus. The university is committed to promoting a healthy environment for all members of our community.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California.

About the Department

The Department of Social Sciences is comprised of two majors (sociology and anthropology/geography) located on two campuses (San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria) and has 17 tenured or tenure-track faculty members. The sociology program serves approximately 300 majors and 50 minors as well as students throughout the university in General Education offerings. The department's website is www.socialsciences.calpoly.edu.

How to Apply

To apply, please visit http://jobs.calpoly.edu/ for an online faculty application and apply to Requisition # 541882. Please upload the following required materials as part of the electronic application:

1. Current curriculum vitae
2. Cover letter: address the feasibility of conducting a research program within the context of a primarily teaching-oriented undergraduate program
3. Diversity statement: describe demonstrated commitment to DEI in teaching, scholarship, and/or service including descriptions of past experience, contributions to DEI efforts, the impact on student, faculty, staff, and/or your field, and a description of how you will demonstrate a commitment in these areas in teaching, research, and/or service at Cal Poly
4. Unofficial transcripts showing highest degree earned; official transcripts showing highest degree earned will be required prior to appointment
5. Teaching portfolio: provide evidence of teaching effectiveness including student evaluations and course syllabi related to area of specialization (criminal justice or social work, as well as other areas of sociology if desired)
6. Example of research plan, scholarship or creative work

Please be prepared to provide three professional references with names and email addresses when completing the application. Cal Poly will directly solicit letters from the individuals listed by applicants. The position is open until filled.

Projected Start Date: 09-11-2025

Review Begin Date: 12-16-2024. Applicants with complete files by the Review Begin date will be given full consideration. Applications received after this date may be considered.

For questions about the position please contact Dr. Sara Lopus via email at slopus@calpoly.edu