Department Head - Assoc/Full Professor 12 month

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California, is seeking a full-time Associate/Full Professor, 12-month department head for its Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences (NRES) Department. This position has a starting date of no later than September 1, 2020.

The department head is a tenure-track position and will provide leadership for all programmatic and administrative functions including instruction, research, and alumni and industry engagement. The department head leads a talented team of 14 tenure track faculty members, two full-time lecturers, and four staff members who engage with approximately 750 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students.

This position will provide leadership for the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences department in the following areas:

• Department's instructional programs
• Faculty development and mentoring
• Academic advising
• Program assessment
• Development and implementation of strategic plan for department
• Management of budget, facilities, and departmental resources
• Advancement and fundraising efforts

The successful candidate will also teach undergraduate courses as well as courses in the department's Master's of Science in Environmental Science and Management program. The successful candidate will be expected to engage in scholarly activities (i.e., research, publishing, grant writing) as part of professional development.  Additional duties will include advising undergraduate and graduate students, and participating in University, College and Departmental activities.  The Cal Poly community believes in the "teacher-scholar model" which emphasizes scholarly activities (i.e., research, publishing, proposal writing and program development) in addition to teaching excellence.

Department Head appointments and 12-month assignments are made and continue at the pleasure of the College Dean. Tenure is earned only in the instructional portion of the position. Credit towards tenure at the time of appointment may be awarded depending on the candidate’s years of teaching experience, professional development, and rank. Academic rank and salary will be commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.

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 diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A doctorate in an appropriate discipline related to natural resources management/environmental sciences with qualifications for appointment at the rank of Professor with tenure
• A broad-based knowledge of environmental sciences and management, including forestry, soil science, and environmental management/policy
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership, effective management and interpersonal skills
• Involvement in fundraising/advancement efforts
• Strong professional record of academic achievement and professional development, including publications in pertinent fields
• Strong commitment to teaching excellence and laboratory-based instruction
• Commitment to hands-on environmental education in a multidisciplinary environment
• Demonstrated experience in collaborative priority setting and decision-making
• Demonstrated experience in carrying out the college mission through an appropriate combination of teaching, research, and advancement
• Demonstrated ability to manage resources in order to solve problems with creativity and innovation
• Ability to interact with NRES stakeholders in developing research and industry initiatives of local, national and global importance
• Outstanding written and verbal English communication skills
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A higher education degree in forestry or related forest science with experience in interdisciplinary collaboration
• Demonstrated experience in successfully allocating, directing and monitoring annual budgets
• Evidence of working collaboratively with partners including: industry, local, state or national government agencies, international institutes, and non-governmental entities
• Experience in interdisciplinary research
• Evidence of leading institutional development such as fundraising, collaboration, and contracts
• A track record of effectiveness in teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses, and overseeing comprehensive curriculum development
• The ability to collaborate on research with faculty across the College and the University

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

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.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are encouraged to submit materials by February 21, 2020 for full consideration; however, the position will remain open until filled. Interested candidates must attach (1) a cover letter providing some detail of applicant’s qualifications and interest in the position; (2) resume/CV; (3) unofficial transcripts of the highest degree; (4) a statement of philosophy on leadership and management of an academic department; (5) a statement describing the candidate’s experience(s) with diversity and inclusion and how their experiences have prepared them to advance Cal Poly’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and (6) at least three professional references with names and email addresses. The selected candidates will be required to provide sealed official transcripts prior to appointment for final consideration.

Cal Poly's commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. 

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The NRES department offers B.S. degrees in Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences, Environmental Management and Protection, and Forestry and Natural Resources (accredited by the Society of American Foresters), and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Management. The programs enroll approximately 750 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

Cal Poly is consistently ranked as the best master’s-granting institution in the western United States.  The College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the United States, with 4,100 undergraduate students, 184 full time faculty and staff, 15 majors, and five graduate programs.  We have a very strong faculty and an accomplished student body with an incoming high school GPA of 4.0, a large university farm (over 10,000 acres of cropland, pasture, and forest, with student-run enterprises in dairy, beef cattle, poultry, sheep, horses, organic and conventional crops, and a food science pilot plant, the new Oppenheimer Family Equine Center, a commercial winery in the Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture, under construction, and many other facilities), several research centers, and the Learn By Doing ethos that is central to Cal Poly’s mission.  We are in the midst of an ambitious privately funded facilities construction program that will result in even more opportunities for faculty and student success.  See https://cafes.calpoly.edu for more information about CAFES.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1901, Cal Poly is one of only five comprehensive polytechnic universities in the nation, with approximately 22,000 undergraduates, 120 postbaccalaureate, and 900 graduate students. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Cal Poly #1 among public master's universities in the western United States for 25 consecutive years. A primarily undergraduate university, Cal Poly offers academically focused students 66 baccalaureate degrees and 27 master's degrees. Operating on the quarter calendar system, Cal Poly takes pride in its "Learn-by-Doing" approach to teaching and learning, which has characterized Cal Poly since its founding. One of the 23 campuses of the California State University system, Cal Poly has a statewide mandate as a polytechnic university. Cal Poly is one of the largest land-holding universities in the nation and uses all of its land holdings in active support of its educational programs. Cal Poly is located in historic San Luis Obispo, a city of 47,500, 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's scenic Central Coast. With excellent public education resources, recreational facilities and an expanding dedication to the arts, the area is known for its scenic landscapes and extraordinarily temperate climate.