JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT - Assistant Professor in Spanish Language Media Journalism

The Journalism Department in the College of Liberal Arts at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, is seeking applications for a full-time, academic-year, tenure-track assistant professor to begin September 11, 2025. Primary duties include training students for professional careers serving the Hispanic/Latino media market. As the university works to become a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), this position supports the institution’s commitment to serving Spanish-speaking communities. Teaching assignments could include broadcast, digital and print-based classes, depending on experience, and the faculty member will be expected to craft a new introductory level class focused on Spanish language reporting. The faculty member will also be expected to advise Spanish language student media news products offered via KCPR.org, Mustang News, mustangnews.net and Mustang News TV. Cal Poly Journalism offers a concentration in Media Innovation, and the candidate may also offer innovation-oriented classes to serve this concentration.

The ideal candidate will have professional media experience, university-level teaching experience and relevant scholarship.

We seek applicants with a minimum of a master’s degree in journalism, mass communication or a media-related field. We will also consider candidates nearing completion of a doctorate or outstanding candidates with a master’s degree and significant professional media experience, including practical knowledge and application of Spanish-language media. Experience with multiple media platforms is preferred. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to teaching excellence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and scholarly activity.

The successful candidate must have the ability to work effectively with students, staff and faculty from diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Cal Poly values the teacher-scholar model, expecting faculty to excel in teaching and remain current in their disciplines. As scholars, faculty should be engaged in scholarly and creative work that is of very high quality as evidenced by external peer review. As colleagues, faculty are asked to perform service activities at all levels of the university. The candidate will receive a significant reduction in course load in the first two years to help establish an active program of research and professional development. Rank and salary are commensurate with qualifications and experience.

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: 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)
• Criminal Justice or Social Work, Latinx/e focus (Social Sciences)
• 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)
• 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.)

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 equal-opportunity employer.

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

• A master’s-level degree in journalism or a relevant discipline by time of appointment.
• Professional experience in media industries.
• Demonstrated university teaching experience.
• Ability to teach a range of courses within the department.
• Ability to interact effectively with a wide and culturally diverse range of students and colleagues.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral use of the English language is required.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral use of the Spanish language is required.
• Ability to translate accurately from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English.
• Demonstrated experience working with Latinx/e populations and fostering a collaborative, supportive and inclusive environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ph.D. in journalism or doctoral-level degree in a relevant discipline.
• Evidence of successful teaching in relevant fields.
• A well-articulated scholarly and/ or creative agenda in journalism or relevant discipline.
• Interest and experience related to emerging applications in journalism or relevant discipline.
• Connections to industry leaders and ability to expand university-industry partnerships in Spanish-language media.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to student-centered learning and teaching.
• Demonstrated ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings.
• Experience developing university-level courses.

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

Currently the Journalism Department, in the College of Liberal Arts, has 9 professors and 7 lecturers. The department serves approximately 350 journalism majors in four concentrations, News, Public Relations, Media Innovations and Independent Course of Study. The department is home to the award-winning, fully integrated student media organization, Mustang Media Group, which includes Mustang Business, Public Relations, Mustang News (mustangnews.net), Mustang News Television, KCPR 91.3 FM and KCPR.org. To learn more about the department please visit: journalism.calpoly.edu.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please visit jobs.calpoly.edu to complete a required online faculty application and apply to Requisition #541886. Please upload the following required materials as part of the electronic application:

• Current curriculum vitae
• Cover Letter [may wish to address the feasibility of conducting research, scholarship, and/or creative activities within the context of a primarily teaching-oriented undergraduate program]
• Diversity Statement: [Statement of demonstrated commitment to DEI in teaching, scholarship, and/or service describing past experience, contributions to DEI efforts, the impact on students, 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]
• Unofficial transcripts showing highest degree earned, official transcripts showing highest degree earned will be required prior to appointment
• Teaching Performance or Evaluation Samples (optional)

Please be prepared to provide three professional references with names and email addresses when completing the online faculty application. For full consideration apply by the REVIEW BEGIN DATE: January 13, 2025. Applications received after this date may be considered.

Projected Start Date: September 11, 2025

For questions about the position please contact Patti Piburn: ppiburn@calpoly.edu or Cassandra Sherburne: cssherbu@calpoly.edu.