The Landscape Architecture (LA) Department in the College of Architecture & Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, is seeking applicants for a full-time lecturer position beginning September 11, 2025. The position requires a commitment for one academic year of full-time teaching. Salary and teaching assignments will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The Department seeks candidates who share our commitment to teaching excellence within a comprehensive landscape architecture curriculum and who are grounded in professional experience.

Required Qualifications:

1. A master’s or doctoral degree in landscape architecture or a related and complementary field. Where the master’s or doctoral degree is in a related or complementary field, the candidate shall have an undergraduate or master’s degree in landscape architecture and shall have evidence of experience in landscape architecture practice and/or teaching.

2. Evidence of potential for excellence in university-level teaching.

3. Evidence of potential for ongoing professional development that will keep the faculty member current with the profession of landscape architecture.

4. Demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. 3 years or more of professional experience relevant to the teaching areas for which the candidate is applying.

2. Landscape Architecture license or demonstrated progress in the licensure process.

Primary responsibilities will be to teach in one or more of the following core subject areas:

• Lower division design fundamental studios and upper division topic studios.
• Landscape ecology lecture and/or activity courses.
• Introductory graphics (hand drawing and drafting), digital graphics (2D and 3D), GIS and/or AutoCAD.
• Site engineering, construction documentation, and/or implementation strategies for introductory and/or upper division courses.
• Landscape architecture history.
• Cultural landscapes lecture and/or activity courses.

A full-time teaching assignment may include design studios, activity courses, and/or lecture courses, including large lecture format, for beginning and/or upper division courses.

The department is especially interested in candidates committed to the support and success of first-generation and underrepresented students. Candidates with expertise in the areas of social justice design, sustainability, resilient design and green infrastructure are encouraged to apply. 

Rank and salary for lecturer faculty are based on professional experience and educational background and are determined by the hiring department.  As of July 2024, the classification salary ranges for the respective ranks are:
Lecturer A: $5,507-$6,677
Lecturer B: $6,221-$13,224
Lecturer C: $6,825-$14,523
Lecturer D: $8,593-$15,211

Anticipated hiring range: $75,000 - $82,000 per year

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion 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.

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.

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 Landscape Architecture Department at Cal Poly provides the highest quality educational experience for its students. We recognize that the profession of Landscape Architecture is changing and calling on professionals to play a more active leadership role in designing and managing numerous aspects of our environment. Our five-year first professional Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program is accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) and recognized by the Landscape Architects Technical Committee of the California Board of Architectural Examiners. With a learning-centered educational approach, Cal Poly students will develop the professional skills and knowledge needed to make valuable contributions to a changing global society. Through the faculty’s commitment to excellence in teaching and the core values of the profession, students will develop an appreciation for life-long learning and an interdisciplinary approach to landscape architectural design.

About the University

Founded in 1901, Cal Poly is one of only five comprehensive polytechnic universities in the nation. It has approximately 21,000 undergraduate, 800 post-baccalaureate/graduate students. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Cal Poly #1 among public master's universities in the western United States for 26 consecutive years. A primarily undergraduate university, Cal Poly offers academically focused students 65 baccalaureate degrees and 39 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. Situated on 1,321 acres, 155 of which make up the campus core, 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, just twelve 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, extraordinary temperate climate, and an abundance of outdoor activities.

How to Apply

Interested candidates must attach the following:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Unofficial transcripts at the time of application (official transcripts are required for appointment)
• Statement of teaching philosophy including approaches to teaching studio and lecture courses, and to incorporating DEI knowledge and/or practices into the classroom
• Diversity statement that displays evidence of the applicant’s ability to support a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment including implementing inclusive classroom environments, mentoring underrepresented student populations, and previous professional development in diversity, equity, and inclusion topics
• List of any CSU courses previously taught and/or courses requesting consideration to teach
• Course evaluation results (if applicable)
• A portfolio with examples of teaching and/or professional practice projects (15 pages and 30MB file size limit)

Please be prepared to provide at least three professional references with names and contact information when completing the online faculty application. 

Review of applications will begin January 17, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled.