Assistant Professor of Sociology - Criminal Justice or Social Work, Latinx/

at  California State University

Job no: 541882
Work type: Instructional Faculty – Tenured/Tenure-Track
Location: San Luis Obispo
Categories: Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Faculty - Social Sciences, Tenured/Tenure-Track, Full Time

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
• Experience working with underrepresented students in research, teaching, service, advising, mentoring and/or community engagement
• Experience working with diverse populations and fostering a collaborative, supportive, and inclusive environment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 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

• 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