Assistant Professor, Agricultural Communication

About the role

The Agricultural Education and Communication Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, is seeking a full-time, academic year, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Agricultural Communication starting approximately August 12, 2027. Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Responsibilities

• Prepare future professionals in agricultural communication through student-centered teaching, applied learning experiences, and industry-engaged scholarship.
  • Contribute primarily to undergraduate instruction in agricultural communication, with an emphasis on strategic communication, journalism, marketing and brand communication, public relations, science communication, and foundational communication theory within agricultural and natural resource contexts.
    • Teaching responsibilities may include courses in areas such as social media strategy, public relations writing, crisis communication, audience analysis, communication campaigns, and current issues in agriculture, as well as other courses as assigned and deemed necessary by the department.
  • Foster a learn-by-doing environment that emphasizes experiential learning, hands-on skill development, and applied problem-solving for the current communication market.
    • Supervise undergraduate senior projects, mentor graduate students, advise student organizations and competitive teams, and support internships, field-based learning experiences, and industry partnerships that connect students with agricultural communication professionals and stakeholders.
  • Participate in scholarly activities (e.g., research, grant writing, publications, presentations, and creative activities) as part of their professional development and contribute to advancing the field of agricultural communication via the Teacher-Scholar-Model.
    • Emphasize practical, applied research that addresses contemporary communication challenges in agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities, particularly related to communicating complex issues to diverse public audiences.
  • Advise students, support co-curricular activities, engage in department, college, and university service, and collaborate with colleagues, industry partners, and community stakeholders to ensure that academic programs remain responsive to the evolving communication needs of California’s agricultural industry.

Qualifications

• An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in Agricultural Communication or a closely related field. Candidates nearing completion of the doctorate (ABD) may be considered but must provide proof that the doctorate was awarded prior to the start of the appointment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and oral use of the English language is required.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to student-centered learning and teaching, as well as demonstrated ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings are required.
• Strong interests in undergraduate and graduate teaching are required.
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering inclusive, equitable, and supportive learning environments, is also required.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to securing external funding and publishing research.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to effectively developing programs directed to communicating science to a wide variety of audiences.
• Experience teaching in a university or community college setting will receive priority consideration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching in a university or community college setting will receive priority consideration.

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.
• 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.

About the Department

The Agricultural Education and Communication Department at Cal Poly has approximately 155 undergraduate students in Agricultural Communication and 175 undergraduate students in Agricultural Science, 45 Master of Agricultural Education candidates, and seven full-time faculty who teach in the areas of agricultural teacher education and agricultural communications. The Brock Center for Agricultural Communication is housed within the Agricultural Education and Communication Department and serves as the laboratory for students to develop their writing, social media, and verbal communication skills. Agricultural Education and Communication faculty and students work closely with the Brock Center for Agricultural Communication. The Brock Center was established in 1986 and is managed by the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences (C.A.F.E.S.) with input from the College of Liberal Arts (C.L.A.). The mission of the Brock Center is to create a bridge of communication between the agricultural industry, the media, and the public.