Assistant Professor Landscape Architecture - Beginning Design

Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Department seeks a colleague with enthusiasm for beginning design education to teach first and second year design studios and introductory support courses in materials and implementation techniques. The candidate should demonstrate a commitment to, or potential for, teaching excellence in design fundamentals, site design, and critical and creative design approaches, including integrating analog and digital techniques into the studio environment. Applicants shall demonstrate the ability to develop a viable research program that complements their teaching. Commitment to department, college, and university service activities is required. Learn-by-doing and project-based learning is the preferred teaching model. 

Salary commensurate with education and experience of the individual selected. (Anticipated hiring range: $90,000 - $100,800 per year).

The anticipated start date is August 17, 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. A master’s in landscape architecture or a related and complementary field. Where the master’s degree is in a related or complementary field, the candidate shall have an undergraduate degree in landscape architecture and shall have evidence of experience in landscape architecture practice.
2. Evidence of potential for excellence in university-level teaching.
3. Evidence of experience with design fundamentals and construction methods through professional projects or teaching.
4. Familiarity with hand-drawing and current and emerging digital representation media.
5. Potential for the development of a successful research and scholarship program that complements their teaching. Cal Poly uses Boyer’s model of scholarship (discovery, integration, application, and teaching), encouraging a wide range of scholarship directions.
6. Demonstrable commitment to universal student success.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Professional practice with an emphasis on site-scale design, design development, material exploration, and sustainable practices.
2. Landscape architecture license or demonstrated progress in the licensure process.
3. Teaching experience in studios, including beginning and site design studios, and design implementation courses.

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. At Cal Poly, tenure-line faculty are expected to establish an on-campus presence.

Subject to further planning and approval, Cal Poly anticipates a possible transition to semester-based year-round operations (YRO). Under YRO, full-time academic year faculty may be assigned to teach in two consecutive semesters (Fall/Spring, Spring/Summer, or Summer/Fall) out of the three semesters offered annually. The two-semester sequence will constitute the regular academic year appointment. Faculty may also be eligible to teach in the third semester for additional compensation, subject to departmental needs and University polic