Assistant Professor of Sociology (Specialization in Ethnic Studies)

The Department of Sociology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona   invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position specialized in Ethnic Studies (Indigenous, Black, Asian American Pacific Islander, and Desi, or Latinx Studies) at the rank of Assistant Professor.  Cal Poly Pomona is one of two polytechnic universities in the 23-campus California State University system and among 11 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn-by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.

The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Reportrankings of top public regional universities in the west and was named the No. 15 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility, and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. 

The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains, and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.

Student Population.  California residents comprise the majority (96%) of applicants to undergraduate programs at Cal Poly Pomona – nearly half (49%) of new students were transfers in Fall 2020.  58% of Cal Poly Pomona students are first generation, 70% receive financial aid, and 44% qualify as Pell-eligible.  The university enrolls a diverse student body that identifies as 49% Latinx, 21% Asian, 15% White, 3% Black, 5% International 3% two or more races, 3% unknown and less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Native Pacific Islander and less than 1% Native American Indigenous. 39% of the student body were STEM majors with the top enrolled programs including psychology, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, biology, and computer science.

Inclusive Excellence Criteria.  We aspire to be the model inclusive polytechnic university in the nation. We have a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and to educational experiences that leverage the diverse perspectives and experiences needed to succeed and thrive in a diverse society.

Tenure track faculty hires will demonstrate a commitment and record of contributions through their teaching, scholarship, or service to these inclusive excellence criteria (a minimum of two must be addressed in the Student Success Statement):

1. Integrates the values of equity and inclusivity into their teaching, scholarship and/or service contributions with diverse student populations;
   
   
2. Incorporates the contributions and struggles of historic ethnic minority groups and communities into their teaching, scholarly work, and/or service contributions;
   
   
3. Adopts teaching strategies that supports the learning and success of students from diverse student populations;
    
4. Mentors and engages diverse student populations in discovery, scholarship, and creative activities;
   
   
5. Engages students in problem-based projects and learning that address the needs of diverse communities;
   
   
6. Possesses knowledge of challenges and barriers for underrepresented students and faculty within the discipline;
   
   
7. Mentors and assists diverse student populations interested in pursuing graduate education;
   
   
8. Engages in community-responsive action research or service with diverse student populations and communities;
   
   
9. Has experience in or demonstrates a commitment to adopting experiential learning activities and pedagogy with diverse student populations and communities; and
   
   
10. Has expertise in or demonstrated commitment to teaching, scholarship and/or service that contributes to access, diversity, and equal opportunity in higher education.
    
    

College: Cal Poly Pomona's College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS) brings to life a vibrant hands-on experience through disciplines in the humanities, performing arts, and social sciences. As the heart and soul of the campus, the College’s mission is to cultivate one’s intellectual development, ethical reasoning, and aesthetic sensibility to support creative and critical thinking in a dynamic world of competing challenges. We are a community diverse in backgrounds, expertise, and thought, committed to improving the human condition and to bettering the world. Our faculty, students, and staff are devoted to creating an inclusive environment where all can thrive through the College's programs, research activities, creative performances, community outreach, and signature experiences. Learn more about the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences and our 11 distinct departments at www.cpp.edu/class. 

Department: The Department of Sociology currently consists of 11 tenured/tenure track faculty and offers two undergraduate degrees, Sociology and Criminology. The faculty member will teach undergraduate classes in Sociology with a focus on the intersection of Ethnic Studies, Race, Environment/Sustainability, Diaspora, and/or Work/Labor. The position requires excellence in teaching and advising, professional and scholarly achievements, and a commitment to service to the department, university, and community. The successful candidate will demonstrate sensitivity to issues of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, age, religion, and sexuality. Applicants whose work demonstrate a commitment to inclusive excellence and diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply.

The new faculty member will be a part of the Ethnic Studies Affinity Faculty and will have the opportunity to engage with a new and permanent Office of Ethnic Studies Affinity Teaching and Scholarship.  This is a space for collaboration across disciplines and methodological vantage points, mentorship, and professional development programming.  The Ethnic Studies Affinity Faculty, and the resources to support them, are a key element of CPP’s ongoing efforts to ensure the flourishing of our diverse students and faculty and be the leading inclusive polytechnic university in the nation.  Candidates are strongly urged to familiarize themselves with our programs, department, university, and mission at: https://www.cpp.edu/~aboutcpp/calpolypomona-overview/mission-and-values.shtml . 

Minimum requirements include:

• D. in Sociology, Ethnic Studies, or related field from an accredited university. The Ph.D. must be earned by the start of the appointment. 
• Ability to develop and teach a general education course that meets the requirements for Area F Ethnic Studies courses
• Evidence of potential for excellence in college-level teachingand an active scholarly agenda.
• A Student Success Statement that demonstrates your commitment and record of contributions through applicant’s teaching, scholarship, or service, by addressing at least two of the inclusive excellence criteria listed above.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Ability to teach across areas of the sociology curriculum including qualitative or quantitative methods, and support instruction in the range of courses in the Sociology Ethnic Studies courses, including Demography and Public Policy, Race and Ethnic Relations, Immigration and Migration, Transnationalism and Diaspora, or The Residues of Colonization: Contemporary Realities,

• Ability to teach diverse and large classes, bothin person and online.
• Ability to serve as an academic advisor and mentor
• Ability to develop curriculum in candidate’s Ethnic Studies area of expertise

Conditions of Employment:

The person offered this position is required to pass a background check.

The CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so.  Any candidates advanced in a currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ . Questions regarding the policy may be sent to avpfa@cpp.edu 

Application Process:

• A cover letter that describes the candidate’s teaching and research experience and interests that addresses the duties and qualifications articulated in the position description.
• A curriculum vitae comprised of at least those elements specified on the application form including the names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three individuals who can speak to the candidate’s potential for success in this position.
• A Student Success Statement about the candidate’s commitment to working with a diverse student population, including expertise and/or experiences in promoting educational equity (e.g., ethnic and racial diversity, socio-economic diversity, gender equity, inclusion of members of the LGBTQ community, religion, and ablism; approximately one page, single-spaced), please refer to at least two of the specific inclusive excellence criteria listed above.

• A teaching statement that explains the candidate's pedagogical philosophy in Ethnic Studies and approach to course development/instruction (e.g., knowledge of critical pedagogy, use of best practices, innovative technologies in teaching). 
• A research statement that describes the candidate's current research agenda, goals, and on-going involvement in research activity. 
• List of three references with contact information. Three letters of recommendation will be required of finalists. These letters may come from three individuals listed in the c.v.

• A completed application form available at: https://www.cpp.edu/faculty-affairs/documents/acadapplication_feb2017.pdf
• Transcripts showing highest degree earned (an official transcript will be required of finalists).

Consideration of completed applications will begin on January 10, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Early submissions are highly encouraged.  

To apply online: please submit applications via Interfolio.

Applicants will provide contact information for recommenders during the application process and the system will contact recommenders and provide a method for uploading letters. 

 
Please direct inquiries to:

Faculty Search Committee 
c/o Dr. Mary Kunmi Yu Danico

Professor  
Sociology Department  
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 
Pomona, CA 91768  

Phone: 909-869-3895

Email:  mkydanico@cpp.edu