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Psychology Full-time Tenure Track Instructor
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Position Number: 5865095
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Position Type: Liberal Arts - Psychology

Psychology Full-time Tenure Track Instructor

Cuesta College

Salary: $66,519.00 - $102,922.00 Annually
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: FY2425-00108
Location: San Luis Obispo & North County Campus, CA
Department: Instruction
Closing: 2/9/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Description Summary

Cuesta College welcomes applications for a full-time tenure-track position as a Psychology faculty member within the Social Sciences Division starting August 2025. The selected candidate will be assigned a five-course load of undergraduate psychology courses each semester along with active service to the district. Courses within the department include Introductory Psychology, Research Methods, Biological Psychology, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Personality and Adjustment. Instruction will be conducted in-person with limited opportunities for online teaching.

The Department of Psychology serves a diverse student body featuring individuals with a broad spectrum of skills, abilities, and aspirations. Psychology stands out as one of the most sought-after majors on campus and a leading pathway for transfers to four-year institutions. As such, we are committed to supporting students to attain their highest personal and educational goals. We anticipate that the successful candidate will share our commitment to teaching excellence and fostering student success.

At Cuesta College we believe cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees, and our community. Therefore, a successful candidate will value students from diverse backgrounds and populations and show a commitment to collaborating with faculty, staff, administration, and students to create an equitable and inclusive campus environment. As such they will demonstrate an understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and beliefs, as well as gender and sexual identities and abilities of all constituents within the Cuesta College community.

Major responsibilities:

Teach a diverse population of students in both classroom and online settings, adapting to various schedules and locations as determined by institutional need;
Demonstrate proficiency in current content and pedagogical approaches;
Develop equity-minded syllabi for courses, employ effective teaching methods, assess student progress, provide constructive feedback on assignments, and design appropriate learning assessments;
Maintain regular in-person and virtual office hours to provide necessary support to students;
Actively participate in professional development activities;
Contribute to the college's mission by attending division meetings and serving on college committees such as those related to shared governance, curriculum development, and college accreditation;
Collaborate collegially with other faculty participating in program review and instructional assessments;
Cultivate positive and respectful working relationships with students, colleagues, and staff;
Demonstrate a strong work ethic characterized by conscientiousness, organizational skills, and attention to detail;
Perform related duties as required.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

Where You Will Work
Serving all of San Luis Obispo County, Cuesta College has provided comprehensive associate degree offerings, certificates, and community programs to the region since 1964. The main campus is located along scenic Highway 1, west of San Luis Obispo and east of the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Cuesta College has a North County Campus in Paso Robles, and South County Center, in Arroyo Grande.

Who We Are
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to our culture and the work we do. Cuesta College is proud to be a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) committed to racial and socio-economic diversity as it reflects our communities and student populations. We actively seek to attract candidates who share this commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. As part of the Cuesta College team, you can expect to be part of a collaborative community of faculty, classified professionals, administrators, students, and community partners advancing educational excellence with intentional support services leading to student success and completion.

Additional information about the college can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/index.html
The college planning documents can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/collegeplans/index.html
Our Student Equity Action Plan can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/info/student-equity-initiatives/equity/index.html
We offer comprehensive benefit options. Information about benefits can be found at
https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/benefits-insurance/index.html

Essential Functions & Qualifications

To be considered for the Psychology discipline:

Required:

-Master's in psychology from an accredited institution;

OR

-Bachelors in psychology from an accredited institution AND Master's in counseling, sociology, statistics, neuroscience or social work from an accredited institution;

OR

-The equivalent. (Candidates applying on the basis of equivalency must submit all materials requested for an equivalency judgment. For directions on what is an acceptable equivalency argument please review the requirements listed on the HR Website or see further information on Equivalency Petition Process Information below.)

OR

-A valid Community College credential in the discipline (If received prior to 1990, as the credential is no longer being issued).

Required:
-Sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.

Desirable:
-Teaching experience in the discipline, community college level preferred;
-Awareness of the philosophy and objectives of California Community Colleges;
-Previous teaching experience in specialized Psychology courses such as Research Methods and Biological Psychology.

Additional Information:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO APPLY
Candidates will be required to submit ALL of the required documents below when applying for this position. When uploading documents, PDF uploads are preferred.

Cover letter (see further instructions below);
Current Curriculum Vitae or Resume (see further instructions below);
Reference List (see further instructions below);
Unofficial transcripts (see further instructions below);
Teaching philosophy/Diversity statement (see further instructions below).

Cover Letter Instructions:

Please address your qualifications for this position and why you have chosen to apply to Cuesta College.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume Instructions:
Include all relevant education, training, and teaching experience (including courses taught), and other work experience.

Teaching philosophy/Diversity statement Instructions:
We invite you to compose a teaching philosophy statement showcasing your teaching philosophy as it pertains to Psychology. Please address the following:

Highlight your proven dedication to fostering inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in teaching and service by detailing your contributions to IDEA initiatives, relevant trainings or certifications, and the resulting impact on students from this work.
Outline how you intend to demonstrate ongoing commitment to these principles in your teaching and service at Cuesta College.

To best prepare your teaching philosophy/diversity statement, you are encouraged to review Cuesta College's Academic Senate approved Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rubric located on the Human Resources Equal Employment Opportunity Page: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/humanresources/eeo/index.html

Professional Reference List Instructions:
List of three professional references including their contact information (name, title, phone number, email address) and their relationship to you.

Unofficial Transcript Instructions: Transcripts need to show that you meet the minimum qualifications (with degree conferred) and/or have a foreign degree evaluation completed if the degree you hold is from outside of the US. If the titles of your degrees on your transcripts do not show that you meet the minimum qualifications as written above, it is necessary to submit an equivalency petition with your application. See below for more information about equivalency.

Equivalency Petition Process Information: Faculty shall meet the minimum qualifications established by the Board of Governors, or shall possess qualifications that are at least equivalent to the minimum qualifications set out in the regulations of the Board of Governors. If a candidate does not directly meet minimum qualifications, they can submit a Petition for Equivalency form in order to apply for equivalency. For more information on the process, please review the links below for more information.

Equivalency Process (AP 7211) (Download PDF reader)

Petition for Equivalency Form

Completed online applications and all supporting documents must be submitted by the closing date for this position. LATE, INCOMPLETE, FAXED, MAILED OR EMAILED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Please contact HR to ensure all documents have been uploaded and your file is complete up until 72 hours before the closing date.

SALARY SCHEDULE
Salary is determined by education and experience. More information regarding our current salary schedules can be found on the following link: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/humanresources/salary_schedules.html

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Cuesta College will not sponsor any visa applications.

San Luis Obispo County Community College District ("Cuesta College") is an equal opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), age, disability (physical and mental), genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal and state law in admission and access to, or treatment in employment, educational programs or activities at any of its campuses. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. Cuesta College also prohibits harassment on any of these bases, including sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

In compliance with California law, all prospective staff and students are entitled to read the Annual Security Report, published each October by the Cuesta College Department of Public Safety. This report contains information about our emergency and crime reporting procedures, as well as crime statistics for the past 3 years. You may request a copy of this report at one of our two Public Safety Offices: on SLO campus at Building 6600A or on North County Campus at building N1021, during campus business hours. You may also access the complete text of this report at the following website address:
https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/publicsafety/clery_act

Cuesta College uses E-Verify as part of the I-9 process to verify the work eligibility of all new hires. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9 to data from U.S Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records. For further information, visit: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/humanresources/Job_Opportunities.html

Interview Process Information

Selected applicants will be invited to give a teaching demonstration and interview on either March 4 or 5, 2025.

First Interviews will be held in person or via Zoom by candidate request. Candidates who elect to interview in person will be reimbursed up to $500 toward their travel expenses. Virtual teaching and lab demonstrations will be evaluated using the same criteria as in-person demonstrations and will be expected to facilitate similar levels of effectiveness, skill, engagement and interaction.

Second interviews will be held via Zoom on Friday, March 7th.

The selected applicant will begin their full-time teaching assignment in the Fall semester of the 2025-2026 school year, which begins on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

To be considered for this position please visit our web site and apply on line at the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/cuesta

The San Luis Obispo County Community College District promotes inclusiveness, prohibits discrimination, and encourages all qualified persons to apply. As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, Cuesta College actively seeks candidates with diverse backgrounds to assist students, staff, and faculty. For ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) assistance with the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office: (805) 546-3129.