Reporting directly to the Dean of Library Services and working collaboratively with the Director of Special Collections and Archives who provides operational supervision, the University Archivist serves as the primary representative, advocate, and steward of the University Archives, the official repository for records documenting Cal Poly University. Guided by a commitment to inclusive, community-engaged collection development, as well as the California State University (CSU) system Records Retention and Disposition Schedule policy, the University Archivist is responsible for identifying, appraising, selecting, and acquiring university records which campus communities deem important to preserve, and recognizes the opportunity to situate the archives as a site of cultural and social memory. The University Archivist participates in activities related to arrangement, preservation description, and public access, interprets archival records for publication and public programs, and promotes their active use. The University Archivist also provides specialized research services and primary source instruction sessions that contribute to Cal Poly’s DEI initiatives, Learn by Doing curriculum, Student Success, and the Librarian-Scholar model.???
Librarians have full faculty status and are expected to meet faculty requirements for tenure and promotion. The typical workload allows for 20% of time to be allocated to research, scholarship and creative activities.?Faculty are required to conduct an active ongoing program of scholarship or creative works that advances knowledge in the library and information field or other fields of one’s specialty. Faculty also participate in shared governance and actively engage in committees, task forces, and professional organizations to shape the future of the library in accordance with the goals of the library, Cal Poly, and CSU. Please refer to the Robert E. Kennedy Library Vision and Values and DEI Plan for more information.?
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS??
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities?
ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences at the time of hire; or comparable experience with a relevant advanced degree.??
A minimum of three (3) years of relevant work experience with a focus on maintaining or building archives.
Knowledge and experience with historical and contemporary ethical issues in developing, using, and managing archival collections. Demonstrated knowledge or experience in fostering community belonging and of foregrounding the sociopolitical contexts of archives.
Knowledge of or experience in working with historically marginalized populations and communities. Ability to curate archival materials with an ethics of care and with sensitivity for harm minimization and mitigation. Knowledge of historical and contemporary issues in working with such communities.
Experience in appraisal, selection, and processing, including the arrangement, preservation, and description of archival records and related manuscript collections following national archival standards and practices.??
Ability to build and sustain relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including faculty, students, administrators, donors, alumni, and other stakeholders.?Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work successfully with a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds.??
Demonstrated knowledge of or experience in using archives as a site of critical pedagogy, especially in relation to topics of race, gender, class, and other historically underrepresented and/or marginalized communities. Ability to provide specialized reference and instruction in archival use.
Demonstrated knowledge of or experience in critical archival studies, especially related to ethical dimensions of archival representation and usage.
Knowledge of legal and ethical issues related to acquiring, stewarding, and using archives and their digital surrogates, including University and CSU-wide policies pertaining to University Archives and records management, and policies related to privacy, confidentiality, and compliance with copyright law.?Ability to advise the campus community on records retention, disposition, and transfer in alignment with policies and best practices.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities?
Experience working with institutional or organizational records, archives, and digital assets, including knowledge of records management practices.?
Experience building and sustaining relationships with records creators and/or custodians.
Founded in 1901, Cal Poly is one of only six comprehensive polytechnic universities in the nation, with approximately 22,000 undergraduates, 120 postbaccalaureate, and 700 graduate students. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Cal Poly #1 among public master’s universities in the western United States for 30 consecutive years. A primarily undergraduate university, Cal Poly offers academically-focused students 66 baccalaureate degrees and 36 master’s degrees. Currently operating on the quarter calendar system, Cal Poly takes pride in its “Learn-by-Doing” approach to teaching and learning, which has characterized Cal Poly since its founding. One of the 23 campuses of the California State University system, Cal Poly has a statewide mandate as a polytechnic university. Cal Poly is one of the largest land-holding universities in the nation and uses all of its land holdings in active support of its educational programs. Cal Poly is located in historic San Luis Obispo, a city of 49,000, 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California’s scenic Central Coast. With excellent public education resources, recreational facilities, and an expanding... dedication to the arts, the area is known for its scenic landscapes, outdoor activities, and extraordinarily temperate climate.
At Cal Poly, 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 diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. Cal Poly is an equal opportunity employer.