Dean

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) seeks a highly collaborative and visionary leader with the ability to build connections across disciplines and with industry to serve as the next dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED). For over 75 years, the CAED has had an outstanding national reputation due to its distinguished community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni that have positively influenced the forces that shape the planning, design, and construction worlds. The dean will build on the successful reputation of Cal Poly and CAED to reach new levels of distinction and national prominence while promoting their renowned “Learn by Doing” philosophy. The dean will support Cal Poly’s clear vision of being the nation’s premier comprehensive polytechnic university that develops and inspires whole system thinkers to serve California and help solve global challenges. 

Founded in 1901 as one of 23 universities in the California State University (CSU) system, Cal Poly is located in San Luis Obispo, a coastal city halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Cal Poly has consistently been named the best public masters-level university in the West by both U.S. News & World Report and Forbes Top Colleges, and Money magazine gave Cal Poly a 5-star ranking, an honor that places Cal Poly among the top 34 universities in the nation. 

The CAED has the unique distinction of housing eight degree programs in five departments contributing to the built environment: Architecture, Architectural Engineering, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, and City and Regional Planning. All CAED programs are highly ranked, and offer students the opportunity to undertake sophisticated projects, collaborate with industry partners, and work across disciplines. As a result of Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy, all CAED students gain impactful practical and scholarly experiences and are prepared to work globally within innovative teams creating sustainable, compelling surroundings within the built environment.

The dean will be joining Cal Poly at an opportune time for impact as the CAED is ready to rally behind a cohesive and forward-thinking vision that bridges disciplines, unites the CAED community, promotes innovation and inclusive excellence, ensures they remain competitive in their fields and the national higher education landscape, and increases their national and international prominence. As the University pursues enrollment growth in the coming years, the dean will also play an important role in attracting and retaining diverse and talented students, faculty, and staff; securing the facilities, support structures, and other financial and operational resources necessary to support growth; and working with faculty to ensure academic programming is attractive to students and is responsive to industry needs. 

The anticipated salary range for the position is $252-262K. 

Lindsay Gold is leading this search with Lauren Wilkes.

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees and our community. Cal Poly’s commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.