
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.
Department Description
The University Archives program is organized within the Special Collections and Archives department of the Robert E. Kennedy Library. Special Collections and Archives actively develops and cares for unique and distinctive collections for research, teaching, learning, and public exhibition. In addition to University Archives, these collections have concentrations in graphic arts and technology, including artists’ books and fine press printing; and California and regional history with strengths in architecture and the built environment, tourism and promotion, environmental conservation, and the diverse communities of the Central Coast. The department also curates the University Art Collection, which includes public artworks, and is responsible for the library’s exhibition program.
Library Description
Kennedy Library manages campus-wide information resources and services with an annual budget of $8+ million and approximately 40 employees. The library is comprised of four major departments: Academic Services; Special Collections and Archives; Administrative Services; and Collections, Systems and Digital Strategies. Librarians hold faculty status and are represented by the California Faculty Association (CFA) and staff are represented by the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU). The library continuously adapts its services, tools, programs, and spaces to evolving academic programs, research interests, and university community needs. The library is a magnet for students and faculty alike with annual visits exceeding 1.5 million, providing access to information resources, classrooms, specialized computing, an expansive 24-hour study space, and a wide range of collaborative and individual study spaces. Significantly, the library is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as demonstrated by its DEI Action Plan. The library is partnering with the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) and actively participates in university and system wide strategic initiatives such as the CSU Black Student Excellence initiative and the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative.
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. Bringing people together from different backgrounds and experiences fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly’s values of free inquiry and reflection on impacts of cultural context, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility. Cal Poly's commitment to DEI informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
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.