Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement invites applications ofr a full-time, 12-month, fixed-term, Assistant Professor of Practice position with the OSU Extension Forestry and Natural Resources Program. Salary is commensurate with skills, education, and experience. Reappointment is at the discretion of the regional directors, program leader, and department head.
This position will be based at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC) in Central Point (Jackson County), Oregon. This position serves Jackson, Josephine, and Curry counties. The academic home for this position is in either the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management or the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, to be decided within one year of start date. This academic faculty member reports to the Regional Director assigned to the Oregon Southern Region. Decisions regarding this position are in collaboration with the supervisory team, which includes the Southern Regional Director, Coastal Regional Director, Department Head, and the Extension Forestry & Natural Resources Program Leader.
This Assistant Professor (Practice) carries the general and specific responsibilities of an academic faculty member described in the Division of Academic Affairs’ Faculty Resources. These include the development of Extension non-credit education programming, service contributions and active professional development. Active contributions to scholarship are required (refer to the scholarly outcomes section below for details).
This Extension Forester is part of the Extension Forestry and Natural Resources team that provides non-formal education on forestry and natural resource issues to a wide range of audiences. “Non-formal” refers to off-campus, non-credit learning opportunities such as workshops, field trips, property tours, and demonstrations, as well as indoor presentations, narrative communications such as blog posts and other social media, videos, and articles. This position is responsible for planning, developing, delivering, and evaluating Forestry and Natural Resources related non-credit educational programs for a variety of audiences in the service area. Providing non-credit educational services to other regions of the state is also encouraged in the incumbent’s area of expertise. Typical audiences include woodland owners and community members within the wildland-urban interface, professional natural resource managers such as foresters and forest workers, collaborative conservation groups and watershed councils, policymakers, forest products firms, tribes, youth, and economic development officials. Focus areas include forest health, private forest land management, reforestation, invasive species, wildfire, biomass and bioenergy, water resources, forest productivity, forest restoration, and collaborative conservation.
This position is responsible for designing, developing, maintaining and/or carrying out non-credit educational programs and outreach activities to serve broad and diverse populations in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. This includes complying with civil rights and language/visual access regulations.
The division has built the capacity and expectation for employees to use digital communications and technologies in the modern-day workplace. This reflects our demonstrable commitment to using digital communications tools and changing technologies as a primary way to raise Oregonian’s awareness of and engagement with our organization, programs and resources. These activities will be included in the annual plan of work, impact statements, and summary of accomplishments/achievements.
The FNR team relies on active and effective communication with colleagues, staff, partner organizations, and stakeholders. This position will require traveling/driving to various sites in the assigned counties.
About Extension Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Program:
The Division of Extension and Engagement’s Extension FNR Program focuses on programs that promote sustainable and productive forest and natural resources management in urban and rural settings. This is accomplished by faculty, volunteers, program coordinators, and support staff, who organize and conduct educational experiences in group settings and through multimedia.
OSU Research Forests, managed by the College of Forestry, are comprised of ten research and demonstration forests located throughout Oregon. The incumbent is encouraged to use the Collins Demonstration Forest, located in Jackson County, to provide learning opportunities. The incumbent will have the opportunity to collaborate with OSU regional and statewide specialists with a range of expertise including fire, silviculture, urban forestry, watersheds, and more.
About the Division of Extension and Engagement (division):
The Division of Extension and Engagement (division) is core to Oregon State University’s mission. The division helps create real solutions and positive impact across Oregon and beyond. The division is aligned under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement. To learn more about our division and its core units and initiatives, visit the division’s website.
Oregon State University strives to ensure that all educational programs, services, activities, and materials we offer to the public are identified, developed, delivered, and evaluated in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. OSU division’s educational programs, services, activities, and materials are available to all people. OSU division prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials. All employees are responsible for and expected to comply with Civil Rights obligations and actively work to expand access to all eligible populations.
Position Duties
75% – Extension programming
- Assess needs of intended audiences and use results to focus program development efforts.
- Design, deliver, and evaluate non-credit educational programs and events, such as classes, workshops, short courses, seminars, field tours, webinars, web-based instructional modules, etc., on subjects important to clientele.
- Develop non-credit educational materials such as Extension bulletins, magazine and newsletter articles, websites, blogs, videos, and other social or mass media content.
- Design culturally inclusive and socially cognizant materials for Extension non-credit programs.
- Follow OSU and division brand guidelines, digital publishing standards and digital contact management data integrity practices for programmatic communications, marketing and engagement.
- Engage with a diverse array of conservation groups, collaborative partnerships, and agency partners.
- Engage youth through teacher professional development or directly through outdoor schools, camps, and other youth events.
- Recruit, train, and support volunteers.
- Assist with the development of programs and services to the Oregon Small Woodlands Association, its local chapters, and other forest landowner organizations.
- Develop marketing strategies and utilize appropriate tools (e.g., digital and print assets, video, press releases, social media) to reach intended audience segments.
- Utilize technology as a tool to increase the reach and impact of program delivery, including participating with ‘Ask Extension.’
- Develop or utilize applied demonstration areas to use in non-credit educational programs.
- Participate in the management of the Collins Demonstration Forest with other OSU staff.
- Create accessible and inclusive environments that make space for a range of learner needs and provide reasonable accommodations.
- Contribute to the maintenance of the existing core curriculum and development of additional modules to the core curriculum, in cooperation with other Extension colleagues.
- Participate in professional development opportunities that are appropriate for the current assignment and specialty.
- Supervise volunteers and/or provide lead for program assistants and student employees who will have different backgrounds and communication styles and expectations.
- Include a diversity of perspectives in program content.
- Travel/driving is required to provide these Extension non-credit educational programming and services throughout assigned counties.
15% – Applied research and scholarly outcomes
Assigned duties for this position are expected to result in scholarly outcomes. Refer to the Division of Academic Affairs Promotion Guidelines for Professor of Practice Appointments and Promotion.
Scholarship may include mentoring graduate and undergraduate students and serving on thesis and non-thesis graduate committees, including project- and capstone-based programs (e.g., MNR, MF).
Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor of Practice is based on evidence of the candidate’s:
- High level of effectiveness in teaching and education including formal and informal community-based or-engaged instruction, advising, and other assigned duties;
- Achievement in scholarship and creative activity that contributes to the body of knowledge or its application and dissemination in the candidate’s field(s) of expertise; and
- Appropriate level and balance of institutional, community, and professional service.
The criteria for Teaching, Advising, and Other Assignments provides guidelines for documenting and evaluating achievement in these areas.
5% – Extension program development and management
- Develop an annual plan of work addressing educational needs as well as evaluating the quality and impact of educational programs provided to audiences as appropriate.
- Organize and maintain program advisory and management committees and/or networks to identify program needs, make recommendations, assist in program implementation, and evaluate program effectiveness.
- Provide community and statewide opinion leaders and decision makers with the context and understanding of how your program work relates to the overall Extension programming output.
- Implement fee-based programming and cost-recovery practices, develop partnerships, and solicit external funding to support and enhance educational programs. Actively contribute to Extension’s efforts to achieve financial stability.
- Use multiple methods of digital communication and social media (i.e., websites, publications, video conferencing and other online tools) to collaborate internally and externally as appropriate.
- Participate in leadership training opportunities that build expertise around access, inclusion and equity.
- Engage and contribute to opportunities to enhance access, inclusion, and relevant best practices and include these activities in the annual plan of work, impact statements, and summary of accomplishment/achievements, and promotion dossiers.
- Complete the university’s required training courses and the division’s civil rights training session(s).
- Report appropriate civil rights data from educational programming and outreach activities into the division’s reporting system for the internal civil rights review.
- Actively contribute to and uphold a workplace culture that is respectful, inclusive, safe, and collegial, fostering open and constructive communication and mutual respect in all interactions.
5% – Service
- Establish and maintain professional relationships with appropriate organizations, societies, and public agencies.
- Participate in professional activities and serve on professional association, county, university, department, college, and Extension committees as appropriate.
- Participate fully as a member of the OSU Extension team and attend meetings, take on assignments, and otherwise contribute to the functioning of the program.
- Promote Extension programs locally, statewide, and nationally.
- Work as a team with other OSU Extension employees in planning, implementing, evaluating, and marketing programs on a county, regional, and state basis.
- Respond to the needs of constituents and the public concerning forestry and forest products issues and questions.
Minimum/Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree with at least one degree (Master’s or Bachelor’s) in forestry, natural resources, or a closely related field (e.g., watershed management, entomology, wildlife). Degree must be completed by start date.
- Demonstrated experience in forestry, woodland management, or related natural resources science or management.
- Demonstrated experience teaching and facilitating learning and discussion in non-formal (non-credit learning opportunities such as presentations, workshops, field trips, property tours, demonstrations) or formal (for credit) settings.
- A commitment to collaborative and respectful learning and working environments that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate with a broad and diverse audience in a culturally responsible manner.
- General knowledge and ability to use computers, including proficiency with information technology, professional office software and collaborative work platforms.
- Ability to learn and adapt to using multiple forms of digital communication systems, including websites, email newsletters, social media, and other tools in a changing technological environment.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to manage competing time demands.
- Ability to work as a member of a team to work towards shared goals and objectives.
This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030.
Preferred (Special) Qualifications
- Experience working in collaborative settings to achieve common goals.
- Experience working with private woodland owners.
- Ability to accommodate multiple perspectives and learning needs in educational design and delivery.
- Ability to engage Spanish-speaking audiences with bi-lingual/bi-literate abilities and/or bicultural experience.
- Ability to secure external funding in support of program activities (such as educational or applied research programs).
- Ability to provide leadership to teams and individuals that could include volunteers, supervisees, and students.
Working Conditions/Work Schedule
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends, with limited overnight travel.
- Ability to work outdoors in inclement weather and in uneven or rough terrain, according to program needs.
- Travel/driving is required to provide Extension non-credit educational programming and services throughout assigned counties, as well as for statewide professional development activities.
Benefits
Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:
- Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.
- Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.
- Retirement savings paid by the university.
- A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.
- Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.
- Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.
- Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical illness insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.
Oregon State University is deeply committed to the principles of a Health Promoting University. This commitment drives a collaborative approach across OSU’s safety and well-being programs, reducing silos and coordinating efforts to enhance employee safety and well-being. By prioritizing resources that support the health of both employees and students, OSU fosters a culture of care and a healthier campus environment where everyone can thrive.
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Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.
To review posting and apply, go to: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/181078. Apply to Posting P10004UF. Closes July 19, 2026. OSU is an EOE/Vets/Disabled.
