Professional Practice Assistant Professor Agricultural Education Teacher Mentor

The Department of Applied Sciences Technology and Education (ASTE) at Utah State University invites applications for a Professional Practice Assistant Professor position in the Agricultural Education program with a role of 80% Teaching (teacher mentoring/outreach) 10% Research 10% Service.

This position may be located at any of our USU Statewide campuses along the Wasatch Front or main campus in Logan UT. This is a nine-month non-tenure track academic-year appointment beginning August 2026. This position serves as a faculty member in the Applied Sciences Technology and Education department.

This position directly supports Utah State Universitys vision for agricultural education and is funded to serve as Utahs statewide Agriculture teacher mentor with a primary focus on educator mentorship professional development and strengthening teacher recruitment and retention. The role emphasizes preparing and supporting high-quality educators through relevant rigorous and practice-based learning experiences aligned with workforce needs and connected to postsecondary opportunities.

The successful candidate will provide statewide leadership in advancing agricultural education within Utahs Career and Technical Education (CTE) system with a focus on measurable outcomes program impact and legislative accountability. This legislatively funded position emphasizes the collection analysis and reporting of program data to demonstrate effectiveness inform continuous improvement and support state-level decision-making.

The Agricultural Education program prepares future educators to teach agriculture-related subjects at the junior high and high school levels. The program integrates agriculture food and natural resources content with pedagogical training including clinical and student teaching experiences. The program emphasizes the three-component model of agricultural education: classroom/laboratory instruction Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and FFA leadership development.

Serve as the statewide Agricultural Education teacher mentor providing leadership mentorship and professional development to strengthen the quality retention and effectiveness of agricultural educators and programs across Utah consistent with the goals of the FFA Teacher Mentor appropriation

Statewide Agricultural Education Support & Mentorship

• Serve as the statewide mentor for agricultural educators providing individualized coaching leadership development and program support
• Design and deliver high-quality professional development focused on:
  
  • Effective instruction
  • SAE implementation
  • FFA integration
  • Program quality and the three-component model (classroom/lab SAE FFA)
• Provide targeted support to early-career and alternatively licensed teachers
• Assist teachers with Agricultural Experience Tracker (AET) including rostering degree management and recordkeeping
• Conduct statewide travel to provide on-site coaching facilitate workshops and support local programs
• Support alignment of local programs with Utah CTE standards agricultural pathways and workforce needs

Teacher Pipeline Development & Alternative Licensure

• Lead and support the CTE/Agricultural Education Teaching Academy
• Coordinate curriculum mentoring and support systems for alternatively licensed (ARL) teachers
• Provide ongoing coaching to support:
  
  • Licensure completion
  • Instructional effectiveness
  • Long-term teacher retention
  • Contribute to statewide recruitment preparation and retention of agricultural educators

Program Evaluation Research and Continuous Improvement

• Design and implement a comprehensive statewide needs assessment to identify trends Develop and implement innovative curriculum instruction and assessment aligned with CTE standards and workforce needs
• Design and conduct statewide needs assessments to identify trends and priority areas
• Collect analyze and interpret data on:
  
  • Teacher recruitment retention and completion
  • Instructional effectiveness
  • Professional development impact
  • Program quality
• Produce annual reports for institutional and legislative accountability (e.g. Utah Legislature)
• Use data to inform continuous improvement of mentoring PD and program delivery
• Disseminate findings through reports presentations and publications
• Pursue external funding to support program innovation and expansion

Pre-Service Teacher Preparation

• Support pre-service teacher development through:
  
  • Occasional teaching of undergraduate/graduate courses
  • Mentorship and supervision in field-based experiences
• Integrate pre-service teachers into statewide mentoring and professional networks
• Potentially reestablish and advise the USU Collegiate FFA/FFA Alumni chapter

Partnerships Service & Professional Engagement

• Build and maintain partnerships with educators administrators USBE Utah FFA and industry stakeholders
• Serve as liaison between the university and external partners to enhance program alignment and visibility
• Participate in department college and university service activities
• Represent the program in professional organizations (e.g. UAAE UACTE) and statewide/national initiatives

Minimum Qualifications

• Earned masters degree in Agricultural Education Career and Technical Education Secondary Teacher Education or closely related field (completed by date of appointment)
• Minimum of three years of secondary (middle or high school) teaching experience in agricultural education
• Experience with and knowledge of FFA and the three-component model of agricultural education (classroom/lab SAE FFA)
• Ability to work effectively with students faculty administrators and industry professionals

Preferred Qualifications

• Earned doctoral degree in Agricultural Education Career and Technical Education Secondary Teacher Education or a closely related field (completed by date of appointment)
• Evidence of effective teaching at the postsecondary level
• Experience supervising clinical or student teaching experiences in agricultural education
• Engagement with professional organizations in Agricultural Education or Career and Technical Education
• Experience working with alternative licensure or teacher preparation pathways

Along with the online application please attach:

1. Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under Resume/CV
2. Three professional references with contact information

Documents to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under Documents 1-10:

1. Cover Letter
2. 1-2 page Teaching Philosophy: We are looking for evidence of a purposeful approach to teaching that is grounded in examples from your experience
3. 1-2 page Research Statement: We are looking for a summary of your past present and future research with an explanation of how your work contributes to the field advances knowledge and aligns with the mission of the department

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees typically work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants but not necessarily occasional temperature changes.

Founded in 1888 Utah State University is Utahs premier land-grant public service university. As an R1 research institution Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge and serving the public good through innovative research and scholarly activities that are grounded in reciprocal engagement with local regional and global communities. USU prepares students to be active civically engaged leaders who are prepared to address critical societal challenges. Dedicated to providing a high-quality and affordable education USU remains a leader in research discovery and public impact.

USU enrolls over 29800 students both online and in person atlocations throughout the state.Utah States 30 locations include a main campus in Logan Utah residential campuses in Price and Blanding and six additional statewide campuses along with education centers serving every county. USU educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For over 100 years USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns serving every county in the state.

Competing at the NCAA Division I level USU is a proud member of the Mountain West Conference and will join the Pac-12 Conference beginning in the 2026-2027 season.The Aggies long-standing tradition of athletic and academic excellence is exemplified by recent Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships in womens volleyball three consecutive Mountain West tournament titles in womens soccer conference championships and a first-ever conference championship for gymnastics reflecting USUs commitment to perseverance and achievement.

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel respected valued and supported and where diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to recruit hire and retain people from all walks of life who willchampion excellence in education research discovery outreach and believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be recognized our commitment to employees when they namedUtah State the best employer in Utahin 2023.Learn moreabout USU.

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*updated 12/2025

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