ABOUT BENNETT COLLEGE:

Welcome to Bennett College, a distinguished institution committed to empowering and shaping the next generation of leaders. Established in 1873, Bennett College has a rich history rooted in academic excellence, social responsibility, and the advancement of women. As an all-women's Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Bennett College stands at the forefront of fostering a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment for women of color.

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Bennett College seeks a dynamic, energetic Environmental Justice Professor of Practice to join our Global Leadership and Interdisciplinary Studies Program. The successful candidate will demonstrate expertise in environmental justice, sustainability, climate change and its disproportionate impact on communities of color, and/or intersectional environmentalism as well as a passion for interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning, global community engagement, and activist scholarship. In addition to teaching and co-teaching interdisciplinary courses in Environmental Justice related courses, the successful candidate will 1) lead and collaborate with colleagues to build an Environmental Justice minor, concentrations, and certificate programs, 2) advance the goals of Bennett’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Climate Justice Task Force, and 3) leverage community partnerships for the benefit of meeting and expanding Bennett’s CAP goals. Bennett seeks someone who is actively working in the Environmental Justice field and who is interested in bridging current best practices and activist scholarship. We expect that the successful candidate may only have 1-2 years for this work before returning to the EJ field.

The chosen candidate will help Bennett design an Environmental Justice Minor and certificate programs with vital skills needed to engage and create meaningful involvement with communities in order to meet the current demands of the climate and environmental justice crises. The candidate will also help students recognize their strengths and use those gifts to impact the communities of Bennett College, Greensboro, the U.S. and the world! This master teacher has developed experiential learning opportunities for students—from finding opportunities to learn from local EJ sites and community members to collaborating on potential study abroad and study away courses. The ideal candidate is energized by and deeply committed to empowering women of color leaders to engage with their community and world and is eager to join a small, nimble, hard-working team to advance this mission. Bennett seeks a candidate who understands its civil rights history and will work to deepen our social justice mission to include environmental and climate justice.

Bennett College Faculty responsibilities include teaching, advising students, participating in departmental and college service activities, involvement in recruitment and retention activities, and ongoing professional development. Faculty are significant contributors to the accreditation process. Faculty also participates in various forms of assessment to facilitate continuous improvement and to make data-driven decisions. Bennett College seeks to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff that share the College’s values and contribute to its mission and vision to be a leader among liberal arts colleges. Note: As a professor of practice, this position would not be expected to meet all traditional faculty requirements. Bennett will work to ensure
this position has adequate bandwidth to focus on curriculum development and Climate Action Plan support.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Teaches two undergraduate courses each semester related to environmental justice, sustainability, climate change and its disproportionate impact on communities of color, and intersectional environmentalism in the Global Leadership & InterdisciplinaryStudies (GLIS) Program in in-person, hybrid, and online formats utilizing experiential learning, activist scholarship, and social justice teaching
Designs and collaborates with others to create a meaningful Environmental Justice Minor, concentrations, and certificate programs with knowledge and skills that will prepare students for working in sustainability, environmental justice, climate change and environmental studies fields
Participates with and establishes relationships with non-profit organizations in the local community.Supports and engages with Bennett’s Climate Action Plan and Climate Justice Task Force
Mentors and collaborates with Bennett’s Green Team
Mentors students in research and other class-related projects
Engages in activities to support the mission and vision of Bennett College and the GLIS Program
Engages in scholarly activity and professional development
Uses measurement and evaluation to assess and refine programs and classes
Participates in various forms of assessment to facilitate continuous improvement and to make data-driven decisions
Abides by all relevant college and/or departmental procedures and policies
Responds to student questions and issues related to the course and give timely feedback to students on course assessments
Manages online grading and attendance systems
Submits reports in a timely fashion
Maintains regular office hours—both face-to-face and online
Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Expertise and experience environmental justice, intersectional environmentalism,sustainability, climate change and/or environmental studies fields
Knowledge of Bennett College’s mission, policies, and procedures
Ability to teach face-to-face, hybrid, and online course. Must include a certificate of technology training in electronic delivery (hybrid/online delivery) of courses and/or willing to participate in training
Ability to develop healthy rapport with students
Ability to navigate ambiguity with grace, seek input where needed, creates clear expectations, and move forward with confidence and self-direction
Ability to keep things organized and prioritized while remaining flexible and dynamic
Ability to do one’s best work in a collaborative culture and wants to grow and learn together
Ability to form strong internal and external community partnerships
Knowledge of principles, methods and current developments in Global Leadership
Ability to work independently and under pressure
Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
Knowledge of instructional strategies and techniques
Experience utilizing educational technology including Microsoft Office 365, Teams, and Canvas
Demonstrated ability to advise, instruct, manage, motivate and evaluate students
Ability to integrate technology into the teaching and learning process
Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
Ability to work within a diverse student, faculty, and staff community
Knowledge of the programs and services offered by Bennett College
Experience developing study abroad and study away courses

The above statements describe the job’s essential responsibilities and requirements. They are not an exhaustive list of the duties that may be assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Demonstrated expertise creating academic programs is preferred
Demonstrated expertise creating and teaching experiential/active learning college courses is preferred
Two years of college-level teaching experience is preferred

Bennett College jobs

Environmental Justice Professor of Practice