Adjunct Faculty, for Spring 2026: “Green Building Design, Construction, and Operation / Sustain[...]

Lipscomb University; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 55,800 - 111,600; Part time

Job summary

A higher education institution in Nashville is seeking an adjunct professor for a graduate course in Green Building Design. The candidate must have a PhD or equivalent degree and ten years of related experience. Responsibilities include creating unique course materials, instructing students through various formats, and engaging with technology in teaching. A passion for mentoring graduate students is essential.

Qualifications

• Must have ten years of experience in green and sustainable building.
• A graduate degree can substitute for a portion of the experience.
• Desire to teach and mentor graduate students is crucial.

Responsibilities

• Create and edit course content based on guidelines.
• Teach graduate students using various lecture formats.
• Engage students with interactive technology and materials.

Skills

Experience in green building design

Teaching skills

Familiarity with online teaching tools

Education

PhD in engineering or architecture

Master's degree in relevant field

Certification in sustainable building

Tools

Canvas LMS

Zoom

Presentation software

Job description

Overview

The Institute for Sustainable Practice seeks eligible scholars and practitioners to fill an adjunct teaching role for the Spring 2026 “Green Building Design, Construction, and Operation” graduate course (see example course topics in “Additional Comments”).

Responsibilities

The primary function of this position is to: (1) create unique graduate course content; (2) edit and customize current course content to the selected adjunct’s teaching style, and (3) teach the stated graduate sustainability course for eight, evening lecture/assessment class meetings in March-May, 2026. A successful course evaluation outcome may lead to teaching this course annually and other graduate teaching opportunities.

Successful candidates must meet three expectations:

1. Master Current Course Content: Adjuncts will review, learn, edit, and utilize all existing, published course content in the Canvas learning management system (LMS) and course reading materials. Approximately 90 percent of the course content may be provided by the Institute.
2. Create and Customize Engaging Course Content Unique to the Adjunct’s Discipline and Professional Experience and Aligned with the Course Learning Outcomes: The adjunct will develop and record unique course content, instructional aids, notices, reminders, and one local immersion experience.
3. Instruct and Mentor Students: All adjunct professors in sustainability must be willing to lecture and engage graduate students in the following integrated teaching formats. These formats operate as a single, 8-week course experience and are integrated into each live lecture class meeting using classroom technology managed by the institute. Students may choose the format or a mix of formats that best support their learning needs and schedule, as long as they complete all course assessments by the posted deadlines. Format 1 is a live lecture by the adjunct where students attend in person in a classroom; Format 2 is the same live lecture that is simultaneously viewed on Zoom by students attending virtually online; Format 3 engages students who view recorded live lectures, and Format 4 is a hybrid student experience of some or all of the prior formats. Adjuncts create learning content and prepare live lectures as a routine in a graduate course. The institute provides online course templates, a learning management system (Canvas), and manages the "plug-and-play" class technology and lecture recordings.

Education

Required: Training and experience in landscape architecture, building architecture, or engineering for green/sustainable building design, construction management and/or landscape and site design for industrial, commercial, or large residential scale developments. A master of science, master of architecture, masters of landscape architecture, master of business administration, OR a PhD in engineering, architecture, or J.D relevant to green building and sustainable sites is required. Additional green and sustainable building, sustainable sites, or relevant facility energy management certification is required (e.g., LEED GA/AP, Sustainable Sites, Certified Energy Manager, etc.)

Experience

Required: Ten or more years of professional experience in green and sustainable building and site design, construction, and or maintenance, or private development policy or practice. A graduate degree in sustainability with an emphasis in green building and sites can substitute for a portion of the 10-year experience.

Preferred: Experience teaching, presenting, managing, and/or training practitioners or graduate students. Experience teaching online, conducting relevant sustainability research, field work, consulting, and/or organizational or business management and experience related to green buildings and sites.

Qualifications

In addition to the prior stated experience and education, candidates should have a strong desire to teach and mentor adult, graduate students and possess the basic curiosity and ability to possess or learn a variety of teaching methods, tools, and information technologies such as:

• effective use of a personal laptop with software that can develop, publish, and convey course content and materials, lectures and presentations, and basic, timely communications with graduate students;
• effective use of course learning management systems such as Canvas where all course content is electronically published, assessed, and graded; and
• a desire to master diverse technology in a classroom provided by the university such as OWL live meeting video/audio hardware, interactive apps, Zoom software, and projection and/or television content viewing.

Candidates for this position should possess strong written, verbal, graphic, video communication, and interpersonal skills; be self-motivated, reliable, and responsible; and desire to provide timely grading and effective student feedback.

Course Topics (Additional Comments)

1. The Green Building Design Process
2. Building Efficiency Strategies
3. The Hydrologic Cycle and Material Loops
4. Carbon Footprints, Construction, and Indoor Air
5. Mid-Course Literacy Assessment
6. Economics and Resilience
7. Sites Study in Central Texas
8. Final Projects / Presentations