CEQA Instructor (Contract) – Land & Natural Resources

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education; Davis (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 70,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined Contribution Plan (DC Plan)

Exempt, by-agreement appointment

Job summary

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) is seeking instructors to develop and teach CEQA and Land and Natural Resources courses. Under supervision, you will create online and prerecorded lectures, align with learning outcomes, and collaborate with CPE staff and instructional designers to produce valuable courses for professionals.

Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of CEQA experience, plus 2+ years of teaching.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s in environmental science, planning, public policy, law, geography, engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Professional experience: CEQA-related work (5+ years).
• Compliance: CEQA compliance for public agencies.
• Instruction: 2+ years of teaching or training professionals.

Responsibilities

• Teach CEQA and Land and Natural Resources courses to professionals.
• Develop online and prerecorded lectures aligned to learning outcomes.
• Collaborate with CPE staff and instructional designers to create valuable courses.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Course development experience

Instructional design exposure

Collaboration with diverse audiences

Education

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science or related field

Bachelor’s degree in biology or related field

Job description

Under the general supervision of Instructor Services, the Instructor(s) will partner with various UC Davis support team members to develop and needed and to teach students the newest and applied skills in the CEQA and\/or Land and Natural Resources. Through a combination of online and prerecorded lectures, the instructor(s) will ensure that at the end of course students obtain required skills in the domain area. The Instructor(s) must be a highly credible deep domain expert who can work with CPE staff and instructional designers and as directed, create a course design of value to the targeted audience. The primary responsibility of the Instructor(s) is to teach to the Learning Outcomes. The Instructor(s) must be a highly credible deep domain expert. The role is a \"work for hire\" focused on ensuring student’s academic progress and outcomes. CPE is currently recruiting for a variety of courses in the domain areas.

Domain Area 1: CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act)

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, planning, public policy, law, geography, engineering, or qualifying professional experience combined with education.
• Professional Experience: 5+ years of direct CEQA-related professional experience (e.g., managing Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, or EIRs).
• Compliance: Experience with CEQA compliance for public agencies.
• Communication: Strong communication skills with the ability to engage a diverse student population.
• Instruction: Two or more years of experience in teaching or training professionals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or Juris Doctor in environmental planning, law, or public administration.
• Experience teaching or presenting CEQA to professionals (e.g., agency staff, elected officials, and government staff).
• Experience teaching online with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a structured development process.
• Familiarity with recent CEQA case law and statutory updates.

CEQA Courses

• Successful CEQA Compliance
• Developing and Writing Effective CEQA Documents
• CEQA: A Step-by-Step Approach
• Mitigation Measure Development and Monitoring
• Project Management for CEQA

Domain Area 2: Land and Natural Resources

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in biology, environmental science, ecology, or a related field.
• Professional Experience: 3+ years of applied experience in conservation, land management, wildlife, forestry, water, or habitat management.
• Communication: Strong communication skills with the ability to engage a diverse student population.
• Instruction: Two or more years of experience in teaching or training professionals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in natural resources, watershed management, forestry, or ecology.
• Certified Natural Resources Professional (CNRP) or similar credentials.
• Experience teaching online with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a structured development process.

Topical Areas Include

• Core Land Use Planning
• Compliance and Permit Planning

Appointment & Compensation

• Position Type: The CPE Instructor position is an exempt, by-agreement appointment. The incumbent will be hired under the UC Davis payroll title: Teacher-University Extension Contract YR.
• Taxation: Subject to Federal and State Income Tax withholdings.
• Compensation: A set amount assigned based on the nature of the work (course development, instructional services, or coaching sessions).
• Eligibility: Not eligible for UC health & welfare benefits.
• Retirement: As a part-time, by-agreement instructor, you will participate in the Defined Contribution Plan (DC Plan) as a Safe Harbor participant.
• Contributions: Participants contribute 7.5% of wages on a pretax basis in lieu of Social Security.

About UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE)

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) is the lifelong learning arm of the university. The division maintains the most diverse portfolio on the campus, with programs spanning pre-college, professional continuing education, workforce development, international academic and cultural exchange, and training services for corporate and agency partners. As a global leader in continuing education, CPE serves learners regionally, nationally and globally, and posts more than 55K enrollments annually making it the third largest UC Extension by enrollment. Beyond its community-facing role, CPE serves as the internal hub for online education in support of other academic units on the campus. CPE employs approximately 180 employees and draws on the expertise of approximately 1,700 instructors.