CEQA Instructor (Contract) – Land & Natural Resources

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education; Davis (CA); On-site; USD 15,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) invites qualified experts to teach CEQA and Land & Natural Resources courses, combining online and prerecorded lectures to ensure students achieve learning outcomes.

Instructors collaborate with CPE staff to design courses, deliver content, and assess progress. Minimum qualifications include a relevant bachelor's degree and several years of CEQA or natural resources experience; teaching experience is required.

Qualifications

• Education and professional CEQA experience required.
• Strong communication skills and ability to engage a diverse student population.
• Experience teaching professionals online and in person is expected.
• Two or more years of teaching or training professionals.

Responsibilities

• Teach to the Learning Outcomes for CEQA and Land/NP resources courses.
• Collaborate with UC Davis staff and instructional designers on course design.
• Develop online and prerecorded lectures and ensure student progress.
• Support course development and coaching sessions as needed.

Skills

CEQA expertise

Teaching professionals

Course development

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, planning, public policy, law, geography, engineering, or qualifying professional experience combined with education

Bachelor’s degree in biology, environmental science, ecology, or related field

Two or more years of teaching or training professionals

Master’s degree in environmental planning, law, or public administration

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.