Job Description

How to Apply

The Program in the Environment (PitE) in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan invites individuals to apply for the position of LEO Lecturer Intermittent to teach two courses in the 2025-2026 academic year: ENVIRON 360 and EAS 560 - Behavior and Environment and ENVIRON 361 and EAS 561 - Psychology of Environmental Stewardship.  Applications are welcomed and encouraged regardless of background and identity. Individuals with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are particularly encouraged to apply. 
 

To apply, please complete the application on the U-M Careers site.  In addition, please submit the following application materials as one PDF document along with your application on the UM Jobs site.

Please contact Nicole Rutherford, [email protected], if you have any questions.
 

This position is subject to the terms of the LEO bargaining agreement. The full LEO contract can be found at https://hr.umich.edu/sites/default/files/um-leo_lecturers_collective_bargaining_agreement_2024-2028_-_final_0.pdf.

Job Summary

The Program in the Environment (PitE) in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan seeks a candidate for a part time LEO Lecturer Intermittent position to teach two of our courses:

ENVIRON 360 and EAS 560 - Behavior and Environment starting in Fall 2025 and ENVIRON 361 and EAS 561 - Psychology of Environmental Stewardship in Winter 2026. This is a non-tenure track position offered for two terms only.

PitE is an interdisciplinary program that blends foundational knowledge, skills, and practices from natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities/culture towards an integrated analysis of environmental and sustainability issues facing society at all scales and approaches to address and adapt to the associated challenges.

We are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice.  Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.

ENVIRON 360 and EAS 560 - Behavior and Environment (Fall term) explores human information processing in environments past, present, and future. The course examines human-environment interactions from the perspective of environmental psychology. It develops an information-processing model of human nature, one evolved for envisioning and prospection, and then uses this model to study human behavior: how humans attend to and build understanding of environments, the environmental settings in which human information processing functions best, the ways humans cope with non-preferred settings, and psychological well-being from an information-processing perspective. The objective of the course is for students to leave with a model of human nature that they can apply to a variety of environmental, conservation, and social situations. The focus is primarily individual, family, small group and neighborhood-scale behavior. Three recurring and integrating themes are the psychology of human-environment interaction, the psychology of human well-being, and the psychology of environmental stewardship. This course builds the foundation for, and discusses relationships among, these themes, all of which are then used in ENVIRON 361 and EAS 561 (Winter term).

ENVIRON 361 and EAS 561 - Psychology of Environmental Stewardship is an intervention focused course that uses the environmental psychology principles developed in ENVIRON 360 and EAS 560 (Fall term). While reviewing and critiquing older past-driven models of individual and small group behavior change, the course emphasizes a forward-focused, team-based, and neighborhood-scaled approach. Interventions focus on "navigating the future", drawing upon theory and practice centered on envisioning and prospections.

The course addresses one of the enduring challenges of 21st century environmentalism, that of crafting a sustainable society in which people will joyfully want to live. An austere existence may prove to be an ecologically necessity. It is unlikely, however, that people will eagerly pursue such a life if it is represented as the uncomfortable necessity of survival. The course uses the innate inclinations embedded in human information processing to reframe this issue: it may be that rather than a dismal forecast, the lean times ahead may increase well-being not despite the needed frugality but perhaps because of it. The course explores this idea which is not commonly appreciated - that an austere rather than affluent existence is better matched to the evolved functional capabilities of the human mind. The course builds intervention using this uncommon perspective with an emphasis on informational and motivational means of changing behavior in a durable and spreading manner with a view toward increasing psychological well-being.

The course involves team-based projects focused on neighborhood-scale behavior change. Deliverables use the real-life challenges of the City of Ann Arbor's A2Zero Climate Action Plan (or similar community-scaled plans). The focus is on actionable interventions with students leaving the course with an understanding of the potential and agency of neighborhood-scale initiatives. Beyond potentially helping the A2Zero (or a similar) plan, this course helps develop professional skills in behavior change projects.

Mission Statement

SEAS's mission is to contribute to the protection of the Earth's resources and the achievement of a sustainable and just society.  Through research, education, and outreach, the faculty, staff, and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques, and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis.

SEAS is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communication, discourages and genuinely responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.
 

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

Eligibility for benefits is based on your job group, your appointment percentage and the length of your appointment. Learn more about employee benefits and eligibility at https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness/benefits-enrollment/benefits-enrollment-eligibility. 

Responsibilities*

Required Qualifications*

For ENVIRON 360 and EAS 560 - Behavior and Environment

For ENVIRON 361 & EAS 561 - Psychology of Environmental Stewardship

Desired Qualifications*

For ENVIRON 360 and EAS 560 - Behavior and Environment

For ENVIRON 361 & EAS 561 - Psychology of Environmental Stewardship

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

All application materials must be submitted no later than December 21, 2024. Selected candidates will be contacted and interviewed remotely after the new year. We expect to make an offer of employment no later than March 1, 2025. The anticipated start date for this position is Monday, August 25, 2025.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of ten calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

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