Course Associate, Sustainable Forest Management (Summer 2023)

Company Description

Columbia University has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world for more than 250 years. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds to pursue greater human understanding, pioneering discoveries, and service to society.

The School of Professional Studies at Columbia University offers innovative and rigorous programs that integrate knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, combine theory with practice, leverage our students and faculty’s expertise, and connect global constituencies. Through seventeen professional master's degrees, courses for advancement and graduate school preparation, certificate programs, summer courses, high school programs, and a program for learning English as a second language, the School of Professional Studies transforms knowledge and understanding in service of the greater good.

Job Description

Columbia University, School of Professional Studies (SPS) seeks candidates to serve as a Course Associate to support the successful delivery of an on-campus graduate-level course. A Course Associate is a faculty line junior to a Lecturer, who provides subject matter expertise and supports the instructional process for a course section. Serving as a Course Associate is an excellent way to gain exposure to graduate-level teaching at Columbia University.

The course is Sustainable Forest Management. Candidates must be available for in-person support on Tuesdays from 6:10 PM to 8 PM during Summer Session B 7/3/2023 - 8/11/2023.

The course intends to give an overview of forests – how they function, and how they can be managed sustainably. The course addresses both the ecology and economics of forests. Combining the study of these two disciplines is necessary to understand and develop management actions and solutions to deforestation.  The emphasis in integrating ecology and economics is going to be on learning tools and techniques for managing forests. The course accounts both for North American and forests in other countries, including tropical ones. Current typical conceptions of forests are somewhat paradoxical: forests are considered marginal in sustainability, and yet they connect with many issues of central concern such as biodiversity, climate change, household energy for the poor, homelands for indigenous people, water and human shelter, to name a few. More specifically, forests provide a fruitful line of inquiry into many environmental issues, such as the complex balances within ecosystems, global cycling of elements, such as carbon, the nature of sustainability, and interactions between economic development and the conservation of nature.  For example, we will study biodiversity in forests. Much biodiversity is found outside of forests, but our study will provide an understanding of the ecological dynamics involved with biodiversity, the possible management options, and its importance for human survival. The course is going to emphasize the role of forests in the carbon cycle and the contribution of deforestation to climate change.

The M.S. in Sustainability Management program is designed for those who wish to pursue a career in management that takes integrates sustainability considerations into economic activity. Graduates work to transform public and private organizations and governments by formulating and implementing tailored sustainability strategies. The coursework combines the study of management with classes in sustainability practice and science, with full-time and part-time options for those with current professional obligations. Students in the program learn the use of policy and management tools to address environmental impacts and risks, pollution control, and remediation to achieve sustainability. A Course Associate is a faculty line junior to a Lecturer who provides subject matter expertise and supports the instructional process for a course section. Serving as a Course Associate is an excellent way to gain exposure to graduate-level teaching at Columbia University.

Responsibilities

• Attend weekly class sessions, assist with instruction, lead breakout sessions, and facilitate discussions.
• Hold weekly office hours.
• Evaluate performance, grade student work, and provide effective feedback as requested by the course Lecturer.
• Monitor and address student concerns and inquiries.
• Build working relationships with the students, provide guidance and mentoring, and respond to their inquiries in a timely manner.

Qualifications

Columbia University SPS operates under a scholar