What are the responsibilities and job description for the Temporary Instructor of Landscape Architecture (Open Rank), Plant and Soil Sciences position at University of Delaware?
Position Details : The University of Delaware (UD) Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) program in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences seeks an experienced and knowledgeable Instructor of Landscape Architecture to support our undergraduate curriculum. We are looking for an individual eager to work in a collaborative environment, with a strong desire to build upon their teaching strengths. This position is ideal for a landscape architect with early professional experience who is interested in mentorship and training opportunities in pursuit of a teaching-centered faculty career. This could also be an experienced practitioner, with a history of teaching and mentoring landscape architecture students, who is interested in bringing that knowledge to academic classrooms and studios. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an ability to work independently as well as part of the BLA faculty to offer quality courses.
The is a 9-month (paid over 12 months) Instructor position for the term of August 2025 to August 2026. This full-time position carries a workload of 95% teaching and 5% service. The successful candidate will teach core Bachelor of Landscape Architecture courses in the Fall and Spring semester. The position is a one-year terminal appointment that is renewable for up to 3 years, with a start date of August 1, 2025. It includes full benefits. Additional opportunities for winter session or summer session courses taught on S-contract are possible.
Qualifications and Responsibilities : The successful candidate will have a master’s degree in landscape architecture or a closely related discipline. Candidates must have both the educational background and a demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate landscape architecture design studios and support courses. Candidates must hold a LAAB accredited professional degree in landscape architecture and a terminal degree in their field of graduate study.
Minimum qualifications are either :
- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a terminal degree or PhD in an allied field, such as Urban Planning, Geography, Design, etc.,
- Master of Landscape Architecture
Key abilities desired include :
The successful candidate will teach BLA courses and / or studios in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. These are expected to be taught as on-campus, in-person courses. The specific course assignments will be dependent on the successful applicant’s background and qualifications and will be determined during the hiring process. Studio and support courses that would be considered, based on candidates interest, ability and program needs, are :
The service workload of 5% for this position would include serving on the BLA committee, as well as activities that include, but are not limited to, assisting the BLA program with community outreach support and production of recruiting and marketing materials. While a temporary position, it is expected that the desired candidate will take an active role with BLA faculty in the continued development of the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program, including curriculum planning and assessment, and accreditation support, as needed. Part of candidate assessment criteria will include willingness and ability to actively take part in this critical service to the program, as well as departmental, college, and university service.
General Information : The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program is fully accredited by the LAAB and is home to approximately 60 full-time undergraduate students. The four-year, 124 credit curriculum includes six core studios following two introductory representation courses, a four-course construction sequence, and a six-course plants and ecosystems sequence. The program has a strong history of community support and outreach through the Coastal Resilience Design Studio and the Living Lab, both housed within the program. Additional collaborations with the UD Agricultural Extension, The UD Biden School, Climate Hub, and the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN), among others, foster student learning and provide needed design and planning expertise to Delaware communities.
The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences resides within UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Department faculty are world-renowned and include two American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows, four named professors, and several members who have received high honors from professional societies. Two professors in the department have received the highest honor that UD bestows on faculty, the Alison Professorship. The department is highly collaborative across college and institutional lines and has strong interactions with Cooperative Extension personnel and faculty and staff in other departments and colleges.
University of Delaware is committed to excellence and consequentiality guided by a Delaware Will Shine blueprint for a preeminent learner-centered research university. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UD as a “very high research activity” institution (R1), a designation achieved by only 3% of U.S. academic institutions. UD is located in scenic Newark, DE, an excellent geographic location within two hours of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. The University is a Land Grant, Sea Grant, Space Grant, and Carnegie Research university, with externally sponsored activities exceeding $200 million.
The University of Delaware is an
