About Sterling

Founded in 1958 in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, Sterling College is the leading voice in higher education for environmental stewardship. The College was among the first colleges in the United States to focus on the human relationship with the natural world through academic majors in Ecology, Environmental Humanities, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, and Outdoor Education. Sterling is a baccalaureate degree-granting, non-sectarian, coeducational, residential institution of higher learning accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is one of only eight federally recognized Work Colleges in the nation.

Sterling College invites applications for a full-time faculty position in Sustainable Agriculture, to begin in summer 2018. The College seeks candidates from diverse professional backgrounds who have a demonstrated passion for environmental stewardship education, interdisciplinary approaches to the liberal arts, and a deep commitment to experiential pedagogy.

Successful applicants will have expertise and/or experience teaching in the following or related areas:

• Designing and operating agroecological farming and forest systems.
• Livestock and grazing management, including familiarity with a diverse livestock inventory and experience with regenerative agriculture tactics and systems.
• Also desired is expertise in Permaculture Design or similar landscape design experience.

Specific courses to be taught include Agroecology, Livestock Systems, Grazing Management, Whole Farm Planning, and other courses consistent with the applicant’s expertise and need of the program, including the possibility to teach courses in the College’s core curriculum, such as Ecology.

Position responsibilities also include:

• Teaching within Sterling’s interdisciplinary, ecology-focused curriculum;
• Working closely with students on academic advising and independent research projects;
• Mentoring students participating in the College’s Work Program; and
• Participating in community governance.

Upon mutual agreement, responsibilities related to teaching may also include leading field-based study programs, managing a campus instructional facility, supporting extracurricular student activities, participating in the College’s Winter Expedition, and engaging with the College community beyond the academic program.

The successful candidate will hold a M.S./M.A. or Ph.D. in an Agricultural Science or a relevant field have a combination of teaching and practical experience working in their field. Highly experienced candidates from non-academic backgrounds may be considered.

More information about Sustainable Agriculture and the Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems at Sterling College can be found here.

We seek candidates with expertise in multicultural education, diversity, and inclusion, who can support the College in examining power and privilege in the context of the relationship between humans and the natural environment.