The Raymond Lifchez Professor of Practice in Social Justice

Department of City and Regional Planning
College of Environmental Design
University of California, Berkeley

The Department of City and Regional Planning (DCRP) at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks applications for a Raymond Lifchez Professor of Practice in Social Justice with an expected start date of August 1, 2023.

The Professor of Practice was established to focus on elevating the importance of

incorporating social justice into design and planning education. It rotates between the three departments within the College of Environmental Design: Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, and City and Regional Planning (DCRP). Each department holds the Professor of Practice for two years before it rotates to the next department; this solicitation is for DCRP’s rotation of the appointment.

The Professor of Practice will be asked to teach social justice-focused DCRP-listed courses that incorporate student engagement with local communities.

The position is open to practitioners to teach at least one course each year for a maximum of two years. The recipient also will be expected to advise students on social justice research topics. We are particularly interested in applicants who collaborate with local communities and center community engagement, empowerment and racial justice in their practice, research, service and/or teaching.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice (DEIBJ) are core values at UC Berkeley and at DCRP. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and academic and non-academic staff who share our commitment to these values. DCRP is historically committed to addressing DEIBJ issues in its hiring, admissions, and curriculum. All successful candidates for our academic positions will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to advancing DEIBJ in research, practice, teaching and service.

The Department currently has 16 faculty members along with a number of lecturers. There are approximately 130 master’s students, 35 doctoral students, and 95 undergraduate students in urban studies. DCRP is highly ranked nationally and particularly well known for its MCP and PhD graduates who also can pursue joint degrees, certificates or designated emphases in other departments based on their degree program and interests. There are strong connections to other departments on campus including geography, public health, and civil engineering. For more information about DCRP see https://ced.berkeley.edu/city.

Compensation: approximately $15,000 to $17,000 per graduate course per year taught and must be in residence.

Basic Qualifications: Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree at the time of application.

Application materials must be submitted by email to the following by 11:59 PM (Pacific time) on June 30, 2023. Directed to the Search Committee Chair, with “Lifchez Professor of Practice in Social Justice” in the subject line to ced-personnel@berkeley.edu, and dcrpadmin@berkeley.edu

Applications must include:

  • cover letter;

  • curriculum vitae;

  • a single statement summarizing your professional practice, teaching, advising, research, and service experience. For service, this is broadly defined and may include community-engaged collaborations, volunteering, leadership roles in associations, and advisory boards.

  • a separate statement (though may be related to the above statement) on your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice including information about your understanding of these issues, your record of activities to date (if any), and your specific plans and goals for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, belonging and justice if hired;

  • up to three academic, policy or practice-based publications or reports, if any; and

  • contact information for 3-5 individuals from whom we may request letters of reference if needed. * 

  • teaching evaluations may be requested*

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action, policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct. The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual-career couples and single parents. Further information is available at http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty. 

*Letters of reference and teaching evaluations are not needed at this time. Candidates will be notified if letters will be requested by the search committee and if the candidate is to provide teaching evaluations.

Further, all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (e.g., dossier service), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html) prior to submitting their letters.