Recruiting and Retaining Geology Majors at CSUSB: Successes and Barriers
Abstract
Our efforts to build a strong geology department at CSUSB have focused on two main areas (1) increasing the number of geology majors, and (2) involving our majors more directly in the department through their involvement in scientific research and outreach activities. To increase the number of majors we have undertaken a three pronged approach: (a) by actively working with middle and high school teachers to better prepare them to teach Earth Sciences in their schools, by providing them with the necessary tools to accomplish this, and by developing a new course on Earth Sciences with emphasis on the California Earth Science Standards to be taken by students in the multi-subject credential program; (b) by showing middle school, high school, and college students that geology is interesting and exciting by involving them in geological activities such as field trips, hands on geological exercises, and in directed research projects; and (c) by conducting a public relations campaign to inform both potential students and the general public about activities being undertaken by the department. The latter has been accomplished by the use of a glossy color brochure designed to illustrate what geology is, and what kinds of careers are possible; by flyers sent to approximately 120 local schools outlining opportunities for field trips and for teachers to bring their students to our campus for various activities; by developing an outreach web site; and by various newspaper articles on departmental activities. We are also looking into the use of TV spots on geological subjects to be aired on public access television. Since the start of our efforts two years ago we have seen a positive response by local teachers, and an increase in the number of applications to study geology at CSUSB, including a significant increase in the number of minority applicants. A major barrier to recruitment has been the misconceived idea in local schools that a course in Earth Sciences does not count towards college entrance requirements. To better integrate our students into departmental activities, we have actively involved them in our outreach activities, and are currently strongly advising our majors to undertake directed research under the supervision of a faculty member. We are also discussing making a "research project" part of the graduation requirements. Representative projects involving our undergraduate students include GPS studies in the San Bernardino area, volcanological studies on the island of Dominica, West Indies, hydrological studies of the springs in the San Bernardino Mountains and studies of biostratigraphy and marine invertebrate paleoecology of the Death Valley region, California. Although a number of these projects have already resulted in students being co-authors on papers and abstracts, the extensive GE requirements and the fact that CSUSB is on the quarter system usually does not allow students sufficient time to develop a research project and take it to completion within an academic year.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003AGUFMED12A0125S
- Keywords:
-
- 6605 Education