THE TARGETED GEOLOGY FIELD TRIP: A TOOL FOR RECRUITING NON-MAJORS FROM INTRODUCTORY COURSES

A weekend field trip for introductory geology students proves an effective mechanism for recruiting geology majors at St. Norbert College (SNC). SNC is a small (<2100 students) liberal arts college located in the Green Bay metropolitan area. The geology program was established in 1995, consists of three full-time faculty, and graduates 2-4 majors per year. Ideally we would like to graduate 6-10 per year. We have access to over 200 students per year, because all students at SNC are required during their first two years to take a lab-based science course and 40% choose physical geology. Each faculty member teaches 35 students per term. Of these, approximately 50% are either education or business majors; very few are science majors; geology majors are the rare exception. Because most majors are recruited from this course, it is essential to gain student interest early on.

In an effort to provide students an opportunity to “experience” geology and recruit potential majors, we offered an optional weekend field trip exclusively for students in the introductory classes. Prior to the trip, interested students in two classes were simply encouraged to attend, but none did. In the third class, minor course incentives were offered and nine students attended. The focus of the field trip was on major (‘Big Picture') concepts in geology, with additional discussions of the role of geology in society and employment opportunities. Ample time, particularly around an evening campfire, was provided for conversation and story telling. Field trip components common to trips for major's courses, such as long days, detailed geologic content, and graded exercises, were avoided. Of the nine students, two ultimately switched their major to geology. Informal interviews indicated that they switched specifically because of the interest generated during the field trip.

Several lessons were learned. A targeted overnight field trip for non-majors may serve as an effective recruitment tool. Students need more than encouragement to attend the trip. Minor course incentives, i.e. extra credit, should be offered to encourage the marginally-interested student. It is worthwhile to allocate departmental resources to this recruitment endeavor. The typical geology major field trip, i.e. heavy on content, should not be employed. Story telling is important.