IMPORTANCE OF EARTH SCIENCES TO OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, is located in the southwestern corner of the state and is within a half day's drive of eleven national parks, monuments, and recreation areas. The Geology Division at Southern Utah University offers a Geology of National Parks course on campus every other year. Starting in Summer 2004, this course has also been offered as an online (WebCT) class. The online class emphasizes geologic time, plate tectonics, and the rock cycle in each of the fifteen parks that are studied in detail. Online lab exercises have been developed to accompany the class. The online class requires an independent field trip to a park and a written report (term paper) on the park visited. The visit must be verified by a photograph of the student at a recognizable landmark, or by a dated park receipt. The course counts towards the physical science component of the general education requirement.

The College of Education at Southern Utah University began offering a new degree program in Fall 2006. Students can major or minor in Outdoor Recreation in Parks and Tourism (ORPT). This is an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree which includes geology, biology, natural resources, agricultural science, and hotel and hospitality management, as well as courses in risk management and safety, outdoor skills, and leadership. One of the course requirements for the program is successful completion of the Geology of National Parks class and lab.

There has been a general trend of increasing enrollments in the online class and we have now capped the enrollment at 60 students per semester. Hopefully this trend indicates that students are still interested in connecting with nature, and the Geology program and ORPT program at Southern Utah University are positively impacting earth science education, literacy, public policy, and our future workforce.