PROMOTING STUDENT SUCCESS AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITHOUT A GEOSCIENCE PROGRAM

The majority of community colleges do not offer a geoscience program, and geoscience courses are often taught in other departments (as is the case at the Community College of Rhode Island). In this presentation I will share my experiences and discuss techniques I use for taking advantage of the opportunities presented by this situation.

Since students often enroll in geoscience courses to fulfill general education requirements, a major goal of my classes is to create geoscience-literate students with skills they can apply outside of the classroom, such as critical thinking and oral communication. To achieve this goal, I use a wide range of teaching strategies, informed by education research, to make my classrooms student-centered, active learning environments. For example, concepts are emphasized in lieu of vocabulary, and student presentations are included. The diverse body of non-science majors generally benefit from these approaches because they can apply those skills to their everyday lives. Local geology is emphasized to increase student interest, focusing not only on rocks and geologic history, but also on environmental issues and job opportunities in the geosciences.

Another goal is to present interested students with the same opportunities they might be afforded if they were part of a geoscience program. Without a geoscience program, the emphasis is typically not on preparing practicing geologists or conducting geology research; however, I have been able to recruit a few potential geoscience majors each year for short, small-scale research projects. These projects are often the result of connections with local four-year schools and collaborations started while participating in meetings and workshops. Some of the student research is based on my own geoscience research, and some of the students work directly with faculty at other institutions. Collaborations can also create funding opportunities, as money is often a problem when providing students additional opportunities outside of introductory-level classes. In addition, I have encouraged and recruited students to participate in unique programs such as conducting experiments on NASA’s Vomit Comet. I also coordinate with local four-year schools to ease transferring and to encourage students to continue their education in the geosciences.