CENTRAL WYOMING COLLEGE: THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE HAS A WHOLE LOT OUT THERE

Geology departments from some of the largest and most prestigious schools in the country bring their students to the vast open spaces and mountains of central Wyoming. Therefore, it might be surprising that geology was not a regular offering at Central Wyoming College (CWC) until 10 years ago. One of seven community colleges, in a state with only one university, CWC provides local, national and international students with a strong foundation for transfer degrees or professional occupations. The main campus, located in Riverton, has outreach centers in the Wind River Reservation, Lander, Jackson, Dubois and Thermopolis, and a strong distance education program. Because energy resources are invaluable to the economy of this state, understanding their formation and extraction for energy use is vital. The geoscience programs at CWC consist of the transfer programs (AS) Earth & Environmental Science (EES) and Environmental Science and Leadership (ESL), as well as the professional program (AAS) Environment, Health & Safety (EHS). The EES and ESL programs require general chemistry (2 semesters), physical geology, Earth system science, biology, economics, statistics and mathematics through college algebra or higher. The EES program also requires organic chemistry and other science electives. The ESL program requires an outdoor semester held in conjunction with the Lander-based National Outdoor Leadership School. Our newest program, EHS, developed by request and with support from the energy industry, includes science and technology courses leading to certification as an environmental technician. A new field course in environmental science, beginning in the summer of 2010, will be required for both the EES and EHS programs. In addition to classroom work, our programs attempt to spend a significant amount of time outdoors. CWC owns a field station in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains that is the location of many of our field-based courses. We also have several undergraduate research projects ranging from biogeochemistry to hydrology. Traditional classroom instruction, advanced technology training and field-based projects combine in these programs to achieve the CWC mission and vision “to enhance the quality of life through innovation and excellence in education…beyond the boundaries of time and space.”