INTRODUCTORY PHYSICAL GEOLOGY IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES: AN INQUIRY-BASED FIELD COURSE FOR INCOMING FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Augustana College offers a unique 3-credit introductory physical geology course taught in the Rockies of Wyoming. We designed our itinerary to be logistically and financially feasible in a two-week trip, while maximizing the geological variety. Enrollment is limited to 16 incoming first-year students, so the experience serves also as an orientation to the social and academic environments of college. By challenging our introductory students to interpret the geologic history from outcrops, we emphasize observations, creative thinking, and problem solving over memorization. This course has been instrumental in attracting motivated students to our department, and students who have taken this course are usually more comfortable dealing with the inherent uncertainties of the inquiry process in subsequent scientific endeavors than their counterparts who had our on-campus physical geology course. The course has a reputation of being academically rigorous but fun. We have seen friendships develop during this experience that have lasted throughout their college years. Our administration supports our efforts, holding the course as a model for summer offerings by other departments. Our admissions office has promoted the program to prospective students, using it as a tool to help attract students to the college. The course is cost-prohibitive for some students, but we keep operating costs low by camping, and our department subsidizes the trip, thanks to the financial support from alumni who are impressed with our efforts to attract and train young scientists. This experience is an ideal way for students to begin the college experience while developing skills of scientific inquiry and learning physical geology.