MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING GEOSCIENCES A CRITICAL PART OF YOUR TWO-YEAR COLLEGE

At many two-year colleges, geoscience departments and programs are often small compared to other STEM areas and the number of full-time faculty can be limited. In order to survive, and more importantly thrive, it is critical to build relationships across campus with other departments and programs, create a sense of criticality and innovation among your faculty peers, and convince the administration of what we all know – that the geosciences are an essential part of the college culture.

As the Sciences in general become more and more interdisciplinary, teaming up with other areas on campus for joint campus events, student research and field trips, can broaden the exposure and reputation of the geosciences on campus. Many inquiry-driven, active learning strategies traditionally practiced in the geosciences give geoscience faculty an opportunity to play a leadership role in moving the campus towards understanding and embracing modern, student-centered approaches to teaching and learning. Activities such as field trips might seem risky and expensive from an administrative perspective, but are often critical to engage students and help programs thrive and grow. Cultivating relationships with those across campus such as the associated students, student clubs, department chairs, and even the dean, can help even a small department stay a critical part of your campus.