BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY’S GEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL: A GEOLOGICAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN SARDINIA, ITALY

We present an educational and scientific overview of Boise State University’s (BSU) capstone field course in Sardinia, Italy. In addition to a description of the geological activities, we outline the logistical, administrative, and financial complexities of running an international field course. The goal of this presentation is to elucidate the benefits of running a field course on a small, yet geologically diverse island, as well as share our trials and tribulations of operating a successful field program abroad.

We ran our inaugural field course in 2002 with 11 BSU students. The following year, we opened the course enrollment to students from other universities, from which point, enrollment increased by a few students each year. From 2002 to 2014 we have welcomed students from 50+ universities across the United States. Despite changes in both the political and economic landscape of Europe over the past decade, applicants have never been in short supply.

Sardinia’s complex and diverse geology preserves a complete tectonostratigraphic sequence of rocks primarily deformed during the Late Paleozoic Variscan Orogeny. Students complete field mapping projects aimed at unraveling the 550 Ma + tectonic history of Sardinia—both before and after the Variscan Orogeny, which marks the late stages of Pangea assembly.

The administration and logistics of running such a class are complex and require significant amounts of both strategic planning in the months before class, and tactical adaptation to changing circumstances while delivering the class in Italy. We construct the initial schedule and itinerary approximately 9 months before the anticipated start date, and begin making reservations for travel and lodging. In this presentation, in addition to describing the geological framework of the course, we will outline our specific lodging, food, and transportation logistics as well as describe financial issues involved with running an international field course.