MAKING A SMALL STATE UNIVERSITY FIELD EXPERIENCE MORE SUSTAINABLE

At Salem State University, a six-credit field program (field camp) is a requirement for most Geology majors to graduate. However, the traditional six consecutive week model is difficult to maintain for several reasons. Not only is it more challenging for students to get the six weeks out of work, but the loss of that salary can also be debilitating for students when considering the costs of the course. This is not to mention the challenges that faculty face with family and research responsibilities, both of which take more time and attention these days. If we want to continue teaching field camp at Salem State, we need to create a more sustainable model.

First, the traditional six consecutive weeks was changed to two separate consecutive years of three weeks each. The decrease in time on hand each summer by half benefits everyone involved but does not decrease student expenses substantially. Therefore, the first three weeks, taken after the sophomore year in the program, are local, and can be registered for in the Spring semester. This minimizes extra costs for the first half of field camp to only expendables such as field books. The faculty add the three credit SHCI to their Spring teaching load, not requiring additional faculty salary. The second three weeks, taken after the junior year, require Structural Geology, and is currently in Montana like a traditional camp, although shorter.

There have been additional benefits for our program by making the changes. It is much easier to incorporate our field classes into our program as part of a tiered capstone experience where students complete three weeks after their sophomore year, three weeks after their junior year, and finally, senior research in their senior year. Moreover, there is greater flexibility in the projects undertaken during the field course. We have added an environmental geophysics exercise and an igneous dominant exercise which would have been difficult to do without utilizing our facilities in Salem. As a small, public university, extra resources require extra funding. The new design frees up faculty to have greater time to commit to research, one of the most important ways to attract extra funds. Also, since the costs are spread out over two consecutive years, outside doners can feel better about the larger impact of a smaller donation.