Frank
I am VERY interested in this topic, as we have several issues in this realm at Waubonsee that keep coming up that have difficult solutions. I assume that this is at the National Meeting in Oregon? Please count em in, as I will definitely submit an abstract. Looking at the description, I actually see the potential for several sessions (I can cahir additional, if needed).
I am very fortunate to have a budget for conference travel, so I won't need assistance. However, there may be an adjunct instructor who would be interested, that would need financial assistance.
Thanks
David H. Voorhees
Assistant Professor of Earth Science and Geology
Waubonsee Community College
Rt 47 @ Waubonsee Drive
Sugar Grove, IL 60554
630.466.2783
[log in to unmask]
http://chat.wcc.cc.il.us/~dvoorhee/
>>> PCC <[log in to unmask]> 04/24/09 10:22 AM >>>
Hello everyone...
Eric Baer (Highline Community College in Des Moines WA) and I will be
co-chairing what looks like a first time event at GSA, a topical
session on community college earth science programs. Our proposal to
do this was not only accepted by GSA, but is also sponsored by both
NAGT and GSA GED. Furthermore, the NSF GEO Diversity and Education
program is interested helping this session go forward by providing
funds that would subsidize presenter travel and expenses. Many
community college geoscience instructors don't attend conferences like
GSA due to lack of funds. The two caveats that come with this offer
are that the presenters and advocates meet with NSF to discuss what
they can do to aid community college earth science and that we include
a list of potential speakers for the event. It is because of this
second caveat that I am writing this to all of you. I am looking to
put together in the next three weeks a list of community college
instructors and university faculty involved in community college /
university collaborations who would be interested in speaking at the
session. See below for a description of the session. If you have
recommendations of community college or university faculty that you
think would be interested in speaking and have experience in
addressing the questions listed in the description, please forward me
their names or have them contact me directly. If NSF accepts the
proposal from my college (Portland Community College) then we would
pay for travel and conference expenses for the presenter and a student
of their choosing.
Feel free to contact me if you need additional information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Frank D. Granshaw
Earth Science Instructor
Portland Community College
Sylvania Campus
Portland, OR
503-977-8236
---------------------------------------------
Session #T104: Geoscience Programs at Community Colleges: Models for
Success and Innovation
Conveners
Frank D. Granshaw – Portland Community College, Portland Oregon
Eric M. Baer – Highline Community College, Seattle Washington
Description for publication:
Community College programs are diverse and multifaceted. This session
will highlight a variety of programs and how they successfully achieve
their goals.
Rationale:
Community College Geoscience programs are a critical part of the
geoscience education system. Because they serve more than 10 million
students currently enrolled in these institutions, they play a
critical role in educating the general public and future graduates of
colleges, training future K-12 educators and recruiting geoscience
majors from a diverse and variable pool. This session will look at
the questions that community college geoscientists face in fulfilling
this mission. Chief among these are following:
· What makes for a strong community college earth science program?
· Given the student population of most community colleges, what
is the focus of these programs, career training, geoscience literacy,
or both?
· What strategies are useful for helping students e department successfully
encourage and prepare geoscience majors?
· What role does university - community college and high school-
community college collaborations play in making a strong program?
· How do community college geoscience programs relate the
vocational programs in their own institutions?
· What role do community college geoscience courses have in
providing science background for future teachers?
· How do professional networks enhance the mission of community
college geoscience program?
· Given the large number of adjunct faculty teaching community
college earth science courses, how do science departments mentor these
faculty to help them address these questions?
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