HR: 0800h
AN: ED41B-0491    [Abstracts]
TI: Development of a geoscience curriculum in a small liberal arts college
AU: * Toteva, T
EM: ttoteva@randolphcollege.edu
AF: Randolph College, 2500 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg, VA 24503, United States
AB: Geoscience programs with emphasis on geophysics are traditionally offered in research type of universities. Most small liberal arts colleges do not have the resources to offer geophysics education. Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA) is becoming one of the few small schools that provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to acquire basic knowledge and skills in geoscience methods, in particular in geophysics. One faculty member was hired a year ago and charged to offer a number of classes and labs in geoscience. As a result of that today the college has a geophysics lab with a 250 MHz GPR antenna, a 12 channel Geometrics Geode, three sets of geophones, and sieve equipment for geotechnical work. The above equipment was acquired with funds from the college and outside sponsors. In addition, collaboration with Virginia Tech led to the installation of a new seismological station, with a broad band seismograph, on college land. This alone triggered incredible interest in earthquake seismology, not only from students but from the campus community as well. All the equipment is used both for classes and undergraduate research. It has a significant contribution to the rapid increase in interest in the Environmental Studies and Physics programs in the school. It allows the offering of new field based classes. Such classes are always of great interest to students because they provide hands-on experience. As a result of offering these new classes, two new B.S. programs were added to the curriculum – B.S. in Environmental Science and B.S. in Physics.
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting