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Geosciences Program Prioritization Report Spring 2011 By: Dr. Joe Satterfield, Dr. James W. Ward, Dr. Hardin Dunham, and Dr. Andy Wallace Department of Physics
Transcript

Geosciences Program Prioritization Report

Spring 2011

By:

Dr. Joe Satterfield, Dr. James W. Ward, Dr. Hardin Dunham, and Dr. Andy Wallace

Department of Physics

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Introduction The geosciences program in the Department of Physics offers a new BS in Geoscience, a Minor in Earth Science, and introductory geology courses taken by students of all majors. Our current mission is to prepare students for graduate study in a wide range of geoscience fields. The program prior to 2005 (with the exception of several years in the mid-1980s) consisted of one faculty member who taught introductory geology courses. A BS in Geology was offered at ASU for several years in the mid 1980s; two students earned degrees. A Minor in Earth Science, consisting of 18 hours of Geology courses, was first offered in 2005. A BS in Geoscience was approved in 2010 and the first students declared a Geoscience Major in August 2010. As of February 2011, the program includes twenty-seven majors, approximately twenty minors, two-full time teaching faculty, and six part-time faculty. The first Geoscience BS degrees will be awarded December 2011. Our program emphasizes outreach to San Angelo Independent School District as a way to attract more Geoscience majors and more Hispanic students. The program continues to focus on superior undergraduate teaching and on undergraduate research, which distinguishes ASU from almost all other universities in West and central Texas: only Trinity University and Midwestern State University offer only undergraduate geoscience degrees. The program also continues to emphasize the importance of teaching geology in the field, taking advantage of San Angelo’s proximity to diverse rock exposures in West Texas mountains, Edwards Plateau, and Llano uplift. Students and faculty apply Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to organize and display field-based data. We currently teach two GIS courses; all Geoscience majors take at least one. Criterion One: External Demand for the Program 1. What demand and demand trends for your program are indicated by state/regional/national studies? For instance, if nationally 7% of incoming freshman do or will participate in programs like yours, does ASU also have 7%? If significantly different, why? What are your plans to respond to changes in demand?

US geoscience Bachelors degrees awarded increased from 2000 in 1988 to 2700 in 2007, still far below the peak of 7253 in 1982 (AGI Geoscience Workforce Program, 2009a).

The long-term demand for geoscientists is high. Employment growth is predicted to increase 22% for geoscientists and 24% for hydrologists in particular, between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average of all occupations. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). Most recent graduates earning Master’s degrees work for environmental science firms (20%) or in the oil and gas industry (21%; AGI Geoscience Workforce Program, 2009b). Hydrogeologists regard their profession as “recession-proof” (Coontz, 2008). Employment growth and a continuing decline in hard science graduates are driving rising salaries: the average entry level salary of 2008 M.S. graduates in oil industry positions is $86,600, a 35% increase in three years (American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2010). Similar salaries for mining geologists have risen 44% in the last three years (Delaney and Bailey, 2008). Environmental consulting firms, which employ 80% of hydrogeologists, report four job openings for each applicant (Coontz, 2008). Long-term demand for geoscientists is driven

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by several factors: 1) unprecedented rising demand for energy and minerals in China, India, and third-world countries, 2) diminishing reserves, and 3) retirements of the large number of geologists who entered the petroleum industry in the 1970s (Fritz, 2009; American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2008; AGI Geoscience Workforce Program, 2009b). Since 2004, ASU students and graduates with a physics degree and some geology coursework have been employed full- or part-time by local geosciences employers (Table 1.1). All these hires predate the beginning of our Geoscience BS degree, demonstrating strong demand for our students.

TABLE 1.1. GEOSCIENCE EMPLOYERS HIRING PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

GRADUATES AND STUDENTS SINCE 2004 EMPLOYER (full-time and part-time) Number hired U.S . Geological Survey, San Angelo office (hydrology, geophysics) 9 Wellsite geology, including Geosite Inc, based in San Angelo 3 Schlumberger, Sonora, Fort Worth offices (wellsite services) 2 Caverns of Sonora (cave tour guides) 2 San Angelo State Park (interns) 2 SKG Engineering, San Angelo (Environmental consulting firm) 1 BJ Services (wellsite services) 2 Cudd Energy, Midland (wellsite services) 1 Swartz Oil Company, San Angelo 1 TOTAL 23

2. Is online competition affecting participation in your program? If so, explain how.

Online competition apparently does not affect participation in the Geosciences program. Because most introductory and advanced geology courses require a lab and field trip component, online courses are rare. Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Austin, Sul Ross State University, and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin do not offer online geology courses.

Criterion Two: Internal Demand for the Program 1. How many students enrolled in your program courses use them to fulfill a general education

requirement? How many students are enrolled in each of these courses?

Student demand for introductory geology courses is strong and growing: enrollment in Physical and Historical Geology has increased each year. Each semester over the last four years classes have been near or at capacity (Table 2.1). Increased numbers have been accommodated by increasing the size of lab sections and offering additional sections. Enrollment is now at or above the number of permanent seats in the lab. The optimum maximum size for a teaching a lab section is twenty to twenty-five. As a result the major

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limiting factor to continued growth is faculty that can teach lab sections. Fortunately several qualified part-time instructors with Masters Degrees in the geosciences live in San Angelo and are associated with ASU.

TABLE 2.1. ENROLLMENT IN INTRODUCTORY GEOLOGY COURSES

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Physical Geology (GEOL 1401)

Enrollment 116 124 141 171

Lab sections

4 5 5 6

Lab section limit*

29 26 31.4 29

Total seats

116 130 157 174

Historical Geology (GEOL 1402)

Enrollment 87 125 132 133

Lab sections

3 5 4 4

Lab section limit*

30 28 33 33

Total seats

90 140 132 130

*lab room capacity is 32 2. Are there other programs that are particularly dependent on courses in your program? If yes,

what are they and what are the enrollments?

The Physics, Natural Resource Management, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology programs are particularly dependent on courses in our program. Many Physics Majors minor or double-minor in Earth Science and almost all Physics majors take Physical and Historical Geology as part of their degree plan (they can choose introductory Biology or Geology). Physics majors who take geology are sought after for oilfield service company positions after graduation and for graduate study in geophysics or several fields of engineering. Natural Resource Management students take an introductory geology course and Hydrology (GEOL 3302) as part of their degree. Hydrology, the study of groundwater and surface water, is a particularly important field in West Texas. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology majors take Historical Geology and may take Environmental Geology and Geochemistry as electives or as part of their minor. Many Natural Resource Management and Biology majors choose to take a Geographic Information Systems class (GEOL 3371). Biology majors interested in learning additional field skills are taking Field Methods in Geology and Hydrogeology (GEOL 3102). Management Information Systems majors may also take GEOL 3371, which is cross-listed as MIS 3371.

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TABLE 2.2. UPPER-LEVEL GEOLOGY COURSES TAKEN BY OTHER MAJORS 2007-2008

enrollment 2008-2009 enrollment

2009-2010 enrollment

2010-2011 enrollment

Hydrology (GEOL 3302)

- 23* - 23

Environmental Geology (GEOL 3303)

23* - 12 -

Field Methods in Geology and Hydrogeology (GEOL 3102)

- - - 16*

Geomapping Fundamentals (GEOL/MIS 3371)

11 17 14 15

*First time course offered 3. Are there courses in your program that are the only courses that fulfill a curricular

requirement outside the program (general education, major, or minor)?

Yes. Natural Resource Management majors must take Hydrology and its prerequisite course, Physical or Historical Geology. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology majors must take Historical Geology.

4. Do you see any change in the internal demand for your program? What might cause a

change? How might you respond to it?

We are seeing growing enrollment in geology classes (Table 2) and increasing numbers of Geoscience majors and Earth Science minors. External factors as well as internal factors we can control are responsible for increases. Students and their families realize that geoscience careers in West Texas and throughout the world are plentiful and well-paying. In addition Angelo State University has a unique advantage of being located close to outcrops in West Texas mountains and close to well-known rock exposures in the Llano uplift of central Texas. Factors our program controls include teaching excellent introductory geology classes in which instructors get to know every student in every class and every student goes on at least one field trip. Large introductory geology enrollments are significant because most geology majors are recruited from introductory geology classes, especially from classes with required geology field trips. We spend much time recruiting majors and minors among ASU students. In the near future, supported by external grant funds we could receive in 2011 if our proposals are funded, we will also spend much time recruiting students from San Angelo Independent School District. We will expand our current geology outreach activities and field trips to SAISD Middle Schools and High Schools as we work closely with teachers. By so doing we should increase our numbers of Hispanic and first-generation college students. We recruit and retain students in our program by offering many opportunities to participate on field trips where classroom concepts are applied to locally rugged and remote

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outcrops in West and central Texas. We provide opportunities for many students to conduct research as undergraduates and to present results of their work at local, regional, and national meetings. We anticipate geoscience student numbers will continue to increase over the next five years as planned degree programs in the related fields of Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Science begin. Students in these fields will take required geology classes and many may minor in Earth Science. New Geology courses approved Fall 2010 in advanced hydrology and advanced GIS will definitely draw additional students majoring in Range and Wildlife Management and Biology.

What service(s), if any, does your program provides other than those above?

The primary service our program provides besides teaching courses is advising undergraduates working on research projects. Over the last four years four faculty members have advised twenty-two students (Table 2.3). We also formally and informally advise students on course scheduling, graduation plans, how to balance work, family, and school commitments, and a myriad of other concerns and opportunities on students’ minds. James Ward and one Geoscience major also advise and mentor science majors in the NSF-supported SPURRS program. We have a new Geoscience GIS computer lab in our building for students taking a GIS course or applying GIS in their research.

TABLE 2.3. GEOSCIENCE RESEARCH PROJECTS (GEOL/PHYS 4191-4391) 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Number of faculty advising

2 2 2 2

Number of students

3 4 11 9

Credit Hours (GEOL 4191 – 4391)

7 15 25 22

Number of Carr Research Scholars

- 1 - 2

Criterion Three: Quality of Program Inputs and Processes 1. How many (Headcount? FTE?) tenured/tenure-track faculty, clinical-track faculty,

instructors, full-time lecturers and part-time lecturers, adjuncts serve the program?

Seven faculty members currently serve the program in various capacities: two (Satterfield, Ward) are tenure-track faculty teaching geology courses full-time, two are tenure-track faculty teaching an occasional geology course at present (G.P. Blount, Sonntag), one is Senior Research Scientist (K.P. Blount), one is Lecturer (Monroe), and one is Adjunct Professor (Carman). Total faculty time committed to the BS in Geoscience degree is 2.75

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FTE (approved Geoscience BS Proposal to THECB). Over the last four years, prior to the approval of a Geoscience BS degree except for the last semester, total faculty time committed has been 2.2 FTE. FTE numbers to do not include the large amount of time devoted to advising for-credit (GEOL 4191-4391) research projects.

TABLE 3.1. GEOSCIENCE PROGRAM FACULTY

Faculty and Faculty Rank Highest Degree and Awarding Institution

Geology Courses Assigned

in Program

Average FTE*,

2007 - 11 Satterfield, Joseph Associate Professor of Geology

Ph.D. in Geology Rice University

1401, 1402, 3102, 3303, 3400, 3411, 4391

1

Ward, James Assistant Professor of Geology**

Ph.D. in Geology University of Kentucky

1401, 1402, 3102, 3302, 3303, 3310, 4330. 4391

1**

Blount, Grady Price Professor of Geosciences

Ph.D. in Geology Arizona State University

1401, 1402, 4303, 4391

.03

Monroe, A. Dean Lecturer

Ph.D. in Environmental Science

3371, 4320, 4391 0.13**

Sonntag, Mark Professor of Physics

Ph.D. in Science Education University of Colorado, BS in Geology, Indiana University

1401, 1402 0.06

Blount, Katherine Price Senior Research Scientist

Ph.D. in Physical Geography Indiana State University

1401, 1402, 3401, 4391

-

Carman, Cary Adjunct Professor of Geology and USGS office head

BS in Chemistry Angelo State University

3102, 3302, 4391 -

*FTE calculations do not include research courses (GEOL 4391) **FTE calculation includes same courses taught by previous faculty members in same position 2. What is the availability of qualified faculty if this program were to grow?

Qualified part-time and full-time faculty interested in teaching at ASU are available in our area and throughout the country. The San Angelo office of the U.S. Geological Survey employs 15, many with geology degrees and expertise. Several San Angelo consulting geologists working in the Permian basin petroleum industry are interested in teaching and advising student research projects. Texas Tech geophysics professor Saichii Nagihara has

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approached us with a proposal to teach an introductory Geophysics course as a distance-education course. Our students can travel to Midland to take evening courses at UTPB, as do Sul Ross State University geology undergraduate students. When we eventually hire an additional full-time faculty member, recent past experience shows we should have no difficulty attracting qualified applicants. In 2010, twenty-nine applicants applied for our open Assistant Professor of Geology position. We held phone interviews for twelve of the top candidates and eventually hired James Ward. Our location in West Texas, our emphasis on undergraduate teaching, and our new and growing program are positives that help us stand out from other schools.

3. Discuss any problems with faculty retention.

In the last four years we have searched two separate times for the same Assistant Professor of Geology position. We address past faculty retention problems by seeking candidates that view our West Texas location as an advantage for a geologist and that share our department emphasis on undergraduate teaching and research. We must also find fulfilling work and roles for our spouses. We must help each other cope with copious teaching, research, administrative, and outreach opportunities and responsibilities. We now have two faculty that work exceptionally well together, have complementary areas of expertise, and share a passion for teaching and research outside in the mountains.

4. If relevant, what percentage of the curricula is delivered by tenured/tenure-track faculty? What percentage by clinical-track faculty? What percentage by instructors? What percentage by full-time lecturers? What percentage by part-time lecturers? What percentage by adjuncts? Not including undergraduate research advising, 97% of teaching load in FTE has been delivered by tenured/tenure track faculty (Table 4); the remainder, one GIS course, has been taught by Lecturer Dean Monroe.

5. What staff (Headcount? FTE?) support is allocated to the program? Is the staff sufficient to

support the program? If no, why?

One office coordinator, Terry Apodaca, works for the Geosciences and Physics programs in the Physics Department. She devotes approximately 0.3 FTE to the Geosciences Program (Geosciences includes ~20% of the department’s Majors and 25% of the department’s full time teaching faculty).

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6. When was the curriculum last reviewed and revised? How extensive was the revision? What changes to the curriculum have been implemented? The curriculum in the new Geoscience BS degree was reviewed and approved by ASU administration in 2009 and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and by SACS in Spring 2010. After James Ward started work as Assistant Professor of Geology in August 2010 several new courses in his areas of expertise were created and degree requirements adjusted to include these new courses. These minor changes were approved by ASU in Fall 2010.

7. If the program teaches classes in the Core Curriculum, explain how the Learning Outcomes of those classes are aligned with the Coordinating Board Exemplary Educational Outcomes for that subject. If not aligned, explain why. We teach two Core Curriculum classes: Physical Geology and Historical Geology. Table 3.2 shows how Historical Geology Learning Outcomes are aligned with Coordinating Board Exemplary Educational Outcomes. Physical Geology learning outcomes are similarly aligned.

TABLE 3.2. ALLIGNMENT OF COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STATE OBJECTIVES THECB Exemplary Educational Objectives Historical Geology Student Learning Objectives 1 To understand and apply appropriate methods and

technology to the study of natural sciences.

1) To practice problem-solving techniques used to interpret the history of Earth. Many of these are applicable to other fields and to everyday life. Some problem-solving techniques that you will learn and practice:

a. Being skeptical: look for ways to test hypotheses

b. Making sketches: they help in visualizing the world in three dimensions

c. Quantifying events and processes by using math

d. Applying the Principle of Uniformitarianism e. Working together f. Getting as much practice or experience as you

can g. Carefully defending your thinking when

answering questions.

2 To recognize scientific and quantitative methods and the differences between these approaches and other methods of inquiry and to communicate findings, analyses, and interpretation both orally and in writing.

1a) Using multiple working hypotheses 1h) Carefully defending your thinking when answering questions. 1f) Working together

3 To identify and recognize the differences among competing scientific theories.

1a) Using multiple working hypotheses 3) To recognize, and make interpretations from,

common rock types, fossils and landforms present in West Texas and western North America

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4 To demonstrate knowledge of the major issues and

problems facing modern science, including issues that touch upon ethics, values, and public policies.

2) To find out about major events in Earth history over the last 5 billion years, including the appearance of diverse living things, changes in climate, and the rise of mountains

5 To demonstrate knowledge of the interdependence of

science and technology and their influence on, and contribution to, modern culture.

2) To find out about major events in Earth history over the last 5 billion years, including the appearance of diverse living things, changes in climate, and the rise of mountains

8. How has the program utilized technology? The geosciences program uses recent technology in teaching and research to augment our strongly field-based program. We integrate GIS in teaching and research. In teaching we use Blackboard in all courses to augment in-class instruction and to communicate with students. In all classrooms we use computers and document cameras to deliver course content. GIS courses use recent versions of ESRI ArcGIS software in the classroom and for lab projects. GIS courses are taught in Rassman 117, a lab containing twenty-four computers. Students use five computers in the new Geosciences GIS lab to work on course projects or research. Petrology research students use a Leica digital camera designed for taking photomicrographs. Students working on field mapping projects use handheld GPS units to record sample locations and check contact locations. We carry a satellite telephone for emergency use where cell phone coverage is lacking. Students and faculty draft geologic maps and figures generated in research projects on the computer using Corel Draw and ESRI ArcGIS. Students and faculty also use traditional and widely used technologies, including Brunton compasses, hand lenses, stereoscopes, rock saws, and four-wheel-drive vehicles to take students into remote field locations. 9. What are the significant strengths and weaknesses of facilities, furnishings, and/or

equipment? Our unique physical location, close to rock exposures of diverse type, ages, and geologic provinces is our most significant strength (Figure 1). Geoscience teaching and research at ASU is field-oriented; therefore, lab equipment requirements, excluding computer resources, are minimal. All students in introductory classes participate on one or two required field trips to San Angelo area outcrops. Advanced courses typically include a weekend camping trip. San Angelo is on the eastern shelf of the Permian basin. Students and faculty can visit on day trips Permian outcrops in San Angelo State Park, Edwards Plateau carbonate exposures, springs, caves, and Llano uplift igneous and metamorphic rocks. On weekend trips we can easily reach the mountains of the Big Bend region, the Davis Mountains, and the Guadalupe Mountains. The Texas Tech University System Junction Site provides access to nearby diverse, well-known outcrops, including rudistid bivalve reefs in the Edwards Limestone and highly deformed metamorphic rocks of the Llano uplift, among the oldest rocks exposed in Texas. In addition, we have established ties with West Texas ranches, giving us access to significant localities not available to other universities.

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Figure 1. A) Tectonic map of western and central Texas showing current ASU geologic mapping projects: ASU - San Angelo State Park and Susan Peak oil field (and Angelo State University), SDC – Sierra del Carmen in Big Bend National Park and southern Marathon uplift. Other abbreviations: VH – Van Horn, FCFZ – Fort Chadbourne fault zone, A – Austin, D – Dallas. Map modified from Ewing (1991). B) Stratigraphic column showing rock types at surface and in subsurface in the San Angelo area. Abbreviations: Q – Quaternary, K – Cretaceous, P – Permian, C–P – Cambrian through Permian, pC – Precambrian. Heavy wiggly lines are unconformities. Data used to construct stratigraphic column from Willis (1954) and Kier and others (1976).

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A second strength is that we share Physics department facilities and furnishings. The Department of Physics occupies 3500 ft2 of space in the Vincent building. Space includes one multimedia classroom, five dual use rooms where lecture and laboratory classes can be taught, four stockrooms, of which the geology stockroom is the largest at 1500 ft2, two advanced laboratory classrooms, a 550 ft2 research annex where undergraduate research is conducted, and the University Planetarium which also functions as a 110-seat multimedia classroom. This space is currently shared between astronomy, geology, physical science, and physics courses taught by the Department of Physics. The building contains a newly remodeled 900 ft2 student study lounge used by geology and physics students at almost all hours of the day and night. The university also has a new GIS laboratory with 28 workstations.

A third strength is that much lab equipment used in advanced geology courses remains from when ASU offered a BS in Geology during the mid-1980s when the Vincent Building was first built and equipped. As a result, the Department of Physics has been able to offer upper-level geology courses since 2005 without any major equipment purchases over $10,000. Table 3.3 lists major geology equipment currently in use.

TABLE 3.3. EXISTING GEOSCIENCES PROGRAM EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT (currently in use) Number Replacement

cost Nikon Polarizing Microscopes 12 $120,000 Leica digital camera and adapter for Nikon polarizing scopes 1 $6,000 Large slab saw and two trim saws 3 $8,000 Nikon binocular microscopes and fiber-optic light sources 20 $10,000 Brunton compasses 30 $8,400 Surveying equipment for Plane Table mapping 15 sets $7,500 Sieve set and sediment shaker 1 set $6,000 Thin sections in Petrology teaching collection ~400 $8,000 Rock samples in Petrology teaching collection ~500 $20,000 Global positioning System (GPS) receivers and software 2 $ 800 Computers running ESRI ArcGIS in Geoscience GIS Lab 5 $10,000

In addition, in 2006 ASU students began working as paid interns on hydrology projects supervised by geologists of the San Angelo office of the USGS. Undergraduates will continue to work with $700,000 in state-of-the-art USGS geophysical equipment and will have expanded opportunities for undergraduate research projects while in paid and volunteer positions. In future years, as the program continues to grow, lab space, equipment, travel, and library resource needs will increase slightly. In 2009 funds totaling $14,000 were raised to completely cover needs for the first two years of the program. Additional external grant proposals are in preparation.

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10. Are there adequate library resources, both hard copy and electronic, and adequate access to the resources, to support the program? If not, why not?

The library director’s assessment is that existing library resources are sufficient to provide basic support for this program. The ASU Library has nearly 4,000 items in the two basic Library of Congress classifications for geology. In the West Texas Collection, the Library possesses an extensive collection of retrospective materials within the Grenda Collection. Much of that collection dates from the 19th to mid 20th centuries. A large number of resources are available from both the Federal and Texas Document collections. These resources are listed in the Library’s online catalog. The ASU community has access to over 250 databases. More than 20,000 titles are directly related to the field of geology. These titles are available in print serial publications in full-text and/or image formats. The Library participates in interlibrary loan borrowing agreements through TexShare (regional), Amigos (national), and OCLC (national) programs. To achieve sustainability of online and periodical resources, the library director estimates that a $10,000 increase in the department’s library budget is needed. Future formula funding at some point after Year 5 of the Geoscience BS major should pay for this library budget increase.

11. Is there an adequate operating budget, from all sources, to support the program? If not, why not?

The Geosciences program does not need additional internal funds to continue to run a good program. The Department of Physics already spends $2000 / year on field trip expenses and $1000 / year on geology materials and rock samples from its current budget. These funds support teaching of two introductory level geology courses and four to six upper-level geoscience courses each year. This minimum level of funding will continue. Most large pieces of equipment used when ASU last offered a BS Geology degree in the mid-1980s remains in good condition since they have been little used until 2005. The San Angelo office of the USGS provides at no charge geophysical and hydrological equipment for use by students in Hydrology, Field Methods in Geology and Hydrogeology, and Research.

Although a rigorous and growing Geosciences program is being run at ASU without additional financial support from the university, the goals of this program are higher. In particular, Geosciences actively seeks funds for three specific expansions: a) travel funds to pay for additional field trips for upper-level geology courses, b) funds for hydrogeology field and laboratory research, and c) funds for part-time faculty salaries to teach introductory labs so that full-time faculty can work on science outreach in SAISD high schools and middle schools. To meet the higher goals of being an exceptional field-based program and of recruiting a significant number of majors of Hispanic descent and from the San Angelo area, geology faculty have written two external grant proposals and are in the process of writing additional ones. In 2009 Joe Satterfield prepared a San Angelo Health Foundation grant proposal requesting $30,000 for additional lab materials and equipment. In November 2010, Geoscience faculty, San Angelo Independent School District

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faculty, and the Upper Colorado River Authority submitted a National Science Foundation grant proposal to Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (NSF-OEDG) for $164,839. In 2011, James Ward will prepare a portion of a large Hispanic Serving Institution grant proposal that will support Geosciences as well as other sciences (Table 6.2).

Criterion Four: Quality of Program Outcomes 1. Does the program have clearly stated measurable learning outcomes? How are results used

to review and revise the program? Are these learning outcomes aligned with the ASU Student Learning Outcomes? If yes, which ones? If not, why not?

The Physics Department, including the geosciences program, has three clear learning outcomes measured on IDEA course evaluations in each Geology course in each semester: 1) This course increased my factual knowledge in science, 2) This course improved my reasoning and logical thinking, and 3) This course improved my knowledge of laboratory methods. Results are compiled in IDEA course evaluation summaries and reviewed each semester. Changes are made each semester to each course syllabus to respond to survey results.

1. What indicators are there of program quality, both internal and external? 2. Other than graduation, what indicators are there of student success? 3. Are there any indicators of value added? (Are there any indicators that students, as a result

of participation in this program, do better than expected?) We track several external indicators of program quality: 1) All Angelo State Geosciences BS graduates will take the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) Fundamentals of Geology Examination, the only national exam in geology. A passing score on this exam is one requirement to be a certified Professional Geologist in Texas and other states. Our first BS in Geoscience degrees will be awarded December 2011. Scores will be a direct indicator of program quality. 2) Our degree and courses have been coordinated with the Texas Tech BS in Geology degree. Texas Tech Department of Geosciences is a large PhD-granting program. An agreement has been reached with Texas Tech establishing that most ASU courses are equivalent to Tech courses. This is an indication of program quality. 3) The number of students in graduate school in the geosciences is an important indicator since our primary goal is to prepare students for graduate study. 4) The number of our graduates in geology-related careers is also an indicator. Twenty-three graduates and current students since 2004 are employed in geoscience jobs (Table 1). 5) The number of students completing undergraduate research projects is an indicator of future success in graduate school. In the last four years approximately twenty-five students have completed or are currently working on research projects (Table 2.3)

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4. What indicators are there of student satisfaction with the program? Feedback from students has been positive. Indicators of student satisfaction include: 1) High enrollment in introductory and advanced classes (Table 2) 2) The large number of Geoscience majors (27) in the first semester the major has been offered (Fall 2010). 3) Large numbers of students participating in GEO, the geology student organization. Attendance at weekly meetings averages around twenty-five. 4) Joe Satterfield’s and James Ward’s scores on IDEA course evaluations in Geology courses over the last four years have been consistently Higher than Average.

5. How do you track graduates after graduation? Are their comments and suggestions used to revise and update the curriculum?

We keep up with graduates by using social networking websites. We plan to publish a biannual Geoscience newsletter.

Criterion Five: Size, Scope, and Productivity of the Program 1. How many students (Headcount? FTE?) are in the program?

Please view Table 5.1 for detail.

2. What is the student to faculty ratio (Headcount? FTE?)? Are there external requirements for these ratios?

Table 5.1 shows the total number of students the geosciences program has serviced from 2007 to 2010, followed by the four year average and ratio per faculty member. There are 2 full-time faculty personnel within the geosciences program. This data was provided by Academic Affairs.

Table 5.1 – Students serviced by the geosciences program and student-faculty ratios

All Courses Headcount

2007 236 2008 238 2009 295 2010 340

4-year Total 1109 4-year Average 277.25

4-year Average per Faculty 138.63

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3. How many SCH's are generated by this program?

Please view Table 5.2 for detail.

4. How many SCH's per faculty are generated? How many WCH’s? Table 5.2 shows the total number of semester credit hours (SCH), weighted credit hours (WCH), and hours per faculty generated by the geosciences program from 2007 to 2010. The All Courses WCH were computed by considering a 1:1 ratio for lecture hours, a 1:0.667 ratio for lab hours, and a 1:0.1667 ratio for research hours and are computed using the All Courses SCH data. As in criteria 5.1 and 5.2, this data was provided by Academic Affairs.

Table 5.2 – Total SC and WCH generated and per faculty by the Geosciences program.

All Courses SCH

All Courses WCH

2007 909 1097 2008 920 1125 2009 1150 1406 2010 1315 1601

4-year Total 4294 5229 4-year Average 1074 1307

4-year Average per Faculty 537 654

5. How many degrees (majors, minors, certificates) have been awarded in the past four years?

From 2006 to 2010 there have been 17 Earth Science Minor degrees awarded. Majors will begin Fall 2011 due the B.S. Geosciences program only being implemented in the Fall 2010.

6. Are there unique services (lectures, performances, centers, clinics, conferences, journals, etc) offered by the program? How many community members "attend" or use these services?

As part of the Geosciences program the Geologic Exposition Organization (GEO) Club conducts weekly meetings with dinner and a scientific talk provided which are open to anyone on ASU campus and the San Angelo community. Recently there has been great success with the start of a monthly joint meeting between GEO and the San Angelo Geological Society. These joint meetings are packed with at a minimum of 25 students and 20 community members every month with a dinner and special scientific talk provided. These meetings are only the start of many more like them to come.

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The program is also heavily involved in outreach including Science Days and the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference on motivating young women in science and mathematics. Geoscience students and faculty lead an activity on erupting volcanoes at eight Science Days programs every year. As a result, all fourth-graders in the San Angelo area get hands-on experience with volcanic rocks and learn about our program. Students representing GEO, the geology student organization lead several geology activities at elementary schools every year. A NSF grant proposal submitted in November 2010 (Table 6.2) seeks funding for field trips, in-class activities, and teacher workshops with SAISD High Schools and Middle Schools.

7. Does the curriculum adequately cover the discipline? If not, what course(s) should be

added?

Required courses are very similar to courses in the current Texas Tech University Geology BS degree plan. More courses will be added as the program grows and new faculties with different specialties are added to the department. Future courses could include Geophysics, Tectonics, Clay Mineralogy, Geomorphology, and Earthquakes and Volcanoes. In addition, current faculty members are in the process of developing higher-level and topics courses, such as Advanced Hydrogeology. Collaborative topics with other departments have also been recently developed and more are planned for the future.

8. Is the program housed in the appropriate administrative unit? Would there be any benefit to the program, its students, and faculty if it were housed in another administrative unit?

Yes, Physics and Geosciences both benefit from being in the same department. The department faculty shares a common culture of emphasizing undergraduate education, fostering a sense of community, and encouraging undergraduate research. Geoscience majors take the same Freshman-Sophomore sequence of Calculus I and II, Physics I, Physics II or Biology 1480, Chemistry I and II, and Physical and Historical Geology. Many Geoscience majors minor in Physics or Mathematics. Many Physics majors minor in Earth Science (geology). Both programs emphasize preparation for graduate studies. Sharing a department chair, office coordinator, office equipment, classrooms and labs produces major cost savings and provides flexibility allowing future growth with minimal additional space required.

Criterion Six: Revenue and Other Resources Generated by the Program 1. Based on SCH's generated in AY 2009/10, how much tuition A, tuition B, and formula funding were generated by the program?

The Department of Physics: Geosciences Portion generated 1,315 semester credit hours (SCH) in academic year 2010. This SCH generation includes all Geoscience courses. The

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net effect of Tuition A and B rate of $82.40 per SCH was used in Table 6.1. The 81st Legislature Cost Matrix was used to calculate formula funds generated in AY 2010.

Table 6.1: Physics Program Inputs

AY 2009-2010 (SCH) Tuition A + B Generated Formula Funds Generated

1,315

$108,356

$157,318

2. Is other revenue generated by the program? How much and from what source(s)?

The Physics program generated $2,350 in departmental scholarship revenue during AY 2009/2010. This amount came from private donors Dale and Joy Chase, Wilton Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kershaw, Louis Cellum, and Bernie Young. The Geoscience program raised $14,000 for travel and equipment needs in starting the Geoscience BS degree from local donors, mainly San Angelo Geological Society Members.

3. What support for the program has been generated by extramural funding in the last four years?

Extramural funding in the last four years totals $786,745 from faculty grants in the Department of Physics. Table 6.2 shows funding specific to the Geosciences.

TABLE 6.2. EXTERNAL GEOSCIENCE GRANTS IN LAST FOUR YEARS

Year Funding organization,

program PIs, Grant title Total

(2011) HSI STEM (in preparation) Ward and others, to be determined ~$5,000,000 (2010) NSF-OEDG (submitted) Blount and others, OEDG Track 1:

Pathways for Inspiring, Educating, and Recruiting West Texans in the Geosciences (PIER)

$164,839

2010 Chesapeake Energy Corp. Satterfield, Geologic mapping the southern Marathon uplift.

$16,475

2009 Chesapeake Energy Corp Satterfield, Geologic mapping in a portion of the Marathon uplift.

$12,000

2007 NSF-MRI Poppeliers, Satterfield, Blount, Acquisition of a high performance computing system for undergraduate Geoscience research

$51,000

TOTAL AWARDED $79,475

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4. What indirect cost recovery has been generated for the program and the institution by extramural funding in the last four years?

Extramural funding generated $59,495 for the institution through indirect cost recovery on faculty grants in the Department of Physics.

5. How reliant is the program on extramural funding?

The Physics program relies on extramural funding to support scholarly activity, undergraduate research projects, and provide professional development opportunities for science teachers in Education Service Center Region XV. About 50% of students participating in undergraduate research projects are able to do so because of extramural grant funding. Since there are no dedicated funds in the institution for research spending, for matching, for student support, or for faculty support, the department has relied nearly exclusively on external funding to establish and furnish lab facilities, provide for routine maintenance of instrumentation, and for consumable supplies used in faculty and student experimental research activity. This is an extremely difficult and competitive challenge for researchers in an undergraduate only institution, so the faculty also relies heavily on collaborative funding with colleagues at other, larger, institutions. By all forecasts, external funding is likely to become more competitive, with larger research institutions garnering even more of the monies available to educational institutions.

6. Does the program attract development dollars? How much? Restricted or unrestricted?

Yes, the Department of Physics attracts about $1,000 in development funds annually. These funds are placed in the Physics Restricted Gift account with restriction set by the donor. Some typical uses of these funds are to purchase marketing materials and award textbook scholarships to students in the program. The geosciences program and ASU also raised $14,000 in 2009, mostly by San Angelo Geological Society for the initial geosciences program development.

7. What other funds are generated (tickets, class fees, user fees, etc.), and how are the monies

used?

The University Planetarium/Global Immersion Center presents six public science shows during fall and spring semesters and summer terms. Ticket sales for public shows generated $3500 spring 2010 and $3850 fall 2010. Funds generated from tickets sales are deposited into a general University fund. It is not clear how the University uses these funds.

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8. Is there significant other "potential" revenue?

Yes. Other significant extramural grant funding is available through the US Department of Education, US Department of Energy, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Texas Space Grant Consortium, and the Advanced Research/Technology Program of Texas. To succeed in additional extramural grant funding, faculty will need release time from teaching workloads or additional faculty need to be added to the departmental roster. There are multiple possible funding sources for Geosciences research including grants from The San Angelo Health Foundation, NSF, USEPA, etc.

9. Does the program have significant partnerships/relationships? If so, what are they?

Yes, the program has a significant partnership with the Center for Security Studies (CSS) through the Global Immersion Center. Funding received from the CSS has allowed Dr. Sonntag to upgrade the planetarium to full-dome high-definition video. This upgrade allows faculty in science and non-science disciplines to teach in the Global Immersion Center. The CSS faculty and instructional designers are currently working on new non-science course material for fall 2012. The program has a significant relationship with the Department of Physics at Texas Tech University (TTU) through the 4+1 BS/MS program in Physics and the College of Engineering at TTU through its pre-engineering agreement. The Geosciences program is also associated heavily with the San Angelo USGS office, and the San Angelo Geological Society, and Texas Tech Geosciences Department. Texas Tech collaborations include: talks at ASU and at Texas Tech Geosciences, participation in Texas Tech Geosciences Research Day, and agreements over course equivalents. Our geology student organization is a Student Chapter of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Further, new relationships are being made daily including multidisciplinary work with Sul Ross’s College of Agriculture.

Criterion Seven: Costs and Other Expenses Associated with the Program 1. What costs, both direct and indirect, are associated with delivering this program?

Direct BS Physics program cost data stated below in Table 3 is taken from ASU Operating Budget fiscal year beginning September 1, 2010 (FY 2010). This fiscal data has been corrected for the mandatory 5% operating expense budget reduction and 2% student wages reduction implemented AY 2010-2011. The Department of Physics currently employs 9.75 Full-time Equivalents (FTE). Two of these FTE are assigned to Geosciences. Dollar amounts in Table 7.1 are shared between Geosciences and Physics.

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Table 7.1: FY 2011 Direct Costs Salaries Operating Expenses Student Wages Work Study

$568,245

$26,944

$4,218

$1,191

The Department of Physics employs 4 students each fall and spring as lab assistants to assist faculty with lab setup, tear down, and report grading. The work study student is currently assigned to the BS Geosciences program. Fiscal year 2010 operating expenses are disaggregated in Table 7.2 by Banner subaccount codes.

Table 7.2: FY 2010 Operating Expenses by subaccount. 71XX Travel $5,078 72XX Fees and Other Charges $3,644 73XX Consumables, Equipment, and Repairs $14,364 74XX Rentals and Maintenance Agreements $3,944 75XX Telecommunications $994

Total $28,025

As one can clearly see, the actual Department of Physics operating expenditures of $28,025 for FY 2010 exceed operating expenses of $26,944 budgeted for FY 2011.

2. What are our indirect costs?

Indirect costs in the BS Physics program include the lack of a stockroom technician, the Center for Security Studies, service beyond the department, and mandatory training. Indirect costs can be determined when time can be measured accurately. The indirect costs shown in Table 7.3 are based on faculty hours per week times hourly salary times 30 weeks.

Table 7.3: BS Physics Program Indirect Costs. Faculty Activity Hours per Week Indirect Cost Lab setup, teardown, and equipment repair by faculty 25 $29,384 Center for Security Studies 5 $6,059 Service beyond the department 16 $20,348 Mandatory Training 5 $806

1. What efficiencies has the program put into place?

The Department of Physics has implemented much efficiency during the period of this report: • Merged Applied Physics and Physics degrees into a single BS Physics program

with 2 different supporting concentrations • Scheduled large sections (90+ students) in service courses (MCS 100 and P02) • Scheduled advanced physics courses on a 2-year cycle

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• Remodeled VIN 155 class/laboratory room for 36 students per lab section • Remodeled VIN 158 for 40 students per lecture • Front loaded fall schedule to increase classroom/laboratory utilization. • Leased a copier with scan to pdf and email feature to reduce paper consumption • Purchased a Parscore software and scanner for grading in large lectures • Reduced number of departmental phone lines from 9 to 5 by putting faculty in a

shared number pool • Remodeled VIN 147 for 24 students per lab section • The department houses 2 programs: Geosciences and Physics that share a

common operating expense budget, student wage budget, and work-study budget.

3. What efficiencies might the program put into place?

As seen in Table 5 above, faculty spends 25 hours per week during the academic year setting up laboratory equipment, returning laboratory equipment to stockrooms, and repairing laboratory equipment. These hours are equivalent to a loss of $29,384 in faculty instruction. A stockroom technician for the Department of Physics would be the most efficient way to manage laboratory equipment stored in 4 stockrooms, set up approximately 20 laboratory sections per week for faculty, and maintain or repair laboratory equipment on an annual basis.

4. Are there opportunities for productivity gains, efficiencies, cost-containment or cost reduction that might make the program more viable? If yes, what are they?

The Department of Physics is operating at maximum productivity in an efficient and cost-contained manner. Additional resources are needed for future productivity gains. For example, the BS Physics program could become more viable if additional resources for undergraduate research were provided by the University.

Criterion Eight: Impact, Justification, and Overall Essential Nature of the Program (This criterion is the summative measure within which anything else about the program relevant to this process should be included.) 1. How is the program essential to the institution?

Because the primary entry-level degree in the geosciences is a Masters Degree, our primary educational objective will be to prepare students for graduate study in geology, geophysics, engineering, environmental science, and hydrology. This program emphasizes teaching fundamental, field geology-based skills and analytical problem-solving techniques.

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2. How does this program contribute to the Mission and Goals of the university?

Mission: “integration of teaching, research, creative endeavor, service, and co-curricular experiences, ASU prepares students to be responsible citizens and to have productive careers.”

Master Goal #3: Recruit, retain and graduate, in numbers consistent with increased goals for enrollment and retention, an academically qualified student body reflecting the diversity of the region, the state, and the nation.

The program will focus on recruiting and retaining Hispanic and/or first-generation college students from San Angelo and the West Texas region. This new program should improve the income and educational level of our community, increase the numbers of Hispanic students in science, and increase the overall enrollment of ASU. This opportunity exists for several reasons. First the Hispanic population of San Angelo and West Texas is large and growing. San Angelo Independent School District high school students are 46% Hispanic (www.publicschoolreview.com) while the ASU student body is 25% Hispanic, and was recently designated a Hispanic Serving Institution. Second, Hispanics are underrepresented in Earth Sciences: Hispanics held just 0.3% of Environmental Science and Geoscience jobs in 2007, a lower percentage than Asians and African-Americans. Compared to other science and engineering fields, the geosciences award a lower percentage of degrees to Hispanics (American Geological Institute, 2009b). Third, ongoing geology research at ASU and the San Angelo USGS office covers the geology of the México – U.S. border region, which includes the Big Bend region. Fourth, the Physics department has a proven record of success in graduating Hispanic and first-generation college students and others who lack outstanding high-school science grades. This is because faculty members work hard to meet individual student needs and to foster a sense of community among students and faculty.

The ASU Physics Department and geology program has established relationships with and conducted outreach programs with the San Angelo Independent School District, neighboring school districts, and Education Service Center Region XV. In 2010, J.I. Satterfield will apply for a National Science Foundation grant from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP). This program seeks to increase the numbers of students receiving undergraduate degrees in the sciences.

Master Goal 4: Develop and expand both undergraduate and graduate curricula and co-curricula to support students’ intellectual and personal growth, to address issues relevant to society, and to meet the demands of State of Texas initiatives and the marketplace.

The curricula in the geosciences address issues relevant to society and the marketplace. Hydrology and Advanced Hydrology are vital classes for those entering environmental businesses, and Structural Geology and Sedimentology are particularly relevant to the oil and gas industry. Introductory Geology and lab are necessary for students to gain understanding of earth resources, natural hazards, and prevalent environmental issues.

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Master Goal 5: Maintain a supportive, helpful environment for students, faculty, staff, community, and alumni.

The Geosciences program has developed a demand from students primarily because the professors involved in the program have already developed and maintain the very supportive environments for students.

Master Goal 6: Develop and enhance external partnerships, collaborations, and funding opportunities.

Collaborations: In 2006 ASU students began working as paid interns on hydrology projects supervised by geologists of the San Angelo office of the USGS. Undergraduates will continue to work with $700,000 in state-of-the-art USGS geophysical equipment and will have expanded opportunities for undergraduate research projects while in paid and volunteer positions.

Funding: An NSF-OEDG grant has been applied for, and a HSI STEM grant is in preparation.

3. Is the success of other programs linked to or dependent on this program? If so, how?

There are two programs linked directly with classes offered by the Geosciences program including the Department of Physics and the Department of Agriculture. Many of the Physics majors here at ASU minor in Earth Sciences and as part of the Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Management Degree students are required to take Physical Geology, Historical Geology, and Introduction to Hydrology.

4. Does this program respond to a unique need that the institution values? 5. Does this program help to differentiate and distinguish us from our peers and competitors?

Yes, there are four unique needs that the ASU Geoscience Program meets that distinguish us from our competitors: a) Need for superior undergraduate-focused geoscience education in West and central Texas. Only ASU, Trinity University (San Antonio) and Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls) focus exclusively on undergraduate geoscience education. The Department of Physics has a documented history of nurturing and graduating high-quality students by working hard to meet individual student’s needs, by fostering a sense of community, and by motivating students to work hard. b) Need to involve more Hispanic students from San Angelo and West Texas in Geosciences. We are expanding our SAISD outreach programs and writing external grant proposals so that we can recruit more students from our community to ASU and to our program. The majority of students in our region are Hispanic.

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c) Need to provide undergraduate research experiences for Geoscience majors and minors. The Geoscience program, as well as our department, emphasizes research with undergraduates, giving students an opportunity not widely available at larger research universities. Undergraduate research is the best preparation of research in graduate programs in the geosciences and in engineering. d) Need for field geology-based learning in nearby diverse geologic settings. San Angelo, unlike any other city, is uniquely located close to several significant outcrop belts: Llano uplift granitic and metamorphic exposures to the southeast, Big Bend region Rocky Mountain and Basin and Range structures to the southwest, and Permian basin petroleum-bearing strata in the San Angelo area. This degree plan contains elements which together are unique to Angelo State. All students will take at least one GIS course and a technical writing course. All degrees will be interdisciplinary since a minor is required. Minors will cover a wide range of complementary, cutting edge fields, such as decision science and 3-D visualization (Computer Science), computational and applied mathematics, applied physics, biology, or liberal arts fields. Alternatively, other students will continue to major in physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry, and other fields and minor in Earth Science.

Criterion Nine: Opportunity Analysis of the Program 1. What external factors affecting the institution might also affect the program? How might the

program respond to both new opportunities and perceived threats?

Funding cuts, economic recessions/depressions, diminished employment opportunities for graduates, etc., are all factors that could distress the institution in the future, and would have an impact on the Geosciences program financially, as it would on any program across campus. However, the beauty of studying Geosciences is the natural environment is our laboratory, making it the field of Geology “recession proof” because rocks and water are free to evaluate on field trips, all the program needs is monies to go on these trips. Further, if funding cuts, etc., were to occur to the Geosciences program, we will seek outside funding to keep the program on its current projection of growth. There is an extreme shortage of Geoscientist over the next 30 years, so our graduates in the future will be able to either get into graduate school or gain employment easily.

The Geosciences program is in a good position to continue growing on a limited budget, such as it currently has been doing aided primarily by external support, however the program would benefit from several new opportunities such as: 1) increased university support to hire more faculty to support our growth, 2) increased university support for more field trips, 3) increased laboratory equipment, etc. The geosciences program would be open to numerous new opportunities and unthreatened by perceived threats; geosciences are growing and will continue to grow, thus making it strong for years to come.

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2. Are there different viable directions for the program to pursue? If yes, what are they? The current Geosciences curriculum stresses the fundamentals of geology, e.g., students graduating from ASU’s newly implemented BS Geosciences program should be able to pass the national Fundamental of Geology ASBOG exam to obtain their Geologist in Training certificate (GIT), work for a four years and take their Professional Geologist (PG) licensing exam; that being stated the current curriculum is well developed. However, there are always viable modern applications within the Geosciences such as the application of Global Information Systems (GIS), cutting edge remotes sensing technologies, new geophysical methods, modeling dynamics of natural systems, etc., the list is almost endless. It is imperative to note that as the new Geosciences program gains additional faculty and continues to grow in student numbers and demand a lot more of these specializations will be adopted into the existing Geosciences curriculum.

3. Are there opportunities for collaborations with other programs, departments, divisions, or institutions? If yes, what are they? The field of Geosciences has emerged to be truly multidisciplinary over the past few decades, having multiple sub-disciplines such as Hydrogeology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Planetary Geology, Geobiology, Historical Geology, Engineering Geology, Mathematical Modeling within Geosciences, Environmental Law, etc. Therefore, there are any number of opportunities for collaboration between Geosciences and other disciplines here on ASU’s campus, some of which have already begun, including relationships with the Department of Physics, Department of Agriculture, Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry. Other collaborations locally have also begun with the United Stated Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Upper Colorado River Authority (UCRA), the State of Texas Park Service, City of San Angelo, and the San Angelo Geological Society. Regionally relationships and collaborations between ASU’s Geosciences program have been started with the National Park Service (NPS), Texas Tech University, Sul Ross State University, University of Texas Permian Basin, and the University of Texas San Antonio. Many other relationships are currently being established with private companies within the petroleum geology and environmental consulting fields.

4. Would new modes of delivery, new pedagogies, revised content, etc., make the program more

viable? If yes, what are they? The current Geosciences curriculum is already very productive, yet there are several possibilities to improve the existing program. One idea is to develop virtual field trips of West Texas and the southwest region that could be shown monthly in the newly renovated planetarium. Ideally, these viewings would acquire more public involvement within the Geosciences. These could also be used on the Geosciences webpage to recruit students from outside the West Texas region. The Geosciences program would also benefit from having a new computer lab implemented with multiple new software packages for remote sensing, mathematical and chemical modeling, GIS capabilities, etc.; this type of computer lab would

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allow our students to have “leg up” on the completion when it comes time to obtain employment or get into graduate school.

REFERENCES AAPG, 2010, Salaries show 5% increase: AAPG Explorer,

http://www.aapg.org/explorer/salarysurvey.cfm AGI Geoscience Workforce Program, 2009a, Status of the Geoscience Workforce, Chapter 2:

Four-year colleges and Universities: Alexandria, Virginia, American Geological Institute, 49 p., http://www.agiweb.org/workforce/reports/2009-FourYrInstitutions_rev082509.pdf

AGI Geoscience Workforce Program, 2009b, Status of the Geoscience Workforce, Chapter

3:Geoscience Employment Sectors: Alexandria, Virginia, American Geological Institute, 35 p., http://www.agiweb.org/workforce/reports/2009-EmploymentSectors.pdf

Coontz, 2008, Hydrogeologists Tap into Demand for an Irreplaceable Resource: Science Careers

from the Journal Science, http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2008_08_08/caredit.a0800120

Delany and Bailey, 2008, Miners top MBAs as metal boom makes geologists scarce (Update 2):

Bloomberg.com, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=a7Ux_Jx.sD8c&pid=newsarchive

Ewing, T.E., 1991, The tectonic framework of Texas, text to accompany “The tectonic map of

Texas”: Bureau of Economic Geology: Austin, Texas, 36 p. Kier, R.S., Brown, L.F., Harwood, P., and Barnes, V.E., 1976, Brownwood Sheet, Geologic

Atlas of Texas: Bureau of Economic Geology, scale 1: 250,000. U.S. Department of Labor, 2010, Geoscientists and Hydrologists: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos312.htm Willis, G.W., 1954, Ground-water resources of Tom Green County: Texas Board of Water

Engineers Bulletin 5411, 100 p.


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