SACS Reaffirmation
| Objective | G1 O1 | |
| The program will consistently strive to improve the quality of its program by making adjustments to its curriculum as needed. Associated Goals: Goal 1 - Quality of Program |
| Indicator | G1 O1 I1 The department will, as needed, seek input from a variety of sources, including Professional Advisory Councils and Student Advisory Councils, and will use that input as the basis for modifying the curriculum. |
| Criteria | G1 O1 I1 C1 Curriculum will be modified in response to input |
| Finding | G1 O1 I1 C1 F1 Our advisory councils made several recommendations for changes that have been implemented: a) Council suggested that we add a geophysics course b) Councils suggested that we strengthen the environmental focus of our geology curriculum in order to increase employment opportunities c) Council suggested that we add a geochemistry course and reduce the credit hours for mineralogy and petrology. d) Council suggested that we add a natural hazards course |
| Action | G1 O1 I1 C1 F1 A1 a) We added a course in geophysics. b) We added a course on energy and the environment c) We add a geochemistry course and reduced the credit hours for mineralogy and petrology. d) We have added a Natural hazards and resources course as well as a course on Energy and the Environment. |
| Objective | G1 O2 | |
| The Department will seek to ensure that the quality of our instruction is rated as satisfactory or better by our students. Associated Goals: Goal 1 - Quality of Program |
| Indicator | G1 O2 I1 The Department uses the IDEA evaluation system as well as peer-evaluation. |
| Criteria | G1 O2 I1 C1 The scores on the IDEA form (summary score) must be rated consistently as "average" or above, and the peer evaluations must be deemed acceptable by departmental peers. |
| Finding | G1 O2 I1 C1 F1 With very few exceptions, this criterion has been met. |
| Action | G1 O2 I1 C1 F1 A1 The Department Chair meets with each faculty member to review his or her teaching performance and provides suggestions and recommendations in those few instances in which the faculty member receives less than satisfactory ratings. Failure to improve teaching can lead to dismissal for tenure-track faculty or adversely impact merit for tenured faculty. |
| Objective | G1 O3 | |
| The department will strive to enhance the quality of instruction through the use of appropriate technology in the classroom and during lab activities. Associated Goals: Goal 1 - Quality of Program |
| Indicator | G1 O3 I1 In the past 5 years, the department has spent about $100,000 on audiovisual teaching equipment for our classrooms, and more than $170,000 on field equipment. The remote sensing lab contains about 12 computers with monitors worth about $30,000. The GIS lab just received (2007) an upgrade in computers and software worth $30,000. |
| Criteria | Instructional Technology All labs, offices and teaching rooms fully equipped. |
| Finding | Instructional Technology All labs, offices, and teaching rooms are fully equipped. |
| Action | G1 O3 I1 C1 F1 A1 We will continue to maintain the equipment and consider adding/purchasing new technologies and equipment as they become available and funds permit. |
| Objective | G1 O4 | |
| The department will strive to enhance the quality of instruction through the use of field trips. Associated Goals: Goal 1 - Quality of Program |
| Indicator | G1 O4 I1 The Department will seek to increase the number of field trips offered to our students |
| Criteria | Increased field trips Count of in-course and extra-curricular field trip will increase. |
| Finding | Field Trips in 2006-2007 Number of field courses has increased but still needs major reconfiguration. |
| Action | G1 O4 I1 C1 F1 A1 We will continue to maintain the equipment and consider adding new technologies as they become available. |
| Objective | G1 O5 | |
| The department will increase the availability of its courses and its visibility by offering web courses. Associated Goals: Goal 1 - Quality of Program |
| Indicator | G1 O5 I1 The Department will add to and/or maintain the number of its web-based courses |
| Criteria | GEL Web courses Add to the existing GEL 133 course offering. |
| Finding | GEL web courses No new courses added. |
| Action | G1 O5 I1 C1 F1 A1 We will continue to offer this course and hope to add the web version of the lab that accompanies this course. |
| Objective | G2 O1 | |
| Geology students will successfully complete courses that encompass the breadth of the discipline. Associated Goals: Goal 2 - Understanding of Discipline |
| Indicator | G2 O1 I1 Successful completion of major requirements and major electives |
| Criteria | G2 O1 I1 C2 Almost all majors in the geology program will complete their field camp with a grade of B or better. * This is an external validation given that our students take field camp through other universities. |
| Finding | G2 O1 I1 C2 F2 Based on 10-year's worth of data, all of our geology majors are meeting the requirement of making either an A or B in field camp |
| Action | G2 O1 I1 C1 F1 A1 Students that do not maintain the minimum GPA requirement of 2.0 must repeat the appropriate coursework. |
| Objective | G3 O1 | |
| The Department will seek modify its curriculum as needed in order to meet this goal. Based on input from our advisory councils and other sources, the department determined that it needed to add the following courses to its curriculum:
a) Added Remote Sensing - added 2005
b) Hired a new faculty line for purposes of teaching remote sensing
c) Added course a Geochemistry course in 2006
d) Added course dealing with energy and the environment in 2006
e) Proposed a Forensic Geology course in 2007
f) Proposed a Basin Sea Level geology course in 2007
g) Proposed a Methods in Applied Geophysics course in 2007
h) Added new faculty line to teach geophysics
Associated Goals: Goal 3 - Professional and Technical Skills |
| Indicator | G3 O1 I1 The success of our program, as defined in terms of the success of our graduates, is measured using an Alumni Survey that is given periodically. |
| Criteria | P& T Skills New courses added in response to alumni, Student and faculty input. |
| Finding | P & T Skills New courses added. |
| Action | G3 O1 I1 C1 F1 A1 We will continue to make changes as deemed necessary in order to meet the needs of our students. |