T90 Geoscience Programs at Community Colleges: Models for Success and Innovation

Monday, 19 October 2009
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
C124

TWO-YEAR COLLEGE COLLABORATION WITH K-12 SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES

Paper number: T90-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Authors

Abstract

Collaboration between faculty members at Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), a multi-campus two-year unit of the University System of Georgia (USG), is key to achieving institutional and systemwide strategic goals. The college employs nine full-time and six adjunct geology faculty at five locations, plus an online division, rendering collaboration within the institution essential for the creation and implementation of common course outlines, teaching objectives and end-of-course assessments. Interdisciplinary collaboration within the natural sciences is also critical, because various science disciplines ay GPC are organized as campus-centered Science Departments. Collaboration with science faculty at four-year institutions in the USG is accomplished through various USG system-wide committees and through statewide professional organizations. USG committees discuss core curriculum issues, coordinate student advisement and transfer, and work to increase the number and academic success of science and math majors. "Transfer admission guarantees" smooth transfers to four-year schools.

P-16 collaboration and K-12 educator preparation are encouraged by the college and the USG, because of our position as an intermediate between high schools and four-year institutions. Collaboration is fostered through workshops for K-12 science teachers, professional learning communities, service learning opportunities for our geology majors, GPC’s representation on the Science Education Advisory Committee of the Georgia Department of Education, and our assistance in the development and review of the Georgia Performance Standards and frameworks, which make up the K-12 state science curriculum. Geoscience faculty at GPC are at the forefront of efforts to develop and teach two new Integrated Science courses for Early Childhood Education majors because of the multidisciplinary nature of geoscience and the broad science background of the faculty. We also offer an online course, Earth & Space Science for Middle School teachers.

Student involvement is encouraged through field trips, award ceremonies, and service learning projects. Small class size and increased opportunities for instructor interaction are a plus in attracting students to the geology major.