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Field Station Workshop

Effective Use of a Field Station for Undergraduate Education in a Changing Liberal Arts College Environment

College field stations have traditionally been used primarily for teaching and research by field oriented disciplines – field biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, and field geology. However in recent years there has been increasing use of field stations by a broader range of scientists – especially environmental scientists and chemists – as well as more use by non-science students and faculty. Due to the expense of maintaining field stations, colleges increasingly are interested in expanding use beyond the traditional areas associated with field stations. It is also obvious that while field stations have often been managed as isolated islands of natural habitat but the reality is that they are embedded in a changing environment. One way to examine such changes may be for field stations to integrate studies and exchange of data. All of these issues are leading to a sea change in how colleges and field station directors and faculty view field stations and their use at undergraduate institutions. This workshop is designed to address these issues by specifically focusing on the possibilities and problems present at Pew consortium field stations.

Field Station Workshop Tentative Schedule

Friday, September 30
4:00 – 6:00 Arrival, registration and hotel check in
6:00 – 7:30 Welcome and dinner – Landmark Bistro
7:45 – 8:45 Opening session – Discussion of our goals for undergraduate use of field stations

Saturday, October 1
7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast
8:30 Van to Green Oaks
9:00 – 10:15 Presentation I – Models of undergraduate use of field stations for science
10:15 – 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 – 11:45 Presentation II – Models of expanded use of field stations – more than just science
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch at Green Oaks
1:15 – 2:15 Discussion of ways to interact and share data more effectively among field stations – possible discussion of Project GLACEO
2:15-2:30 Afternoon break
2:30 – 4:00 Time in the field – tour of Green Oaks plus demonstration of learning activities
4:00 – 5:00 Break out discussion groups – sharing experiences of using field stations
5:30 – 7:00 Evening cook-out at Green Oaks
7:30 – 8:30 Reports from, and discussion of, small group session
8:30 Van back to hotel, free time

Sunday, October 2
7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast
8:30 Van to Green Oaks
9:00 – 10:15 Increasing visibility and use of field stations – both on campus and with other interested groups
10:15 – 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 – 11:30 Final discussion – putting our plans into action
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch followed by van back to hotel

The Pew Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium consists of 11 liberal arts colleges and 2 research universities. The Consortium seeks to promote effective collaboration among faculty at the member institutions; to improve undergraduate science and mathematics education; and to assist with the research efforts of the faculty at the undergraduate colleges and of the undergraduate students at all of the member institutions.

The Consortium coordinates activities including symposia on undergraduate research, faculty development workshops, and a speaker series through which individual faculty members visit other member schools to share information.