GeoJourney
Department
of Geology, 190 Overman Hall
http://www.geojourney.org
Overview
GeoJourney is a nine-week field trip/camping
trip across the United States offered Fall Semester.
Students have the opportunity to study geology,
American culture studies, and environmental
studies in an "open-air" outdoor environment
that combines aspects of social, biological,
and geological sciences into an integrated learning
experience.
During the 63-day excursion,
the program travels from coast to coast across
the U.S. and uses many parklands in the western
U.S. as settings to conduct interdisciplinary
field investigations. The itinerary is designed
to give students first-hand experience in a
wide range of geographic environments and to
give them an opportunity to study each of the
subjects in a holistic framework.
GeoJourney travels to
24 states across the US and visits 29 national
parklands, including: Yellowstone, Yosemite,
Grand Canyon, Glacier, Great Smoky Mountains,
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Mesa Verde, Chaco
Canyon, and Mt. St. Helens. There are 7 days
off during the nine weeks, which occur on days
when the program visits cities such as San Francisco,
Las Vegas, and New Orleans.
The program travels by
van, moving every few days to new camp sites.
Participants provide their own essential camping
equipment. During the day, students will carry
out field investigations in a variety of geographic
environments, including some day hikes at high
elevation. Some projects require several days
of field work and project reports or maps. At
night, campfire lectures and discussions, along
with reading assignments and written exams,
enhance the educational experience.
Course Credit
Students successfully completing GeoJourney
receive 18 hours of BG Perspective credit in
five courses:
- GEOL
250: Field-based
Physical Geology (5 hrs.)
- GEOL
251: Field-based
Historical Geology (5 hrs.)
- ACS
252: Indigenous
Cultures of North America (3 hrs.)
- ENVS
253: Environments
in Context (3 hrs.)
- HNRS
300: GeoJourney
Critical Thinking
The
courses are corequisite and satisfy the BG Perspective
Requirements in Natural Science, Cultural Diversity
in the U.S., and Social and Behavioral Science,
International Perspectives. Honors credit is
optional for all five courses. Students can
only register for the courses by permission
of instructor after they have been accepted
to the program.
Participation
and Application
Application to GeoJourney is competitive due
to the academically, physically, and emotionally
intense nature of field work. Undergraduates
with any major and at any point in their academic
careers can participate. Applications from high
school seniors who are entering the University
in the fall are encouraged. Applications are
evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Class size
is limited to 24 students.
Students should apply
to participate in GeoJourney prior to and during
pre-registration for Fall Semester. We recommend
that students register for class on-campus in
order to insure that they get the classes they
want for Fall Semester in the event they are
not selected for the GeoJourney program.
Dates
The program departs from BGSU around the middle
of August, before classes begin on campus, and
returns to BGSU around the middle of October.
Participants are finished with academic coursework
for the semester at the end of the program and
are free to pursue other opportunities. Participants
do not sign a housing contract for fall semester
but need to make housing arrangements for their
return. A GeoJourney reunion event will be held
prior to Thanksgiving break. Many students may
opt for temporary full-time employment upon
returning from the trip.
Contact Information
More information can be found on-line at http://www.geojourney.org;
by calling Nikki Elkins, the Associate Director
of GeoJourney, at 419-372-6540; by visiting
the program office in room 279 of Overman Hall;
or contacting the BGSU Honors Program. Applications
can be found on-line at http://www.geojourney.org/aponline.htm.
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