[Hearts-of-GOLD] ideas for alternatives to Geology Field Camp

Grady Dixon pgdixon at fhsu.edu
Tue Nov 14 10:04:21 MST 2017


I apologize for those of you who have already received this inquiry from me, but I am trying to collect as much info as I can.

Our department has run its own Geology Field Camp for several decades. This year, we have two students requesting exemptions, and this is apparently the first time anyone here can recall it happening. I think it is more likely that previous students felt so unwelcomed to mention the idea that they simply changed their major rather than request exemptions. One student has diabetes and relies on an insulin pump, and she is uneasy about being in remote locations for weeks at a time. The other says he will lose his job if he takes off the time required for Field Camp.

Our faculty are doing all sorts of mental gymnastics to try to accommodate the students without "setting a precedent," but I prefer to just develop an alternative to Field Camp that anyone can exercise. Our department really values Field Camp, so I am ok with the alternative being less desirable for most students, but I want no part of making judgements on each student's reason(s) for requesting an exemption.

Do any of you have thoughts on how other programs deal with these situations?

_______________________________
P. Grady Dixon
Professor and Chair
Department of Geosciences
Fort Hays State University
pgdixon at fhsu.edu




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