133-5 Geology and Environmental Science at EMU: Collaboration and Synergy

Session: Geology Programs in an Environmental Science World

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Abstract:

The Geology major at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) traditionally had good enrollment, although in the past ten years enrollment has declined from 45 to 15 geology majors.  The EMU Environmental Science and Society Interdisciplinary program (ENVI) was created in 2011 and is very popular with students.  Since 2016 ENVI has remained above 100 majors every year. One key aspect of the EMU ENVI program is that it is truly interdisciplinary and does not belong to any department, although there are three ENVI concentrations (Atmosphere and Climate, Geoscience, and Water Quality) that are closely associated with geoscience.  These aspects of the ENVI program allow for close collaboration and synergy that benefits geology at EMU.

Geology is described as a “discovery major” since most students do not come to college knowing much about geology or planning to major in it.  Declining university enrollment results in fewer students taking introductory geology courses, which is the primary mechanism for recruiting new geology majors at EMU.  The ENVI students take geoscience courses, which may influence them to either decide to go into a geoscience-related ENVI concentration or major in geology. The ENVI students are also important to upper-level geology courses since they fill almost half of the seats in some of these classes and allow them to run.  The ENVI program has its own internship coordinator and many of those internships are also suitable for geology majors seeking work in the environmental sector.  The ability for geology majors to utilize the networking and internship opportunities facilitated by ENVI enhances the career readiness of geology students.  Although the number of geology students has declined at EMU, the presence of an interdisciplinary Environmental Science program that includes geology faculty and geoscience-related concentrations provides opportunities for collaboration and synergy that strengthens both programs.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-4901

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