133-6 Helping Geoscience Departments Navigate the Relationship Between “Geological” and “Environmental”: NAGT’s Traveling Workshops Program

Session: Geology Programs in an Environmental Science World

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Since 2014, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) has supported geoscience departments and programs in preparing for and adapting to change through its Traveling Workshops Program (TWP). As we have seen in the more than 110 requests for facilitated workshops over the past twelve years, that need for support often stems from a complex relationship between “geology” and “environmental” in the context of an institution.  Anyone from a department, program, or institution can request a TWP by providing information about their group and desired outcomes. Approximately half of the requests described outcomes related to the relationship between geology and environmental programs (n = 49). Of these, 60% describe a desire to reexamine their curricula, often because (1) their department offers two or more majors, one of which is environmentally-focused and the other geology-focused; (2) they would like to redesign or refocus their curriculum to be more interdisciplinary and/or environmentally-focused because of new faculty hires and changing student interests; or (3) they feel that they are in competition with another department or program that has an environmental or sustainability focus. In several cases, the request was specifically to bring disciplinary entities together to work on interdisciplinary or cross-campus environmental or sustainability initiatives. To address these requests, pairs of facilitators worked with workshop requestor to plan a two-day workshop. Facilitators also typically meet with a dean or other leader to understand the administration’s perspective and their hopes for (and constraints on) change. These conversations help the facilitators develop a workshop agenda that meets the needs of the group with time-tested activities such as a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis, a process for developing course- and program-level learning outcomes that begins by envisioning a successful student, and establishing a case for the value of the department or program within the institution. End-of-workshop evaluations indicate a high level of participant satisfaction. Participants comment that they value of the opportunity to work as a team, having time to listen and collaborate and work through the curriculum together, and the extent to which that work was enabled by the facilitators. NAGT’s TWP continues to be a resource for departments and programs as they seek to respond to change, particularly for those navigating the relationships between geology and environmental programs.

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

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-7980

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