geography in us higher education growth, change, and development sarah witham bednarz texas a&m...
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Geography in US Higher Education
Growth, Change, and Development
Sarah Witham Bednarz
Texas A&M University
Agenda
The US Higher Education SceneContext of growth, development, and change
Geography in This Context…Growth, development, and changeNew research funding directionsCurriculum development opportunitiesGeographic Information Sciences
US Higher Education Scene: Background
Complex system of public and private colleges and universities, two- and four- institutions, non-profit and for-profit
622 public four-year institutions1,220 public and private two-year institutions1,551 private four-year institutions789 private two-and four-year for-profit institutionsState controlled; no federal authority per se
US Higher Education Scene: Background
Extensive doctoral/research universitiesOffer a wide range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through the doctorate; award 50 or more doctoral degrees per year across at least 15 disciplines
Intensive doctoral/research universitiesSimilar but smaller in scale; at least 10 PhDs per year across three or more disciplines
Public comprehensive institutions“Normal” schools grown up
US Higher Education Scene: Change
Enrollments have grownExpanding opportunities to new populationsChanges in how students pursue degrees
US Higher Education Scene: Change
Wider range of socio-economic, racial, ethnic groups
Entering with a different level of academic preparation
US Higher Education Scene: Change
Student access to higher education has expanded…
Changes in technology…
Changes in demography…
Changes in the demand for education…
US Higher Education Scene: Status
Sense of urgency about higher education following thirty years of extensive change
Broad public support but less public investment
Changes in funding structures• Decline in state appropriations• Shift to student tuition and fees
Questions about what college students learn• Competing purposes for higher education
– Workers vs an educated citizenry
US Higher Education Scene: Status
Sense of urgency about higher education following thirty years of extensive change
Broad public support but less public investment
Changes in funding structures• Decline in state appropriations• Shift to student tuition and fees
Questions about what college students learn• Competing purposes for higher education
– Workers vs an educated citizenry
US Higher Education Scene: Status
Sense of urgency about higher education following thirty years of extensive change
Little connection between K-12 and 13-16 and beyondIncreasing interference from policy makers
• Faculty productivity measures• High stakes testing• Metrics for teacher education
US Higher Education Scene: Status
Sense of urgency about higher education following thirty years of extensive change
Weak links between teaching and learningChanging demographics of academic workforce
• Decline in proportion of tenured faculty• Aging population
Disconnect between research and teaching
US Higher Education Scene: Status
Sense of urgency about higher education following thirty years of extensive change
Changes in the social charter that links higher education to the nation
US Higher Education Scene: Implications for Geography
College as high school…
Need for teaching more important than ever
K-12 situation
National Geography Standards
Standards for geography K-12Institutionalized in state social studies standardsNo Child Left Behind emphasis on reading, math, science
US Higher Education Scene: Implications for Geography
College as high school…Need for teaching more important than everK-12 situationDemographics of faculty
Full- time being replaced by part-time
Need for articulation between two-and four-year institutions
Whither Geography?
050010001500200025003000350040004500
1989-1990
1991-1992
1993-1994
1995-1996
1997-1998
1999-2000
BA/BSMA/MSPhD
Whither Geography?Driving Forces
Geographic Information Sciences and related spatial technologies
• Shared across the mapping sciences
Environmental sciences • Shared across the geosciences
Resisting ForcesAging facultyLack of curricular relevance in some contexts
GrowthGeographic Information Sciences
179 out of 195 geography programs list GIS as a specialtyProliferation of courses, degrees, and certificate programsIssues of pedagogy
• UCGIS Model Curriculum?
Issues of quality assurance• “buttonology” vs GIScience
Workforce issues: Minorities? Women?
GrowthGeographic Information Sciences
179 out of 195 geography programs list GIS as a specialtyProliferation of courses, degrees, and certificate programsIssues of pedagogy
• UCGIS Model Curriculum?
Issues of quality assurance• “buttonology” vs GIScience
Workforce issues: Minorities? Women?
ChangeNational Science Foundation Initiatives
Promoting interdisciplinary initiatives• Complex environmental systems
– Synthesis for Earth, Life, and Society
• Human dimensions of global change – Social and behavioral processes that shape and influence
interactions
• Biocomplexity in the environment– Integrated investigations of environmental systems using
advanced scientific and engineering methods
• Human and social dynamics– Causes and ramifications of change
DevelopmentNational Geography AlliancesAssociation of American Geographers: Shift from developing resources to developing facultyGeography Faculty Development Alliance
Active pedagogy, inquiry-based learning, teaching with technologyCourse planning, student assessment, Grant writing, publication, tenure and promotion issues
Development
Curriculum Project
Development
Curriculum ProjectGlobal Learning for All
• American Council on Education• Funded by Ford Foundation• Strategies to make international/global learning
an integral part of undergraduate education
Conclusions…
A new landscape…
Conflicting priorities…
Scale issues
Growing need for scholarship of learning/teaching
Increasingly less important to policymakers