III. GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS

Geography Enrollment Figures

Student enrollment at KSU maintained a steady increase through the 1970s and

into the 1980s, reaching 19,982 students in 1982. Then enrollment began to decline

annually until only 17, 570 students were enrolled in 1985. In 1986 Dr. Jon Wefald

became the new president, and he made a special effort to attract students to K-State. By

1988 student enrollment had increased to 19,301; in 1989 enrollment was 20,110, and by

1990 it reached 21,137 students. An all time high of 23,000 was recorded in the fall of

2006.

Geography course enrollment continued to increase, even when University

enrollment declined in the middle 1980s. During the four years from 1986 through

1990 the enrollment in multiple sections of World Regional Geography averaged more

than 500 students per semester. While Environmental Geography I averaged 400. In

the middle 1970s approximately 700 students were enrolled in geography courses each

semester, but from 1986 through 1990 the total averaged 1,161 students per semester.

With a high of 1,475 students in the fall semester of 1989. In the 1991-92 academic year,

student numbers in all departmental courses reached 3000 for the first time, and the total

has exceeded 4000 since the 2003-04 academic year.

The greatest numerical increase has been in World Regional Geography. It rose

from 550 in the spring of 1991 to 1038 in the fall of 1999 and has averaged over 1000

students a semester since. The course also has expanded its proportion of the department

enrollment. World Regional Geography accounted for between 37% and 41% of the

enrollment in the early 1990s, but the course has exceeded half of the students taking

geography since the spring of 1996.

Regional courses in general have fared well. Enrollment in the Geography

of Kansas which had been in the 40s and 50s, reached 90 in the fall of 1997. It now

averages more than 100 each time the course is offered. Geography of the United States

rose from 36 in the fall of 1995 to 92 in the spring of 2000 and has averaged more than

130 students since. Geography of Latin America has more than tripled its enrollment

since the late 1990s, reaching 55 in the spring of 2005.

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Dramatic growth has taken place for Human Geography and the Geography of Tourism. Enrollment in the former course had reached the 80s in the late 1990s. It exceeded 100 for the first time in spring of 2001, and it has stayed well above 200 in recent semesters. Tourism enrollees numbered in the 30s and 40s, but by the spring of 1998 the count had reached 77, and eight years later more than 180 students were taking the course. Other courses posting gains include Geography of Natural Resources, GIS, and Seminar in Rural Resources Management. The significant increase in enrollment in many geography courses can be attributed to the offering of more sections of World Regional Geography and Human Geography and the use of larger classrooms. The additional sections have been facilitated by hiring visiting assistant professors every semester since the fall of 1998 and the use of doctoral students as instructors. Table 2 gives Academic year enrollment since 1987-88.

Table 2: Academic Year Enrollment in Geography Courses 1987-88 to 2006-071987-88 1850 1992-93 2982 1997-98 2788 2002-03 39201988-89 2491 1993-94 3002 1998-99 2853 2003-04 43891989-90 2872 1994-95 2832 1999-00 3633 2004-05 43651990-91 2854 1995-96 2978 2000-01 3524 2005-06 42411991-92 3085 1996-97 2733 2001-02 3929 2006-07 4058

Sources: KSU Geography Enrollment History Reports for 1987-2007

The offering of many courses in larger rooms has made possible substantial

enrollment increases. The University instituted a policy by which rooms are assigned to

classes based on demand. In the past, certain rooms were assigned to departments. Often

they were located in the same building as the departmental offices. This was true the

entire time geography was in Thompson and Dickens Halls. In recent years geography

courses such as World Regional, Human, Environmental, and Tourism have been

assigned large and often “high tech” classrooms across campus. Although these rooms

are not specifically designed for teaching geography, they do facilitate using power point

for lectures.

Laboratory space limitations have hampered enrollment growth in courses such as

Environmental Geography I and II, Cartography, Computer Mapping, and Remote

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Sensing. As new GIS facilities are built in Seaton Hall and with the addition of a GIS

faculty position, enrollment in related courses is likely to increase.

Number of Geography Majors

The number of geography majors has varied over the years. The largest number

between 80 and 85 occurred in the five semesters from the fall of 1991 to the fall of 1993.

The number of Geography majors declined to the 40s and 50s in the mid to late 1990s,

But it has gradually and unevenly climbed into the 60s and 70s in recent years. Appendix

G shows the number of majors by semester since 1990.

Significantly more majors are upper class students than are underclass. Freshmen

typically number seven or eight and sophomores about twice that number. Many

students declare a geography major during their third year, and typically over 20 juniors

are in the program. Others become majors as fourth year seniors, and they tend to

number over 30. It is not unusual for students to complete their undergraduate studies in

five years. Although few students begin college as geography majors, many are attracted

to the field through enrolling in the large introductory courses such as World Regional

Geography, Environmental Geography I, and Human Geography. Pluralities of students

take these classes as sophomores. Many subsequently enroll in another course such as

Environmental Geography II, Geography of Natural Resources, Geography of Tourism,

or a regional course and then declare a major after a successful second experience.

Every semester some students declare dual majors with geography and another

field. Typically, five to ten geographers have dual majors. Often they begin with another

social science. Some keep their original major and add geography. Some geography

students have a secondary major, most often Natural Resources and Environmental

Science (NRES). It is not unusual for one or two students to be in the preplanning

curriculum each semester. Geography also offers a minor. As of the fall of 2006, 18

undergraduate students were pursuing a minor in geography.

Geography is one of 21 departments in the Kansas State University College of

Arts and Sciences. The faculty size of the departments ranges from 41 to 8. When

the Geography Department had 11 budgeted faculty, it was the next to the smallest in

the college. Although the department ranks in the lower half of the number of total

undergraduate majors, it ranks in the top half of B.A. and B.S. degrees conferred.

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Twenty departments offer Master’s degrees but only three departments have a

significantly larger M.A./M.S. production. Because the Ph.D. did not become effective

until August of 1996, and the first degrees were not granted until 2000, it is too early to

make meaningful College comparisons. Perhaps one of the most significant statistics

is in student credit hour production. Only five departments generate more than 1,000

student credit hours per faculty member, and Geography ranks first by a significant

margin.

Gamma Theta Upsilon History

Soon after the Bachelors degree program had been authorized, geography

students at Kansas State organized the Geography Club, which in 1959 became the

Beta Psi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the International Geography Honor

Society. Sarah Larson was the first organization sponsor and Huber Self the first faculty

sponsor. The charter members of Beta Psi consisted of twelve geography students and

Professor Herbert E. Rau, Jr. Gamma Theta Upsilon has played a major role in the lives

and activities of students at K-State. It has hosted visiting scholars, sponsored picnics,

arranged local and sometimes extended field trips, encouraged students to attend regional

and national professional meetings where special sessions are organized by GTU, and

made members eligible for scholarship awards.

In 1974 Dr. Seyler was appointed faculty sponsor of GTU, and he continued in

that capacity until 1982 when he was succeeded by Dr. Duane Nellis. Under Seyler’s

leadership the organization flourished. Dr. Nellis made a special effort to help those

graduating in geography to obtain employment in government agencies, private and

government planning agencies, and in teaching positions as well as in other fields. In

1985, the KSU Activities Board granted Nellis the “Advisor of the Year Award.”

Dr. Charles Martin was appointed faculty advisor of GTU in 1989. During his

tenure GTU began recycling cans and bottles, with the proceeds going to the local chapter

of Habitat for Humanity. In the Adopt-A-Highway program GTU picks up trash along a

two-mile stretch of US 77 in Riley County.

In 1997 Dr. Max Lu became faculty advisor for GTU; that responsibility he held

until 2006, when he was replaced by Dr. Deborah Che. GTU continues to hold an annual

banquet and a picnic, to sponsor guest scholars, and to coordinate participation in the

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University Open House and the Telefund. GTU has also enhanced its fundraising through selling t-shirts, working concession stands at football games, and cleaning Bramlage Coliseum after basketball games. For several years a popular program has been the brownbag lunch seminar. Brownbags feature lunchtime speakers from geography, other departments on campus, and visitors to the University. Topics range from interesting travels to scholarly research. The outstanding work of the Beta Psi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon has been recognized by the central office of the International Geographic Honor Society. There are over 140 chapters worldwide, and the Chapter of the Year Award is given to one outstanding chapter that exemplifies active participation at their college. Beta Psi was selected as the Chapter of the Year in both 2000 and 2005. Individual members of Beta Psi have also won numerous GTU scholarship awards.

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GAMMA THETA UPSILON IN 1963

Top Row: Harry L. Seyler, Marvin L. Vialle, William R. Siddall, Robert G. MadziyaSecond Row: Herbert L. Rau, Eldor C. Quandt, Huber Self

Bottom Row: Tom H. Brettschneider, Lloyd A. Stjernberg, Jerry D. Croft, Robert G. Heft

GAMMA THETA UPSILON IN 1970

Top Row: Jerrie Rapp, Barbara E. Potts, Vera A. Scott, Helen E. Gross, Steven R. Kale, John L. Johnson

Second Row: William A. Ziegler, Gary L. Henton, James F. Bock, Robert M. Perry, Huber Self, Clyde E. Weaver

Bottom Row: Charles Bradley, Stephen Stover, Marvin W. Weigand, Robert C. Urbanek, LeRoy Ford, Lester D. Ready

Plate 3

Plate 4

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GAMMA THETA UPSILON PHOTO 1988

Front Row: M. Duane Nellis, James Kilgannon, Marion Mackay, Janette Metzler, Raymond Hoogendoorn, Erik Peterson, David Kromm, Stormy Kennedy, Kevin Page, Christopher Deyoe

Back Row: John Bally, Kelly Butwinski, Mark Strahm, John Turner, Gary Jones, Todd Stell, Tod Meyn, Stephen Stover

GAMMA THETA UPSILON IN 1990

Front Row: Duane Nellis, Don Harrier, Scott Haley, Curt WeitkunatSecond Row: Ann Hinterleitner, Craig Walters, Steve Mize, Tom Mettille, Janette Metzler

Back Row: Julie Kesinger, Kay Weller, Phil Brink, Michael Tims

Plate 5

Plate 6

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St. George Geographical Society

The St. George Geographical Society was founded in 1973 by a group of four graduate

students. Because one was a Brit and the nearby town had an agreeable tavern, the name

St. George was chosen. Although most meetings convened in Aggieville, once a semester

a field trip was made to St. George. Professor Huber Self usually led a walking tour of

the village. All participants remember the highlights well.

From its inception, St. George has been a social society, bringing together

faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and the occasional alum, or departmental

visitors on a Friday afternoon. St. George continues to meet about once a month. The

Society provides a relaxed, informal setting where members of the K-State geographic

community can get together and discuss all things geographic.

Student Recognitions

Numerous awards have been earned by geography students. Several are given

annually within the department. One of these, the Leonard LeBlanc Award, was

established by LeBlanc, a geography alumnus of the class of 1973. Mr. LeBlanc has

given generous financial support, maps, and African and Asian art to the department. He

continues to provide funds annually to the outstanding undergraduate major in geography.

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The award is based on intellectual distinction, leadership, and service to the department

and to the profession of geography. After Huber Self’s retirement in 1980, the faculty

and geography alumni established the “Huber Self Scholarship” in his honor. Student

selection is based primarily on scholastic attainments. The first award was made in 1981

to Stan Wilds.

In addition to the Self and LeBlanc Scholarships, the Geography Department

recognizes students with several other awards. Since 1992 the William Grimm

Scholarship has been awarded to a worthy student in honor of Captain William Grimm,

a former student who was killed in the Persian Gulf War. Established in 2006, the Seyler

Undergraduate GIScience Scholarship is named in honor of Professor H.L. “Sy” Seyler,

a GIS pioneer in Kansas, and the driving force behind the creation of the Geographic

Information System Spatial Analysis Laboratory (GISSAL) at K-State. Awardees

must demonstrate both their accomplishments and future plans for using geospatial

technologies in geographic research or employment. Each year the Department also

designates a National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) Excellence in

Geography nominee.

Four awards are given to graduate students. Endowed by Dean Stephen and

Susan White since 2004, the White Scholarship is given to the outstanding graduate

teaching assistants. The Outstanding Department Citizenship Award was renamed in

memory of a former student, Mary Dobbs, in 2007. Established at K-State in 2006, the

R.B. Marston Scholarship is named for Rumsey Bissell Marston, a lifelong educator, and

is available to graduate students who are preparing a MA thesis or PhD dissertation that

utilizes concepts and techniques in physical geography and involves a significant level of

fieldwork. Lastly, there is the “Graduate Student Leadership Award.”

K-Staters have won many national awards including a Rhodes Scholarship by

Virgil Wiebe. Since 1971, nineteen students have won the prestigious annual Buzzard

Scholarship a national Gamma Theta Upsilon award. One has won a Richason Award

given annually by GTU to an outstanding undergraduate with career or graduate student

aspirations in geography. Among the other awards won by K-State geography students

are an American Water Foundation Research Fellowship, several Community Service

Scholarships, Dean’s Scholarships, a National Science Foundation Undergraduate

Fellowship, an Environmental Protection Agency Fellowship, a National Aeronautics

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and Space Administration Fellowship, four National Geographic Society Internships,

Dole-Yeltsin Scholarships, an American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

Francis Lortz Memorial Scholarship, a Udall Scholarship, a Homeland Security Award,

and several prizes for outstanding student papers at the Kansas Academy of Science and

various geography conferences. Appendix H lists award recipients.

Geography Alumni Activities

Individual alumni and faculty formalized a relationship with the founding of

the Geography Alumni Association (GAA) at the K-State homecoming in 1980. The

purposes of the GAA were: 1) to encourage alumni to keep in contact, 2) to review

department curricula and suggest changes that might match needs identified by on-the-

job, non-academic geographers, 3) to provide insight and support in regard to jobs for

geography graduates, and 4) to support financial, academic, and physical needs of the

department. The GAA elected officers in 1980 for a two-year term. Brian Logan was

elected president, Ann Scott, vice president, and Linda Mitchell, secretary-treasurer.

In addition John Johnson and Bob Perry were chosen to encourage contributions to

the scholarship fund, to help screen student applications for that award, and to help

with arrangements for the fall homecomings. At the meeting in November 1982, Ann

Scott moved from vice president to president, according to the original rules of the

organization. John Cyr was elected to the newly combined office of vice president-

treasurer, John Johnson was chosen secretary, and Dave Fleetwood was elected to be

scholarship chairman and to help in planning homecomings for 1983 and 1984.

At the 1982 homecoming various methods were considered for collecting funds

to refurbish the new seminar room on the third floor of Dickens Hall and for encouraging

continuing contributions to the Scholarship fund. Donna (Hull) Goltry, was invited to

be the speaker. Her subject was, “The Impact of Reaganomics on the Ozarks Region,”

where she had been employed as a regional planner. The speaker at the homecoming

in 1983 was John C. Gottschamer of the Kansas Water Resources Board in Topeka. He

spoke on “Changes in the Water Resources in Kansas.” The speaker at the homecoming

in 1984 was 1959 alumnus Dr. Milton D. Rafferty, head of the Geoscience Department

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at Southwestern Missouri State University, whose talk was on “Social and Economic

Changes in the Ozark Region.” These presentations were given at Friday afternoon

seminars.

John R. Cyr, Director for North Central Kansas Planning Agency, presided at the

1985 business meeting. The alumni decided that all future homecomings will meet every

other (odd numbered) year. Thus, the next homecoming was planned for 1987. John

R. Cyr was elected to continue as president of the GAA. Ann Scott, Associate Dean of

K.S.U. Libraries, was chosen secretary and John L. Johnson, head of the Documents

Section of K.S.U. Libraries, vice president-treasurer. Several of the geography alumni

then attended the football game on Saturday afternoon, and they and others participated

in the Geography Department picnic and softball game on Sunday.

In October of 1987 the department celebrated its seventh Geography Alumni

Homecoming event. Randy McKinley and Stanley Wilds were the featured speakers.

Randy discussed “Monitoring Oil and Gas on B.L.M. Lands Using Spot and Landsat

Thematic Mapper Remotely Sensed Data,” while Stan talked about “The Geographic

Information System Pine Ridge Prairie Dog Control Project.” John Johnson was elected

president of the GAA. John Gottschamer became vice president and Ann Scott was

elected treasurer and secretary. At this meeting it was decided that the Geography

Alumni Association would revert back to the annual homecoming meeting of the group.

Several people participated in a Konza Prairie tour later that day. The grand finale was

a barbecue hosted by Ann and Dave Scott at the Scott’s fine stone home in the Ashland

Bottoms.

The 1988 Geography Alumni Association’s eighth homecoming meeting was held

October 14 and 15. On Friday, Dave Fiser, at the time the Mayor of Manhattan, gave a

talk about “Planning for Development: The Manhattan Experience.” The mayor met with

the St. George Geographical Society for some animated post presentation discussion.

The GAA business meeting was held on Saturday morning, followed by a visit to the

Manhattan City Commission and a tour of development projects for the city. The event

was concluded with a barbecue at Ann and Dave Scott’s home. John Johnson was elected

president for the years of 1988-1990. John believed, and others agreed, that because the

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geography alumni are scattered throughout the United States and around the world, it is

extremely difficult for many to travel to Manhattan for a yearly gathering; however, some

of them might come for a special occasion such as a 30th, 20th, or 10th year homecoming

from the time they were graduated.

The ninth Geography Alumni homecoming was held on October 27-28, 1989;

it was highlighted by a lecture from KSU’s first geography degree recipient, Nadine

(Oltgen) Burns, a high school special education teacher in St. Joseph, Missouri. Her talk

focused on her reflections about why geographic education is important. The St. George

Geographical Society met in St. George after the lecture. Other activities included a

business meeting on Saturday morning, a department open house, the KSU/KU football

game, and a GTU alumni picnic at Tuttle Creek Park.

The tenth Geography Alumni homecoming took place on November 3 and 4,

1990. Thirty-three special invitations were sent to geography alumni to attend their

10th, 20th, and 30th graduation anniversary homecoming. A panel discussion was held

in which Brian Logan, Planner for the Kansas Transportation Administration, John

Cyr, and John Johnson were the speakers. All three discussed how geography had

influenced their career success. At this homecoming, Ann Scott agreed to become the

permanent secretary of the organization. John Johnson continued as president, and John

Gottschamer was elected vice president.

Alumni weekends continued annually through the fall of 1996. Activities

included panel discussions on being professionally employed as a geographer,

individual presentations, GAA business meetings, and often participation in a St. George

Geographical Society session, the GTU picnic at Tuttle Creek, and a K-State football

game. In subsequent years, alumni returned for varied activities, such as Geography

Awareness Week, the GTU banquet, and GISSAL events.

The Geography Department is in the process of forming a new Alumni Board

comprised of undergraduate and graduate alums in business, government and education.

The Board will work with the department in supporting needs such as funding student

travel and scholarships, remodeling facilities, creating internships, and identifying

employment opportunities.

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In the fall of 2006, the department initiated the Distinguished Geography Alumnus

Award. The first person chosen was Dr. Patricia Solis (MA 1996). Patricia is Director

of Research and Outreach for the Association of American Geographers. She was given

the award during Geography Awareness Week. Patricia’s Geography Awareness Week

address was titled “Heuristics, Serendipity, and Enlightened Opportunism: Making a

Difference through Geography”.

Geography Awareness Week

The United States Congress passed a joint resolution, signed by President Ronald

Reagan, proclaiming the week of November 15-21, 1987 as the First National Geography

Awareness Week. The resolution was introduced by Senator Bill Bradley (D.-N.J.);

it was designed to promote an increased understanding of the need for geographic

education at all instructional levels throughout the United States. Governor Mike Hayden

presented Dr. Duane Nellis with a corresponding proclamation for the State of Kansas

in ceremonies at the Governor’s office on November 10, 1987. Each year since 1987

a National and a Kansas Geography Awareness Week has been declared in which K-

State geography faculty and students have participated. The Wednesday of Geography

Awareness Week is known as GIS Day.