2008 Institutional Report

Reporting Institution

Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, The University of British Columbia , 6339 Stores Road , Vancouver , B.C. V6T 1Z4

Representative

Mary Lou Bevier

Changes

Programs/Courses

1. New courses: EOSC 270 Marine Biodiversity (3 cr.); EOSC 355 The Planets (3 cr.); EOSC 356 The Planets - Laboratory (1 cr.)  
2. The first year of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI) is coming to a close. See http://www.eos.ubc.ca/research/cwsei/ for information and news. We hired three full-time Lecturers to serve as Science Teaching and Learning Fellows (STLFs) in the department during the first year of this 5 year project, and three courses (EOSC 111 (Laboratory Exploration of Planet Earth), EOSC 114 (Natural Disasters) and EOSC 221 (Introduction to Petrology)) were specifically targeted for revisions. In addition, enhanced TA training was established, and quantitative surveying of students' attitudes towards earth sciences and quantitative assessment of student learning in the selected courses is under way. The department is beginning curriculum renewal in all programs based on issues identified by CWSEI-inspired changes. We have a continuing need for sessional lecturers to cover teaching while existing faculty develop new course paradigms.
3. Environmental Sciences undergraduate program successfully incorporated within EOS as of July 1, 2007. For 2008-2009, the Director and Associate Director, respectively, are: Douw Steyn < dsteyn@eos.ubc.ca > and Kristin Orians <korians@eos.ubc.ca>. Sara Harris sharris@eos.ubc.ca is the EOS representative to the BC Environmental Science Articulation Committee.
4. Steer all prospective transfer students to www.eos.ubc.ca to examine the links to Undergraduate Programs, Advising, Courses, and Scholarships. We offer Honours degrees in Geological Sciences, Geophysics, Oceanography (Combined Honours programs only), and Atmospheric Sciences, Applied Science degrees in Geological Engineering, broader Majors programs in Earth and Ocean Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences, and Honours and Majors degrees in Environmental Sciences.
5. Advise transfer students of the Annual EOS Undergraduate Advising Meeting held during the first week of classes each September. In this meeting we go over UBC administrative procedures, scholarships and bursaries, EOS student clubs, and provide advising for all EOS degree programs.
6. Updated 2008-2009 Guide to Honours Geological Sciences Program at UBC and Honours Geological Sciences Course Template will be on department web site www.eos.ubc.ca sometime in June 2008.
7. Scholarships: In 2007-2008 over $164,000 in departmental scholarships was given out to approximately 55 deserving students. As a reminder about Aho Entrance Scholarships (three $1K awards for students interested in mineral exploration who enroll in UBC Geol Sci, Majors EOS, or GEOE programs who are transferring in from a community college with >75% for full course load, no failures), ***have transfer students in Science and Engineering (Applied Science) contact Lori Kennedy lkennedy@eos.ubc.ca and send a copy of their transcript in summer as soon as their grades are available so that we can consider them for Aho Entrance Scholarships.***
8. Undergraduate student clubs: Dawson Club (Science students in EOS), Georox (Geol Eng students), Storm Club (Atm Sci students), and the fledgling Oceanography Society are all very active in the department, sponsoring speakers, first aid and firearms acquisition certificate courses, helping with the EOS Careers Fair, and arranging social and sporting events and field trips. A new club, the Environmental Sciences Students' Association (ESSA), became active in the department this year.

Staffing

New faculty: Brett Gilley (Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI)-funded Science and Teaching Learning Fellow (STLF), Francis Jones (STLF), Ben Kennedy (STLF), Marc Johnson (1/3 appointment in Environmental Sciences, 2/3 appointment in the Institute for Environment, Resources, and Sustainability (IRES))

New staff: Anita Lam (finance clerk)

Resignations: Dick Tosdal (MDRU Director), Ben Kennedy (STLF)

Retirements: Ray Rodway (machinist)

Current searches: Two new CWSEI-funded Science and Teaching Learning Fellows (STLFs); offers will be made by the end of May. Also currently advertising for a tenure-track Instructor position in Environmental Sciences.

Summer Sessional Lecturer positions in EOS: The department would like to identify additional Sessional Lecturers who are interested in teaching one or more summer courses an on-going basis. Possible courses include: EOSC 110, EOSC 114, EOSC 116, and EOSC 326, both in face-to-face and possibly Distance Education versions. Please contact Mary Lou Bevier (Chair, Summer School & Distance Education Committee) for more details if you are interested.

Enrolment Trends

About 343 students are enrolled in 2nd , 3rd , and 4th year EOS programs, including Environmental Sciences; about 25% of these transferred from community colleges. This year we are graduating approximately 25 in Majors EOS, 24 in Geol Eng, 15 in Environmental Sciences, 7 in Geol Sci (including Combined Honours degrees), 3 in Geop, 2 in CHN Ocgy+Another Science, and 5 in Atm Sci. We have about 170 graduate students in all of our programs.

Facilities

Pacific Museum of the Earth : The Pacific Museum of the Earth (located in the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at UBC) may be booked for school group tours by calling Curator Mackenzie Parker < mparker@eos.ubc.ca > at 604-822-6992. The museum shop is open 12-2 weekdays.

Fundraising campaign for new Earth Systems Science Building is still underway. See http://www.eos.ubc.ca/home/UBC%20Earth%20Systems%20Science%20Building.pdf for details. The total funds committed, conditionally committed, and in an advanced stage of solicitation total about $34 million. The department is currently approaching the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for matching funds, with an integrated proposal entitled “Global Change and Planetary Stewardship”.

Issues/Challenges

1. How to sustain CWSEI-inspired changes to teaching
2. Dealing with simultaneous budget cuts and increased enrollment