2009 Institutional Report

Reporting Institution

Camosun College

Representative

Tark Hamilton

Program/Course Changes/Enrolment Trends

During the Fall 2008-Winter 2009 academic term, Alan Gell offered 2 sections of GEOS 110 (Introductory Earth System Science) for an enrolment of approximately 55. I offered 4 sections of GEOS 100 (Introductory Physical Geology) for an enrolment of 110. These numbers have been fairly constant limited by course size and scheduling.

In the Fall I taught GEOS 250 (Mineralogy) using Klein and Dutrow plus Klein's lab manual and some home grown labs, emphasizing mineral optics and hand specimen mineraology. There was an enrolment of 15, all keen University transfer students headed for geoscience career tracks.

In the Winter term I offered GEOS 260 (Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology) using Winter's text and home grown labs based on rock suite collections about evenly split between mineral optics, igneous and metamrophic petrology. Of 16 initially enrolled, 14 finished the course.

It was a tremendous pleasure to have had such a keen, bright, hard working cortege of UT Geology students for the past 2 years. I don't know whether to blame AlGore or the high prices for oil and gold a couple of years ago or just stochastic processes for the high enrolments and career interest in the Geosciences but either way, the last couple of years was the high point of my teaching career because of this. Some of this lot are transferring to UBC, UVic and U of Calgary for the fall term and I am pleased to pass along such capable students with such great commitment to class culture and to field trips. Perhaps it is telling to see that most of the Petrology class demanded another fieldtrip after exams and final grades were submitted.

Three first year sections and GEOS 240 (Sedimentary Geology) are on the books for our fall offering. Time, talent and fiscal climate will tell how long we can keep this productive ball rolling along.