Accreditation

Community Discussion

Accreditation is a complicated issue with many pros and cons. We invite you to participate in a community discussion of this topic by joining the Building Strong Geoscience Departments listserv (geodepts@serc.carleton.edu). As an introduction to the conversation, read Tim Bralower's thoughts, posted to the listserv on March 4, 2008.

Survey of Geoscience Professionals

A consortium of professional societies, including the Geological Society of America, conducted a survey addressing accreditation for geoscience programs. The purposes of the survey were to

1. determine the level of interest in establishing some form of academic accreditation for undergraduate programs in the U.S., and
2. determine the characteristics of such a program that are most desirable.

Read the raw results of the survey, or see the published report in GSA Today (see references).

Meteorology and Accreditation

Meteorology programs around the US considered accreditation some years ago and, after some quite thorough research on the topic, decided to back away. The AMS instead has developed a recommended undergraduate curriculum. One of the largest employers of meteorology graduates, the National Weather Service, has its own criteria for employment, which universities respect to ensure their graduates qualify. This analog may not apply directly to the geoscience departments, which have broader curricular scope (Takle, personal communication, 2008).

National Geography Standards

Geographers, in an effort to provide a clear statement of what it geography contributes to society, wrote a document entitled Geography for Life. The document was produced by the Geography Education Standards Project on behalf of American Geographical Society, the Association of American Geographers, the National Council for Geographic Education, and the National Geographic Society. The National Geography Standards address what everyone should know about the subject, what constitutes geographic skills, and how they can be developed. (Follow this link to order a copy of Geography for Life.)

References

Corbett, R. and Corbett, E., 2001. (more info) Geology programs and disciplinary accreditation: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 49, n. 2, p. 130-134.

Corbett, R. G., 2000. Academic departments' views of accreditation: The Professional Geologist, v. 37, n. 4, p. 126-127.

Drummond and Markin, 2008. (Acrobat (PDF) 233kB Feb27 08) An Analysis of the Bachelor of Science in Geology Degree as Offered in the United States: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 56, n. 2, p. 113-119.