Geosciences at Vincennes University
Daniel L. Vaughn, Vincennes UniversityI have been pondering this essay until the 11th hour mainly because as a 2-year campus the large majority of my graduates do not head directly into the workforce. It is not our intent to be a terminal degree., but to provide students the tools to succeed in entering baccalaureate programs. That is not to say some students do not go directly into the workforce from. Some do. But these tend to be the exception.
The AS transfer program in Geosciences at Vincennes University is divided into 5 separate concentrations; Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation, Earth Science, Geography, and Geology. The first two concentrations are designed primarily to mesh with Purdue University's Agriculture programs. As an engineering school, Purdue requires perhaps the most rigorous of Indiana colleges for incoming students. The programs each have 2 semesters each of Biology, Calculus, Physics and Chemistry, in addition to other major requirements. In recent dialogue with the Dean of Agriculture at Purdue West Lafayette, we were informed that the success rate of VU grads at Purdue is 97%. Not too bad.
The other concentrations transfer to any number of schools. Mainly these also include University of Southern Indiana, Indiana State, Ball State, or Indiana University. Some do transfer out of state of course. I do not have stats on many of these transfers (relatively new Chair), but the few I have communicated with have found employment in areas related to education including; IN Highways Dept, NRCS, local TV weather forecasting, etc.Students have related back to department that the broad science background prepared them well. GIS, Physical Geology, Environmental Science have been referenced as very useful. As noted, one former student is a regional GIS manager with the state Dept. of Highways.