Initial Publication Date: April 13, 2015

Being an Advocate for Your Department

Carleton College building facade

In a time when geology departments face increasing pressures on their success and continued existence, it is essential to promote your department on campus. Many administrators consider the geosciences to be expendable; one of your jobs is to convince them otherwise, early and often. Here are some strategies that work.

References

  • Feiss, 1996 , The Survival of Academic Geology Programs, GSA Today v.6, n. 1, p. 16-17.
    Dr. Feiss argues that geologists can no longer expect to focus only on "real science" and leave all the political and administrative unpleasantness to other departments.
  • Rossbacher and Rhodes, 2004 , The Department You Save May Be Your Own: Part 2, Geotimes May, 2004.
    This article lays out specific actions that departments (and particularly heads and chairs of departments) can and should take to help secure their future.
  • Showstack, R., 2004, University of Connecticut Geology Department Faces Dissolution, Eos, 85(11), p.160. (Link to article on AGU website. AGU membership required.)