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GEOGRAPHY
The Geography Department is proposing the following curriculum changes that will make our programmes more efficient. This document makes proposals to: i) replace our last two six credit courses in Geology with two three credit courses in each case (Part A), and ii) have physical geography and techniques courses accredited as science courses (i.e. students will be given science credits)
But first, it has come to our attention that there was a slight error in one of the prerequisites listed for a new course recently added to the Geography curriculum. Geog 3086: Principles of Biogeography has been listed as a prerequisite for Geog 4247: Watershed Modeling. In fact, the correct prerequisite to be listed should be Geog 3096: Environmental Hydrology. The second prerequisite Geog 3056: Spatial Analysis using GIS remains unchanged, i.e. it is correct.
Motion #1: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that the prerequisites for GEOG 4247: Watershed Hydrology be changed to GEOG 3056: Spatial Analysis Using GIS and GEOG 3096 Environmental Hydrology.
Part A: Replace Two Existing Six Credit Geology Courses With Two Three Credit Courses
The Geography Department continues to move to convert all six courses to 3-credit courses. These actions follow suggestions and proposals that are part of the Department’s UPRAC Review and will allow greater flexibility for students in course selection and facilitate programme planning. The splitting of the two courses (Geol 1005 and 1020) will result in two half courses (for each of the present six credit courses). It is important to note that the existing two courses (Geol 1005 and 1020) are being delivered through a shared lecture format (with Geol 1005 students taking an additional three hours in lab instruction), so the new course descriptions for Geol 1006 and Geol 1031 are the same as are those for Geol 1007 and Geol 1032 (see descriptive data).
Motion #2: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the addition of a new course GEOL 1006: “Introductory Geology I” to the Geography curriculum.
A) Descriptive Data.
Course title: / Introductory Geology I
Short title:
(maximum 29 characters)
If this course belongs to a major that has course groupings, please indicate which group the course belongs with: / Environmental Science and Physical Geography: “Twelve credits of first year science from the following”
Course Prerequisites: / None
Course Co-requisites:
Antirequisite: / Geol 1005, Geol 1020, Geol 1031 and Geol 1032
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar) / 6 hrs per week for one term
Breakdown of Hours
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory work per week for one term.) / 3 hrs lecture and 3hrs lab
Course Credits: / 3 credits
Course Description:
(as it will appear in the academic calendar) / This course covers the endogenic processes that are associated with the geology of the Earth. Topics include the rock cycle (sedimentary/metamorphic/igneous rocks), and rock-forming minerals. In addition, all aspects of plate tectonics are examined including earthquakes, magma generation, volcanic activity, continental growth, mountain building, and geologic structures.
Program Implications:
Cross-listing or cross-coding
(please indicate if this course is approved for either cross-listing or cross-coding, and to which discipline)
B) Comparative Data
University / Equivalent Course(s) and Titles / Non-Equivalent but 50% or more overlapBrock / ERSC 1F01 Planet Earth
Carleton / ERTH 1009 The Earth System Through Time
Guelph
Lakehead / Geology 1111 Planet Earth
Laurentian / GEOL-1006EL
Introductory Geology
McMaster / Earth Sc 2c13
Ottawa / Geol 111 Introduction to Earth Systems
Queen’s / GEOL04*/05 / The Dynamic Earth
RMC
Ryerson
Toronto / GLG102 Earth Science
Trent
Waterloo / EARTH 121 Introductory Earth Sciences
Western / Earth science 1022 Earth Rocks
Wilfrid Laurier / GL101
The Anatomy of Earth
Windsor / 61-140. Introduction to Earth Science
York
C) Statement of Need
Replacing half of Geol 1005 which is being deleted.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
No additional resources required.
Motion #3: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the addition of a new course GEOL 1007: “Introductory Geology II” to the Geography curriculum.
A) Descriptive Data
Course code: / Geol 1007Course title: / Introductory Geology II
Short title:
(maximum 29 characters)
If this course belongs to a major that has course groupings, please indicate which group the course belongs with: / Environmental Science and Physical Geography: “Twelve credits of first year science from the following”
Course Prerequisites: / Geol 1006F
Course Co-requisites:
Antirequisite: / Geol 1005, Geol 1020, Geol 1031 and Geol 1032
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar) / 6 hrs per week for one term
Breakdown of Hours
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory work per week for one term.) / 3hrs lecture and 3hrs lab
Course Credits: / 3 credits
Course Description:
(as it will appear in the academic calendar) / This course builds on concepts introduced in GEOL 1006 E and serves as an introduction to the exogenic processes that are associated with the geology of the Earth. Topics include: the geologic time scale; dating methods; fossils; as well as sedimentary and erosional environments.
Program Implications:
Cross-listing or cross-coding
(please indicate if this course is approved for either cross-listing or cross-coding, and to which discipline)
B) Comparative Data
University / Equivalent Course(s) and Titles / Non-Equivalent but 50% or more overlapBrock / ERSC 1F01
Planet Earth
Carleton / ERTH 1006 [0.5 credit]
Exploring Planet Earth
Guelph
Lakehead / Geology 1130 The crust of the Earth
Laurentian / GEOL-1007EL
Introductory Geology II
McMaster / Earth Sc 2c13
Ottawa / Geo1115 Introduction to Earth Materials
Queen’s
RMC
Ryerson
Toronto / GLG102 Earth Science
Trent
Waterloo
Western / Earth 1023 Planet Earth, shaken and stirred
Wilfrid Laurier / GL102
The Surface of Earth
Windsor / 61-140. Introduction to Earth Science
York
C) Statement of Need
Replacing half of Geol 1005 which is being deleted.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
No additional resources required.
Motion #4: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the deletion of GEOL 1005: “Introductory Geology” from the Geography curriculum.
Motion #5: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the addition of a new course GEOL 1031: “Understanding the Earth I” to the Geography curriculum.
A) Descriptive Data
Course code: / Geol 1031Course title: / Understanding the Earth I
Short title:
(maximum 29 characters) / The Earth I
If this course belongs to a major that has course groupings, please indicate which group the course belongs with:
Course Prerequisites:
Course Co-requisites:
Antirequisite: / Geol 1020, Geol 1005, Geol 1006 and Geol 1007
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar) / 3hrs per week for one term
Breakdown of Hours
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory work per week for one term.) / 3 hrs lecture
Course Credits: / 3 credits
Course Description:
(as it will appear in the academic calendar) / This course covers the endogenic processes that are associated with the geology of the Earth. Topics include the rock cycle (sedimentary/metamorphic/igneous rocks), and rock-forming minerals. In addition, all aspects of plate tectonics are examined including earthquakes, magma generation, volcanic activity, continental growth, mountain building, and geologic structures.
Program Implications: / It is not a science credit for science majors and cannot be taken for credit concurrently with, or subsequently to, GEOL 1006.
Cross-listing or cross-coding
(please indicate if this course is approved for either cross-listing or cross-coding, and to which discipline)
B) Comparative Data
University / Equivalent Course(s) and Titles / Non-Equivalent but 50% or more overlapBrock / ERSC 1F90
Geology and the Environment
Carleton
Guelph / GEOL*1100 Principles of Geology
Lakehead / Geology 1111 Planet Earth with lab
Laurentian / GEOL-1021EL
Understanding the Earth I
McMaster
Ottawa / Geol 1301 The Earth and How it Works
Queen’s
RMC
Ryerson
Toronto
Trent
Waterloo
Western
Wilfrid Laurier
Windsor / 61-111. Our Changing Earth
York
C) Statement of Need
Replacing half of Geol 1020 which is being deleted.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
No additional resources required.
Motion #6: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the addition of a new course GEOL 1032: “Understanding the Earth II” to the Geography curriculum.
A) Descriptive Data
Course code: / Geol 1032Course title: / Understanding the Earth II
Short title:
(maximum 29 characters) / The Earth II
If this course belongs to a major that has course groupings, please indicate which group the course belongs with:
Course Prerequisites: / Geol 1031 or Geol 1006
Course Co-requisites:
Antirequisite: / Geol 1020, Geol 1005 and Geol 1007
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar) / 3hrs per week for one term
Breakdown of Hours
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory work per week for one term.) / 3 hrs lecture
Course Credits: / 3 credits
Course Description:
(as it will appear in the academic calendar) / This course builds on concepts introduced in GEOL 1006 E and serves as an introduction to the exogenic processes that are associated with the geology of the Earth. Topics include: the geologic time scale; dating methods; fossils; as well as sedimentary and erosional environments.
Program Implications: / It is not a science credit for science majors and cannot be taken for credit concurrently with, or subsequently to, GEOL 1007.
Cross-listing or cross-coding
(please indicate if this course is approved for either cross-listing or cross-coding, and to which discipline)
B) Comparative Data
University / Equivalent Course(s) and Titles / Non-Equivalent but 50% or more overlapBrock / ERSC 1F90
Geology and the Environment
Carleton
Guelph / GEOL*1100 Principles of Geology
Lakehead / Geology 1131 The crust of the Earth with lab
Laurentian / GEOL-1022EL
Understanding the Earth I
McMaster
Ottawa
Queen’s
RMC
Ryerson
Toronto
Trent
Waterloo
Western
Wilfrid Laurier
Windsor
York
C) Statement of Need
Replacing half of Geol 1020 which is being deleted.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
No additional resources required.
Motion #7: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the deletion of GEOL 1020: “Understanding the Earth” from the Geography curriculum.
Part B: Science Credit for Physical and Techniques Courses in Geography Curriculum
Based on discussions with the VP Academics, the Dean and Associate Dean of Arts & Science, the Registrar and Assistant Registrar, the Department of Geography is proposing that Physical Systematic Courses and Systematic Technique courses in the Geography (listed in Appendix A) curriculum be credited as science courses. Geography majors at Nipissing have always been funded by the government as science students (i.e. 2 BIUs). Furthermore, faculty and students specialising in Physical Geography and Geographical Techniques like geographic information systems and remote sensing are funded by the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) – not the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) which funds Human Geographers. The change will also make Geography programmes at Nipissing more comparable to Geography programmes at Lakehead, Trent, and Brock University, which credit the same type of courses as science courses (see Appendix B for example). In addition, the change will result in far more flexibility for students seeking science courses at Nipissing, without any significant changes to the curriculum or additional resources, and therefore may be consider as non-substantive changes to the Geography curriculum.
Motion #8: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee consider all Physical Geography and Geography Techniques courses be given credit as science courses.
Motion #9: That the Academic Regulations and Curriculum Committee recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that Physical Geography and Geography Techniques courses be given credit as science courses.
Appendix A: Physical Systematic and Systematic Technique CoursesCourse / Title
GEOG-1017 / Introduction to Physical Geography
GEOG-2011 / Fundamentals of GIS and Computer Mapping
GEOG-2016 / Field Techniques
GEOG-2017 / Introduction to Geomatics
GEOG-2026 / Introduction to Quantitative Methods
GEOG-2027 / Quantitative Methods in Geography
GEOG-2106 / Geomorphology
GEOG-2107 / Climatology
GEOG-2126 / Physical Hydrology
GEOG-3016 / Field Techniques in Geography
GEOG-3027 / Spatial Statistics
GEOG-3056 / Spatial Analysis Using GIS
GEOG-3066 / Remote Sensing of the Environment
GEOG-3086 / Principles of Biogeography
GEOG-3096 / Environmental Hydrology
GEOG-3107 / Weather Analysis & Forecasting
GEOG-3115 / Biogeography
GEOG-3397 / Introduction to Soil Science
GEOG-3436 / Earth Resources
GEOG-4057 / Topics in GIS Applications
GEOG-4066 / Topics in Remote Sensing Applications
GEOG-4087 / Advanced Biogeography
GEOG-4106 / Applied Geomorphology
GEOG-4116 / Pleistocene and Glacial Geomorphology
GEOG-4126 / Applied Hydrology for Snow and Ice Environments
GEOG-4127 / Lake and Wetland Environments
GEOG-4136 / Applied Climatology
GEOG-4137 / Paleoclimatology and Climatic Change
GEOG-4247 / Watershed Modeling
GEOG-4397 / Soil Biology & Soil Chemistry
GEOG-4906 / Selected Topics in Physical Geography
GEOG-4976 / Geography Field Camp
Appendix B: Geography Programme at Trent University (next page)
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