Cover/Signature Page - Abbreviated Template
Institution Submitting Request: Utah Valley University
Proposed Title: Minor in Geography
School or Division or Location: College of Science and Health
Department(s) or Area(s) Location: Department of Earth Science
Recommended Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code (for new programs): 45.0701
Proposed Beginning Date (for new programs): Fall 2015
Board of Trustees Approval Date: 12/4/2014
Proposal Type (check all that apply):
R401-5
Items submitted will be reviewed by OCHE. If there are any issues, the proposal will be returned
for clarification/correction. If no issues, the proposal will be returned with a note of approval and
the request will be placed on the General Consent Calendar of the next Regents’ agenda.
Section #
Item
5.1.1
Minor*
5.1.2
Emphases*
5.2.1
Certificate of Proficiency
5.2.3
Graduate Certificate
New Administrative Unit
Administrative Unit Transfer
5.4.1
Administrative Unit Restructure
Administrative Unit Consolidation
5.5.1
Out-of-Service Area Delivery of Programs
Program Transfer
5.5.2
Program Restructure
Program Consolidation
5.5.3
Name Change of Existing Programs
Program Discontinuation
5.5.4
Program Suspension
Reinstatement of Previously Suspended Program
5.5.5
Reinstatement of Previously Suspended Academic Unit
*Requires “Section VI: Program Curriculum” of Abbreviated Template
Chief Academic Officer (or Designee) Signature:
I certify that all required institutional approvals have been obtained prior to submitting this request to the
Office of the Commissioner.
______________________________________
Signature
Date: 11/10/2014
Printed Name: Jeffery Olson, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs
Program Request - Abbreviated Template
Utah Valley University
Minor in Geography
03/24/2014
Section I: Request
The Department of Earth Science in the College of Science and Health at Utah Valley University requests
approval to offer a Minor in Geography effective Fall 2015. This program was approved by the UVU Board
of Trustees on December 4, 2014.
Section II: Need
Geography constitutes a long-standing fundamental area of academic study that is integral to the natural
and social sciences as well as the interface between people and their surroundings. Furthermore, it is
highly interdisciplinary within the natural and social sciences. It is taught in K-12 programs and at most
universities, and it is a field with excellent employment opportunities. Therefore it is a discipline that needs
to be availed to students at UVU, and offering a Minor in Geography is an important step in that direction.
The Minor in Geography will allow students to focus on either of the major sub-disciplines of geography,
namely physical geography or human geography, or to follow a broad curriculum in geography. The minor
will also overlap with the coursework required of students seeking a Utah state teaching endorsement in
geography. Graduates of the minor may follow a variety of career paths, including K-12 teaching and in
industries that interface with the environment. Physical geography is a STEM field, with very well
established opportunities in the labor force. A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences projects
job growth of 18.1 to 29.1% in fields allied to geography.1 In the 2012-2013 edition of the U.S. Department
of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, geography ranked seventh in a list
of the fastest growing job fields for college graduates.2 Thus a minor in geography in combination with a
baccalaureate in any of a variety of allied fields should enhance a student’s employment opportunities. The
minor also provides an excellent complement to the academic programs of students who have an interest
in the natural world and are majoring in disciplines such as political science, business, and other fields.
The importance of geography is recognized by every other Utah institution of higher education. Utah State
University, Weber State University, the University of Utah, Southern Utah University, and Brigham Young
University all offer a minor in geography. All but Southern Utah University offer baccalaureate degrees with
options for multiple tracks or emphases in geography. At Utah Valley University there has been strong
interest in courses in both human and physical geography. The Department of Earth Science, into which
the nascent geography program moved in 2010, has thus far met the demand by offering additional
sections, creating new courses, and hiring two full-time, tenure-track faculty members with expertise in
physical geography. A request for a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in human geography was
submitted in Fall 2013.
The Minor in Geography will further UVU’s core themes. The minor will promote student success by
providing a pathway students will be able to follow toward their educational, professional, and personal
goals. Geography by its very nature connects people with their environment, so studies in it engage
________________________________
1 Beyond Mapping: Meeting National Need Through Enhanced Geography Information Science, National Academy of Sciences, Committee on
Beyond Mapping, 2006.
2 Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012.
students in the broader community. Moreover, the curriculum in the minor includes courses wherein
students are required or encouraged to complete projects that engage them with the community, scientific
research, and more. The minor is designed to be highly rigorous, while at the same time accessible to
students of diverse academic backgrounds. Geography is highly inclusive due to its emphasis on the study
of place, space, and scale with respect to humans and their environment.
Section III: Institutional Impact
The Minor in Geography can be offered by the Department of Earth Science with minimal changes in
course offerings and administrative structure, while providing an important academic opportunity. The
department’s faculty comprises 12 professors, two of whom are specialized in geography and six of whom
have expertise in geography; and the department already offers a range of geography courses. The minor
program will allow students to select an elective course from a diverse assortment of courses aligned with
human or physical geography and taught through a number of different programs at UVU (e.g.,
Anthropology, Archeology, Biology, Botany, English, Environmental Studies, Public Health, Philosophy, and
Sociology). While there is an increasing demand for more courses and sections in geography at UVU, only
one new course will need to be taught regularly to support the minor.
The impact of the Minor in Geography on students will be significant. Some students already pursue an
academic program that fulfills the requirements of the State of Utah Geography Education Endorsement;
the minor will provide additional recognition on their transcript of their academic pursuit of geography.
Perhaps most importantly, the minor will be a pathway for students in major programs outside the natural
sciences to complement their academic program with expertise in the relationship of humans to their
surroundings (i.e., human geography) and/or the natural environment and its relationship to people (i.e.,
physical geography). Moreover, the minor will allow students focused on natural science to connect their
scientific studies with society and put their work into the context of place. The minor can increase the
options students have for post-graduate studies by opening up the possibility for programs in geography
departments. Geography is highly relevant and important in today’s world of declining resources and
globalization, and the Minor in Geography is an ideal way for students to ensure their education is
preparing them for jobs and careers in a more globally oriented world.
Section IV: Finances
Anticipating increased academic offerings in geography, the Department of Earth Sciences has been
expanding its resource base for this minor over the past several years. Therefore, most resources are
already in place, and the Minor in Geography will have few new financial costs. One new course,
Cartography, will be included as required, and it will be taught by existing faculty. UVU expects to offer zero
to one additional section of other courses to accommodate the minor. All additional sections will be taught
by existing faculty and/or adjunct instructors under current workload. Therefore, an additional hourly
compensation cost of three to six credits (approximately $2500 to $5000) is expected as a result of offering
the Minor in Geography. UVU already has sufficient infrastructure and equipment to support the minor
including a 24 workstation computer laboratory and an array of physical geography field equipment.
Section VI: Program Curriculum
Course Prefix &
Number
Title
Credit Hours
Required Courses
Complete the following:
GEOG 1000
GEOG 1005
GEOG 3100
GEOG 3600
Introduction to Physical Geography
Introduction to Physical Geography Lab
Cartography
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Subtotal for required courses
3
1
3
4
11
Elective Courses
Complete at least 10 credits from the following courses, at least
six of which must be 3000-level or higher.
ENVT 3800
GEOG 130G
GEOG 140G
GEOG 1600
GEOG 2100
GEOG 2500
GEOG 3400
GEOG 3500
Or GEO 3200
GEOG 3650
GEOG 3700
GEOG 4100
Energy Use on Earth
Survey of World Geography
Introduction to Human Geography
Geography of Utah
Geography of the United States
Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean
Environmental Remote Sensing
Geomorphology or
Geologic Hazards
Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Wetland Studies
Geospatial Field Methods
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
3
3
One, at most, of the following courses may be used towards elective requirements.
ARCH 1100
Introduction to Archaeology
ANTH 2030
Archeological Method and Theory
ANTH 3850
Ethnographic Methods
BIOL 3700
General Ecology
BIOL 3800
Conservation Biology
BOT 3700
Plant Ecology
ENGL 373R
Literature of Cultures and Places
ENST 3000
Introduction to Environmental Studies
ENVT 3330
Water Resources Management
ENVT 3850
Environmental Policy
HLTH 3150
Culture Ecology and Health
PHIL 3530
Environmental Ethics
SOC 4020
Survey Research Design
Or other advisor-approved electives
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Course Prefix &
Number
Title
Credit Hours
Subtotal for electives
10
Total for minor in Geography
21
New Courses to Be Added in the Next Five Years
Semester
Course Prefix
and Number
Course Title
n/a
n/a
Program Schedule
Fall of First Year
Title
Credit Hours
Semester total:
Spring of First Year
GEOG 1000 (GE)
GEOG 1005
Title
Physical Geography
Physical Geography Laboratory
Fall of Second Year
Title
None
Credit Hours
3
1
Semester total:
4
Credit Hours
Semester total:
None
Credit Hours
3
Semester total:
3
Credit Hours
Spring of Second Year
GEOG 3100
Title
Cartography
Fall of Third Year
Title
GEOG 3600
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
4
Semester total:
4
Title
Credit Hours
from list
4
Semester total:
4
Title
Credit Hours
from list
3
Semester total:
3
Title
Credit Hours
from list
3
Semester total:
3
Spring of Third Year
Minor elective
Fall of Fourth Year
Minor elective
Spring of Fourth Year
Minor elective