PROGRAM REVIEW
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
I.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND STAFF
This report reviews the status of the following programs or disciplines that are considered to be
Physical Sciences:
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Astronomy (ASTR)
Chemistry (CHEM)
Geography (GEOG)
Geology (GEOL)
Physical Science (PHSC)
Physics (PHYS)
Each section will be broken down by discipline, with some disciplines combined due to subject
matter and instructors teaching in those areas.
A.
Chemistry
The subject matter area covered in this discipline is Chemistry. All full-time instructors and the
classes typically taught by each include:

Cliff Gottlieb: CHEM 1A lecture and lab, CHEM 2A lecture, lab and discussion, CHEM
2B lecture, lab and discussion, CHEM 10 (traditional, ITV and internet), CHEM 11

Mark Blaser: CHEM 1A lecture and lab, CHEM 1B lecture and lab, CHEM 2A lab,
CHEM 10, CHEM 11, INTR 30
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Divan Fard: CHEM 1A lecture and lab, CHEM 2A lecture, lab and discussion, CHEM
2B lecture, lab and discussion, CHEM 10, CHEM 11, CHEM 70, CHEM 70A, CHEM
71, CHEM 71A
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Michael Pitcher: CHEM 1A lecture and lab, CHEM 10, CHEM 11

Doug Russell (now retired and replaced by Michael Pitcher): CHEM 1A lab, CHEM 2A
lecture, lab and discussion
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Arline Kel (now retired and replaced by Divan Fard): CHEM 10, CHEM 11, CHEM 70,
CHEM 71, CHEM 71A
The number of adjunct instructors and the classes typically taught by each include:

Four (Susan Burnett, Frank Plucker, Larry Siemens and Afarin Moezzi) which typically
teach CHEM 1A lab, CHEM 1B lab, CHEM 2A lecture, lab and discussion (Red Bluff),
CHEM 2A lab, CHEM 2B lab, CHEM 11, CHEM 16, CHEM 70A, CHEM 71A
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The diversity of the staff shows 75% male, 25% female, 75% Caucasian, 25% non-Caucasian,
and 62.5% born in the U.S., 37.5% born outside the U.S.
There is an on-going need for staff development. Time and funds to attend national and local
conferences is especially needed.
A well-qualified faculty with a devotion to teaching exists within the department. Students
receive almost as much individual attention as they desire. Teaching loads for the last six
semesters have (generally) shown a steady increase. This has significantly increased over the
last two semesters, e.g.:
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F 2001 Average teaching load 12
S 2002 Average teaching load 9.9
F 2002 Average teaching load 11.25
S 2003 Average teaching load 10.9
F 2003 Average teaching load 12.4
S 2004 Average teaching load 11.4 (All faculty have noticed a
substantial increase in demand for over-enrollment this semester. It is
therefore likely that this preliminary figure will increase.
The above loads have had an impact on the quality of instruction. The program needs an extra
full-time faculty member as almost all the faculty teach overloads. Any additions to the
curriculum will further increase teaching loads and add to the need for extra faculty.
B.
Geography
The Geography Program at Shasta College serves the vital function of educating students in the
discipline of Geography. A range of courses expose students to Geography in the physical and
cultural realms, as well as integrative regional courses. These courses provide general education
application to 4-year transfer and Associates degree transfer students. Students interested in
pursuing a 4-year degree are able to articulate most of the courses to CSU and UC programs.
These students are also provided advising and guidance. Finally, Geography courses support
other campus programs, notably Natural Resources, GIS and Geosciences.
The Geography Program has been in transition since the departure of its full-time faculty
member in 1997. In the year following, requests for replacement of the position were made, but
not fulfilled. In 2000, the program was moved from Center for Language Arts and Social
Sciences to the Center for Science, Industry, and Natural Resources. This move was designed to
establish stronger links to the Geographic Information Systems, Natural Resources, and
Geosciences programs, while maintaining Geography’s emphasis in the relationship between
human and physical systems. This move also facilitated greater involvement by Dan Scollon, the
one full time faculty member on campus teaching Geography.
The lack of a dedicated faculty has been a hindrance to continuity and program development.
While Geography has benefited from the presence of a full-time faculty member on campus, the
need exists for more full-time staff time dedicated to this discipline. In Fall 2002, a request was
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again submitted to hire a full-time Geography instructor. This position was not filled in the
context of budget cuts and other staffing needs deemed to be of higher priority.
1.
Full-time Faculty
Dan Scollon has been dedicated to Geography for 50% to 75% of his load since 1999. Courses
taught include GEOG 1A (each semester) and GEOG 7 and GEOG 8 (typically alternating
semesters). A new course, GEOG 10, is currently being offered for the second time. Natural
Resources and GIS (not considered under this Program Review) comprise the remainder of Dan
Scollon’s load.
2.
Adjunct Faculty
There has been significant changes in the adjunct faculty teaching Geography over the past 5
years. Betty Harrison-Smith, who has taught GEOG 1A and GEOG 7, for more than 5 years, has
indicated that she will no longer be teaching. After having been an adjunct at Shasta (19931998) and a teacher of record at Southwest Texas State University, Greg Reed has returned to
Shasta College following the completion of his Ph.D. in Geography (2001), teaching (GEOG 1B,
7 and 8). Matt Earle, who was a mainstay of the adjunct faculty, died suddenly in Spring 2000.
Pam Lee, an anthropologist by education, has taught the GEOG 1B, several semesters. Stephen
Plyley has taught GEOG 1A, 1B, and 7 over ITV at Red Bluff over the past 5 years. Scott
Timboe has taught GEOG 7 and GEOG 1B principally for the PACE Program (one section of
GEOG 1B was during Summer 2003). Retaining adjunct faculty who typically teach two-thirds
of the sections offered in a given semester, to teach Geography courses has been an on-going
problem.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
This section deals with the areas of Physics, Astronomy and Physical Science, within the larger
Physical Sciences grouping. Within the Physical Science discipline, we will include only the
course PHSC 1 (Physical Science Survey). The other courses in this discipline will be included
with Geosciences.
There are two full-time instructors in this area. Joe Polen teaches Physics 4A and 4B (on the
Spring-Fall sequence) and Physics 101. Much of Joe’s load also involves Astronomy and
Engineering courses. Tom Masulis teaches Physics 2A and 2B (Fall-Spring), along with Physics
4A and 4B (on a Fall-Spring sequence) and Physics 4C (Spring). Most years, Tom has also
taught Physical Science Survey. Masulis also teaches one Math course in the Spring.
Adjunct faculty have occasionally taught Physical Science Survey, but there are currently no
adjunct faculty in Physics.
Both full-time faculty members are experienced college instructors, Joe Polen with over 23 years
of experience and Tom Masulis with over 21 years. These faculty members do, however, attend
conferences and workshops periodically to keep abreast of new developments in Physics and in
methods of teaching Physics. Both full-time faculty members, especially Polen, are chronically
overloaded. So far, this has not appeared to adversely affect the current program. However, the
ability to schedule new course offerings and to do much innovation in delivering current courses
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is quite limited due to time constraints on the faculty. (Note: Research Office statistics show, as
of 2002-2003, 3.32 Instructional FTES in the PHYS discipline alone.)
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
The bulk of courses offered under the subject areas of Geology and Physical Science are described
under an informal heading, the “Department of Geosciences”. In general, the study of Earth
materials, processes, and Earth history defines the subject area of the department. For various
aspects of this review, “Geosciences” shall refer to all Geology courses and the bulk of the
Physical Science courses, with the exclusion of PHSC 1.
1.
Subject Matter
a.
Geology (GEOL): the study of earth materials and processes more specific to the
solid Earth (the geosphere). Included under this area are mineral and rock studies, physical
processes that form minerals and rocks and shape land surfaces, Earth history including the
history of the geosphere and biosphere, geologic hazards and disasters, natural resource
formation and exploration, geospheric relations with the environment, and geologic planetary
studies.
In addition, there are field-oriented courses that instruct field methods in Geology, such as
geologic mapping and field data collection, as well as provide an introduction to the geologic
diversity of northern California. They are typified by short duration courses, 2 to 3 weeks in
length that culminate with field trips.
b.
Physical Science (PHSC): mainly interdisciplinary studies of the Earth. The few
courses that are assigned to this area span multiple science disciplines as related to the Earth.
They commonly include geospheric studies, but they also relate those processes and influences to
other terrestrial realms such as the hydrosphere, including, or focusing mainly on the oceans, the
atmosphere, and the biosphere. There is one field-oriented course that supports an oceanography
transfer student, PHSC 6. PHSC 1 is an exception to the preceding as it surveys basic Chemistry
and Physics. As such it is excluded from the Geosciences and will be reviewed in another
section of the Physical Science Program Review by Tom Masulis.
2.
Faculty
The only full-time instructor for the discipline areas is Randy Reed. Typically, Randy offers
three lecture lab courses per semester and a field trip course (GEOL 30 series). Randy has been
at Shasta College since the Fall of 1999 and has averaged a teaching load of 11, occasionally
picking up additional contract courses. Randy has taught GEOL 1, GEOL 2, GEOL 5, GEOL 6,
GEOL 7, GEOL 9, GEOL 34, GEOL 36, GEOL 37, GEOL 38, PHSC 2, and PHSC 5 over those
four years. Over the past two, the standard courses he has taught are GEOL 5, GEOL 6, GEOL
34, GEOL 37, GEOL 38, PHSC 2, and PHSC 5.
In the Fall of 1999, Ken Kilborn, another full-time faculty member, taught GEOL 64AB, a
course that was revised in the Fall 1999 into two courses, NHIS 64 and GEOL 34. These latter
two courses have been offered several times starting with Fall 2000.
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There has been one consistent adjunct instructor, Katherine, or “Kat”, Perkins (formerly Bergk)
since 1998. Kat typically teaches one lecture/lab course each semester, typically GEOL 1 or
PHSC 2. Her course offerings are usually in the evenings. Recently she has taught PHSC 1 and
over the last year, she has been assigned an additional lab course and a GEOL 40 series course as
well. Typically, the lab and field trip course does not meet enrollment quotas, the former likely
due to conflicts with Red Bluff Geoscience offerings.
Since the Fall of 2000, there has usually been one Geoscience course offered at the Red Bluff
campus, initially by Frank Blomquist, usually PHSC 2. Starting in the Spring of 2002, Kohl
Buer has also offered a class out of Red Bluff, GEOL 5.
3.
Faculty Needs and Quality
Current enrollments in the Geosciences adequately support one full-time instructor and one
adjunct at the main campus. Teaching loads are reasonable for Randy Reed and Kat Perkins has
been scheduled with the maximum allowed by contract but has yet to see all of her sections fill
for various reasons. Rarely has the Red Bluff sections met enrollment quotas and when they
have, those quotas were significantly relaxed as compared to the main campus. As a result, it is
difficult to justify their offerings and it is recommended that off-campus offerings be made either
through ITV or as lab sections tied to an Internet lecture (hybrid course). Earth Science courses
were successfully offered via ITV, picking up most, if not all, of the off-campus sites. Currently
there is an effort to re-establish an ITV offering (PHSC 7 set for Spring of 2004).
II.
RESEARCH
Attached at the end of this report is the three-year program review data summary sheets for each
discipline. In the conversion of using Datatel versus the old HP system, there have been some
errors detected in the data. The biggest problem seemed to be the inability to combine individual
section numbers for the same class. This will be corrected in future years. For this report, we
made an attempt to calculate the correct number of sections of individual classes and redo some
of the statistics for accuracy. At this point, there are some trends that can be studied with the
data, but it is currently too suspect to be able to make specific recommendations based on the
numbers.
A.
Chemistry
Attached at the end of this report are detailed reports showing class enrollments, FTEs, grade
point averages, and other statistics from the period 2000-2003.
B.
Geography
Total enrollments in Geography have increased from 259 (’00-’01) to 352 (’01-’02) to 366 (’02’03). This represents an increase of 41%. This increase has been influenced by two factors: the
PACE Program and ITV. PACE and ITV enrollments were 99 and 81 in ’01-’02 respectively,
and 141 and 133 in ‘02-’03.
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As part of a cohort of classes under the PACE Program, enrollments reflect the program’s
success. PACE is not planning to include Geography in the coming year, which should result in
a drop in overall enrollments in Geography as the students are removed from the mix.
The increase in numbers of enrollments in ITV reflect the recent adoption of this method of
delivery, especially by courses offered from the outreach centers (see Scheduling). This trend is
expected to continue as more courses will be offered on ITV.
The total instructional FTEs has averaged 4.0 for the 3-year period, with no dedicated, full-time
faculty. These numbers reflect the need to hire a full-time Geography instructor to replace the
retirement in 1997.
The average number of sections offered over the 3-year period is 21, including PACE and ITV.
Of these sections, an average of five sections were cancelled per year (from a high of 8 to a low
of 2). Scheduling changes should help reduce the number of cancelled sections.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
Enrollments in Physics courses have risen about 10% from 2000 to 2003, with the number of
sections declining slightly, resulting in a rise of about 20% in WSCH per section. Scheduling
has been quite efficient, with no sections cancelled for low enrollment from 2000 to 2003 and
almost half filling by the end of registration.
Enrollment in PHSC 1 has remained roughly steady (between 25 and 30 when one section per
year is offered). In 2002-2003 an additional section was offered in Red Bluff, which had a low
enrollment that reduced the number of WSCH per section by about 20% when compared to on
campus sections only.
ASTR 1 continues to generate 300 or more enrollments each semester, and seems to be limited
only by the number of sections offered and the number of seats in the room.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
The data received from the Shasta College Research Office presents many inaccuracies. Much
of the data was corrected and revised statistics generated. Still, the overall reliability of the “stats
sheet” remains in question. The revisions attempted to correct fundamental data, such as class
enrollments, number of sections offered and cancelled, and day, evening, on- and off-campus
offerings. Additional data was added that describe various portions of the “raw” data in a more
usable or meaningful way such as total units instructed, total lecture hours, total lab hours,
lecture hours per week, lab hours per week, total teaching hours per week, and even the percent
of transferable sections. This data was then used to calculate derived sections of the statistics
(i.e. Student Contact Hours, Student FTES, Instructional FTES, etc.). A final addition lists the
canceled courses for each semester, the instructor scheduled to teach the courses, and a brief
comment on the cancellation.
Some of the data was not corrected and was inserted as produced from Datatel. These include
the grade statistics, Departmental GPA and the demographics. It is not known to what extent
these data are accurate.
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1.
Enrollments
Geoscience enrollments since the 1999-2000 school year to the present have cyclically fluxed on
a scale of about 40 to 70 students. Upon closer inspection, GEOL enrollment has been rather
consistent as compared to PHSC 2-7 enrollments, the latter mainly represented by PHSC 2 and
PHSC 3. From academic year 01-02 to 02-03, PHSC 2-7 enrollment dropped by 65%, while no
significant drop was observed across GEOL sections. There are likely several factors associated
with the decline in PHSC numbers:
a.
The number of sections offered between the 2 years is about the same; 7 and 6,
respectively. However, no sections were cancelled in the 01-02 school year while two sections
were in the following year. Thus, seven sections were offered in 01-02 while only four sections
were offered in 02-03.
b.
PHSC 3 was a lab course separate from the PHSC 2 lecture. These two courses
were combined and offered as one 4-unit course, PHSC 2. This change went into affect at the
start of the 02-03 school year and resulted in a reduction of the number of sections offered. With
the cancellations mentioned above, the loss became more dramatic.
c.
PHSC 2 was first offered as an Internet hybrid in the Fall of 02. The course
suffered from low enrollment in this format resulting in the cancellation of two sections.
d.
During Fall 02, when the two sections of PHSC 2 were canceled, the Red Bluff
section had been offered without consulting the Redding campus PHSC scheduling. The
additional offering in Red Bluff may have spread the students so thin that it resulted in the
cancellation of both sections. This lack of consultation has happened on many occasions and it
certainly appears to have an affect on Redding campus courses.
5.
Astronomy, another General Education (GE) Physical Science course went from
five sections being offered in 01-02 (two sections in Fall 2001 and three in Spring 2002,
including one in Red Bluff, to an offering of eight sections in 02-03 (three sections on the main
campus and one in Red Bluff each semester). This increase, especially on the main campus of an
additional section, may have been a big factor in the decrease in PHSC 2-7 enrollments.
Typically, main campus Astronomy sections have enrollments in excess of 100 students, even as
many as 140, as it is a very popular course. Adding even one section could have a dramatic
impact on the “market share” of students needing a GE Physical Science course. This may have
been compounded by the fact the ASTR 1 is a 3 unit course while PHSC 2 is a 4-unit course.
The Geoscience curriculum had now evolved to offer 3-unit courses that may have greater appeal
to the GE student (GEOL 9, GEOL 8, PHSC 7). 6) Finally, enrollment quotas have been on the
rise since the ’00-’01 academic year, moving from 10 to 15 per section, now reaching 20 in Fall
2003.
Several Geology sections were cancelled during the 02-03 year and a slight decrease in
enrollments occurred over the same interval discussed above (5 of 12 offered sections in 02-03).
The impact was less dramatic in terms of student enrollments, mainly due a total increase in the
number of sections offered as compared to the prior academic year (9 in 01-02 and 12 in 02-03).
The cancellation in sections is likely due to some of the same reasons advanced to explain the
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decrease in PHSC enrollments, namely factors 4, 5 and 6 above. In addition, the expansion of
GEOL courses in ’02-’03 may have contributed spreading the number of GE students too thin.
GEOL 6 and PHSC 5 were first offered Fall 2000 with initial enrollments of 14 and 21,
respectively. In Fall 2003, initial enrollments for each class were at 30 for GEOL 6 and 34 for
PHSC 5, an increase of 214% and 162%, respectively. These two courses are evolving into the
main Geoscience offerings as their popularity increases among students. Along with these two
new courses, there will need to be a corresponding monetary support for supplies and field trips,
the former especially for PHSC 5 (Oceanography).
2.
Budget
Budget numbers are rather interesting to track. As is described, there is no separate budget for
PHSC 2-7, but since these fall under the purview of the Geosciences, there is really no need for a
separate account. However, there has been new curriculum added to the PHSC block that has a
significant impact on supplies (noted in the paragraph immediately preceding). Over the interval
of this review, the only PHSC courses to draw on the GEOL budget are PHSC 2 and 5, the latter
a more dramatic draw than the former. PHSC 5 includes lab materials and supplies that have not
been needed in the Geosciences previously. The main factor to review is the “S/E costs per
FTE” in the Geoscience statistics, realizing that PHSC 5 came on line in Fall 2000. An
appropriate increase in that budget occurred one year later (01-02) bringing the S/E costs per
FTE to just over $650. The following year (02-03) course cancellations and a drop in overall
enrollments resulted in an increase in the S/E costs per FTE by a little more than $125. Along
with this discussion, it should be noted that materials purchased for PHSC 5 are also used for
PHSC 2 which has an oceanography interval in the course. GEOL 6 has also impacted the
Geoscience budget, although to a lesser extent than Oceanography which is likely to continue to
be a significant draw on budget monies. Finally, it has not been possible for the Geoscience
budget to support courses offered off-campus and this issue is one of the main factors that needs
to be addressed when scheduling these classes.
3.
Teaching
Over the past 4 years, the total units instructed in the Geosciences has steadily increased, with a
drop in the 02-03 academic year for reasons discussed above (under enrollments). Instructional
FTES followed the same trends over the same interval but describe an average over the interval
of 2.69.
III.
PROGRAM MISSION/FUNCTION
A.
Chemistry
The Chemistry Program prepares students for transfer to universities and colleges, where they
will continue their studies in the Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Geology,
Medicine, Pharmacy, and other related fields. Others take Physical Science courses to fulfill
their General Education requirements.
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Our program also provides courses to support other programs, such as Nursing and Dental
Hygiene, as well as Environmental Sciences/Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary
Technology.
The Physical Science programs also include a variety of community service and outreach
activities, including the Science Olympiad, 8th-Grader Days and Science Colloquium, that serve
the cultural, social and economic needs of the tri-county region.
We are committed to help students successfully complete their programs, to improve student
retention, to improve and update the curriculum to meet students’ needs, and to expand and
improve student access to technology.
B.
Geography
The mission of Geography at Shasta College is to educate students in the physical and cultural
characteristics of our world. The relationships and interdependencies of places are of primary
concern. Despite its roots dating back to the Greeks, Geography is recognized for its vital role in
solving the problems faced in today’s world. There is widespread acknowledgement in the public
and private sectors of the importance of a citizenry that is versed in the opportunities and
limitations of climate, soils, landforms, and water; and of the qualities of language, religion,
ethnicity, economics, conflict and cooperation in the human sphere. Geography is unique in
being integrative and concerned with distribution and interactions among the subjects in
question. The National Science Foundation recently highlighted the importance of Geography in
addressing the interdependence of human societies and natural systems, in it’s report Complex
Environmental Systems: Synthesis for Earth Life and Society in the 21st Century.
On a more local level, the Geography program serves to provide geographic education to
students as part of the GE pattern. In addition to providing courses to students looking to fulfill
GE requirement, the Geography program looks to encourage and support students who are
considering a career in Geography. In addition to providing resources and advising on University
programs, students are encouraged to engage in activities outside the classroom. For example, a
group of students traveled to Sacramento in the Spring of 2003 to participate in the annual
California Geographic Society conference. Currently there is no Geography club on campus, the
Geography Adventure Club has been inactive since 1997.
A further mission of Geography is to engage students in the issues and concerns of the local,
regional and global communities. Beyond the classroom, students are encouraged to participate
in community events, both on and off campus. On campus, students participate in 8th Grader
Day, Career Day, Earth Day, and FFA Field Day. Off campus students participate in various
community workdays and events (e.g., Salmon Festival). In addition, 2-3 students a semester
volunteer as counselors for the Whiskeytown Environmental School.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
With the exception of PHYS 101 (Technical Physics) all of the courses in the PHYS discipline
are designed as part of a 4-year degree and are articulated for university transfer credit. These
courses meet lower division requirements for students intending to major in a Physical Science,
engineering, or life science discipline, and satisfy GE requirements for non-science majors.
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PHSC 1 is well suited for the GE students and is a required course for pre-service teachers in the
CSU Chico Liberal Studies program.
The calculus-based PHYS 4A, 4B, 4C sequence primarily serves students pursuing an
engineering degree, with perhaps an average of two or so Physics majors each year and a similar
number of Chemistry or Geoscience majors.
The algebra-trig-based PHYS 2A, 2B sequence is intended for students majoring in life or health
sciences (including pre-med, pre-dentistry, pre-vet, pharmacy, physical therapy, optometry, and
chiropractic).
As mentioned above, PHSC 1 serves mainly two populations – non-science majors needing a GE
lab course and students pursuing a teaching credential.
ASTR 1 is primarily a science class for transfer students and A.A. and A.S. track students.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
1.
Purpose
The Geoscience program (GEOL and PHSC 2-7) is manly oriented toward offering GE Physical
Science courses for the student transferring to a 4-year school. There are some classes that
would serve to satisfy the curious about various areas of northern California Geology as well as
give the Geology transfer student field experience (the GEOL 30 and 40 series courses).
The purpose of the program is evolving. While the above comments will continue to define the
Geosciences, there will be the development of two transfer degrees within the next few years:
one a Geoscience transfer degree allowing students to emphasize certain areas such as
environmental Geology, meteorology or general Geology, and the other an Oceanography
Transfer degree. Each degree program will award an A.S. and position the successful student to
transfer into an appropriate UC or CSU program at the junior level. The two programs have
gone through the initial steps of program development and are intended to enter on-campus
review at the start of the Fall 2004 semester.
2.
College Mission and the Geoscience Program
In comparison to the Shasta College Mission statement presented in the 2003-2004 course
catalog, the Geoscience program offers courses “…leading to the successful completion of a
quality university transfer program…”. The Geosciences also bring forth social issues that are
best understood or evaluated through science, adding a more complete understanding to these
issues and “…communities within a changing global society”. In addition, the Geoscience
program intends to infuse more technology, especially in analytical respects both in the lab and
in the field, so that students leave Geology and Physical Science courses with a better
understanding of how to collect data, manipulate it, and derive meaning from it. Science has
driven our society forward over the past 150 years and will continue to do so, only in more
dramatic fashion in the next 150 years. Without a basic understanding of how science works, the
students of today will be ill-equipped to face the social, economic, and environmental challenges
of tomorrow.
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IV.
CURRICULUM UPDATE
A.
Chemistry
The Chemistry faculty regularly checks the trends in Chemistry curriculum by reviewing CSU
and UC catalogues, attending Chemistry conferences, reading journals, and having personal
communications with Chemistry faculty in other institutions of higher education. As a result the
Chemistry department has removed obsolete courses and replaced them with updated curriculum
where appropriate.
For instance CHEM 101 was a course to prepare students to take CHEM 1A but it was nontransferable and included a lab component. It was replaced with CHEM 16 that is transferable
and has no lab. This course follows a trend in regional universities.
Another new course, CHEM 26 has been developed at the request of CSU, Chico after a number
of personal communications. It parallels CSU, Chico's CHEM 26 course, serves practicing
nurses, and will be taught totally online.
Chemistry courses that have been updated and approved by the Curriculum Council in Fall 2003
include CHEM 26, 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 70, 70A, 71, and 71A. In the previous year CHEM 10, 11,
and 16 were updated. CHEM 6, intended to serve Agriculture and Natural Resource students, is
currently inactive due to inadequate enrollments and staffing. All required course revisions are
up-to-date with Title 5 regulations.
In order to conserve resources, facilities, and staff availability, CHEM 1A has been changed
from 3 hours of lecture and 6 hours of lab per week to 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion,
and 3 hours of lab per week. This model is a common one and found at UC, Davis. The course
will remain at 5 units to ensure transferability. The change will take place in Fall 2004.
The Chemistry faculty are also in the process of considering the development of a two-course
sequence that would be equivalent to CHEM 1A with a slower pace. These courses are under
consideration to service students whose background is insufficient to be successful in CHEM 1A.
And again similar courses are offered at regional universities.
B.
Geography
List of Courses in Geography:
GEOG 1A - Environmental Physical Geography
GEOG 1B - Cultural Geography
GEOG 2A – Field Methods in Physical Geography
GEOG 2B - Field Methods in Cultural Geography
GEOG 7 – California Geography
GEOG 8 – World Regional Geography
GEOG 10 – Map Reading and Interpretation
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Existing curriculum is reviewed as required under Title V every 5 years. Maintaining currency
in the field has been achieved through involvement with professional societies (Association of
American Geographers, Pacific Coast Geographic Society), and, where possible, participation in
conferences. Dan Scollon attended the California Geographic Society conference in 2003, but
funding for attending the AAG Conference was pulled as a result of the budget shortfall.
A new course, GEOG 10, was added to the curriculum in 2002. This course provides support to
Geography, GIS, and Natural Resources programs. Two additional courses, GEOG 2A and
GEOG 2A were approved for the 2004-2005 catalog. These courses will provide a vital link to
field observation and research. A prior course, GEOG 2, was removed from the catalog when
Geography was under the Language Arts and Social Science Center. The reason is unclear,
however requirements from the Chancellor’s Office to demonstrate specific objectives has
discouraged repeatable courses, which was the case for GEOG 2.
Currency in geographic technology is supported by the GIS and GPS courses that are taught
within the Center. Application of these technologies is addressed within all of the Geography
courses. Participation in local organizations, such as the Redding Area GIS User Group and the
Far North GIS Consortium, provides an important link to applied Geography and the
professional/technical community.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
Curriculum is continually compared with that at the universities to which our students most
frequently transfer- mainly CSU Chico, Humboldt, Sacramento, and UC Davis. Our curriculum
more closely parallels that at the CSU schools, due mainly to the semester (rather than quarter)
structure of the sequences, and some more stringent math prerequisites for certain UC courses
when compared to PHYS 2A and 2B. (See V. below). Due to the need to maintain articulation,
we are by necessity followers, not leaders, in curriculum revision. If any major changes occur at
the universities of interest to our students, we will emulate those changes.
Internal curriculum review is achieved through the 5-year review cycle mandated by Title V.
Currently, all course outlines are up to date, on file, and have been through the review process
within the last 5 years. All Physics courses were done in Fall 2003, and PHSC 1 was reviewed
in Fall 1999.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
The Geoscience curriculum has been extensively updated and added to over the past 4 years by
Randy Reed. The bulk of the curriculum had not been revised since the late 1980s and early
1990’s, with the exception of one or two courses that had been updated in the mid-‘90s. These
changes were significant considering the decade of time that had elapsed since prior review. For
the most part, the updates included the expansion of some vaguely presented objectives and the
addition of details, along with more modern concepts.
Upon his hire, Randy, rather fresh from graduate school, applied his knowledge and experience
in updating 15 courses in Geology (now identified as GEOL 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 23, 26, 27, 33,
34, 35, 36, and NHIS 105) and reorganizing the discipline courses into series. The series that
Page 12 of 42
were established at this time include a Geology major series (GEOL 1-4 and field courses 23, 26
and 27; the twenty series) with electives (GEOL 6-11 and field experiences 33-38; the “thirty”
series) and included 10 new courses: GEOL 3, 4, 6, 11, 37, 38, 100, and 102 along with PHSC 4
and 5. Among the revisions is the establishment of GEOL 5 as a hybrid Internet course,
consisting of an Internet-delivered lecture and an on-campus lab.
In Fall 2000, Randy made revisions to the lecture and lab hours of the “thirty series” courses in
accordance to Title V requirements. It was at this time that these courses were elevated to 9
lecture hours (1/2 unit) and 27 lab hours (1/2 unit). Of the lab hours, 24 of them are satisfied on
the field trips that accompany the course while the other 3 are associated with an on-campus
interval that introduces the students to minerals and rocks.
The Fall semester of 2001 included further revisions and additions to the curriculum. Revisions
included changing the offering semester of several courses to “I” (GEOL 2, 3, 4, and 26, and
PHSC 4) and changing the F/S to S for GEOL 5 and from S to F for PHSC 5. Other revisions
include the redesignation of GEOL 100 and 102 to GEOL 42 and 43, respectively, which helped
to establish the “forty series” courses along with three new courses GEOL 44-46. In general, this
series is meant to serve more local interests in geologic landmarks and features in a ½ unit
format that lacks an overnight field trip. Other revisions during this semester included increasing
the unit weight of GEOL 7 from 3 4o 4, and establishing PHSC 2/3 as a distance education
course (a hybrid) like GEOL 5. New courses introduced at this time included GEOL 32, 97, and
98, and PHSC 6, along with GEOL 44-46 noted above.
By the Fall of 2001, the Geoscience curriculum had largely been revamped, updated and
reorganized. There were absolutely no classes left untouched. This effort was meant to prepare
for the development of a true transfer program along with AS degrees. To that end, Randy Reed
began making contact with northern California UC and CSU Geoscience departments to
articulate curriculum (see Item V below) and establish what course would best fit a transfer
program.
Minor revisions were made in Fall 2002 which included combining PHSC 2 and 3 into a single
4-unit course now identified as PHSC 2, increasing the unit weight of PHSC 6 to articulate with
a comparable course at HSU, and establishing GEOL 9 as a 3-unit GE transfer course, along with
the addition of one new class; a 3-unit GE transfer course, PHSC 7. These latter two curriculum
changes were meant to broaden the number of classes on campus of 3-unit weight that transfer.
Previously only ASTR 1, GEOG 1A, CHEM 10, and CHEM 16, filled this need.
In the Fall of 2003, 10 GEOL courses were reviewed (GEOL 2, 8, 23, 26, 27, 33, 34, 35, and 36)
with some updates and revisions. Of note during this interval is the increase in unit weight and
renaming of GEOL 8, again to add to the number of classes on campus of 3-unit weight that
transfer.
Of final comment is the state of the two transfer A.S. degrees mentioned above and in Section III
of this report. The Academic Senate, an undertaking that started shortly after these two
programs were proposed in Fall 2001 and was completed in May 2003, has revised the process
of developing new programs. Program Proposal Abstracts for each degree program were
developed and presented to the Science, Industry & Natural Resources Center (SINR) and to the
Curriculum Council in early Spring 2002. It was at that time that the Curriculum committee and
Page 13 of 42
the Academic Senate began to consider revising the process. The two transfer degrees have been
“shelved” ever since, in part waiting for the new program procedures to be finished and, in part,
awaiting Geoscience faculty to have the time needed to advance them. It is anticipated that the
procedure will be completed in 2004 including submission to the Chancellor. If approved, the
program could be ready to award degrees in Fall 2005 as any student could currently work
toward completing the curriculum requirements.
The courses below define the class offerings from the Geoscience Department and are divided
into their subject areas.
1.
Geology Courses
GEOL 1 Physical Geology (4 units)
GEOL 2 Historical Geology (4 units)
GEOL 3 Mineralogy and Crystal Optics (5 units)
GEOL 4 Rock Origins and Relationships (4 units)
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4 units)
GEOL 6 Ancient Life (4 units)
GEOL 7 Introduction to the Geology of California (4 units)
GEOL 8 Planetary Geology: Development, History and Planetary Processes (3 units)
GEOL 9 Earthquakes, Volcanoes and other Geologic Hazards (3 units)
GEOL 10 Environmental Geology (4 units)
GEOL 11 Economic Geology (4 units).
GEOL 23 Introduction to Geology in the Field (2 units)
GEOL 26 Geology of the North Coast Ranges (2 units)
GEOL 27 Geology of the Klamath Mountains (2 units)
GEOL 32 Geology of the Sacramento Valley (1 unit)
GEOL 33 Geology of the Northern Sierras (1 unit)
GEOL 34 Geology of the Modoc Plateau (1 unit)
GEOL 35 Geology of Lassen Volcanic Park (1 unit)
GEOL 36 Geology of Mount Shasta and Vicinity (1 unit)
GEOL 37 Geology of the Northern California Coast (1 unit)
GEOL 38 Geology of Point Reyes National Seashore (1 unit)
GEOL 42 Geology of the Redding Area (0.5 unit).
GEOL 43 Geology of the Shasta Lake Area (0.5 unit)
GEOL 44 Geology of the Whiskeytown area (0.5 unit)
GEOL 45 Geology of Castle Crags and Vicinity (0.5 unit)
GEOL 46 Geology of Burney Falls and Vicinity (0.5 unit)
GEOL 97 Special Topics in the Geosciences (0.5 to 2 units).
GEOL 98 Special Laboratory Topics in the Geosciences (0.5 to 1 unit)
2.
Physical Science Courses (excludes PHSC 1 Physical Science Survey)
PHSC 2 General Earth Science (4 units)
PHSC 5 Oceanography (4 units)
PHSC 7 Earth System Science (3 units)
V.
PHSC 4 Meteorology (4 units)
PHSC 6 Coastal Oceanographic Field Studies (2units)
CURRICULUM ARTICULATION
A.
Chemistry
Our current articulation agreements are as follows:
Page 14 of 42
California State University, Chico:
All Chemistry courses are articulated except CHEM 71 and CHEM 71A. There was a
memorandum of understanding signed between the Chemistry department of CSU Chico and the
Chemistry Program of Shasta College in December 2001.
California State University, Sacramento:
CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 2A, CHEM 2B, CHEM 70, and CHEM 70A courses are
articulated. There was a memorandum of understanding signed between the Chemistry
department CSU Sacramento and the Chemistry Program of Shasta College in November 2002
for articulation of CHEM 70, CHEM 71 and CHEM 71A.
University of California, Davis:
All Chemistry courses are articulated.
University of California, Berkeley:
All Chemistry courses are articulated.
Humboldt State University:
Only CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B, CHEM 2A and CHEM 2B are articulated. Several attempts have
been made to articulate organic Chemistry courses. The head of the Chemistry Department at
Humboldt State, does not believe that a community college should be permitted to offer organic
Chemistry courses. The head of the Chemistry department at HSU is refusing to respond to any
dialogue in this respect.
B.
Geography
The following Shasta College Geography courses are articulated under the General Education
patterns for CSU and the University of California (IGETC):
GEOG 1A
Environmental Physical Geography
IGETC: 4E CSU GE: B1, D5
GEOG 1B
Cultural Geography
IGETC: 4E CSU GE: D5
GEOG 7
California Geography
IGETC: 4E CSU GE: D3, D5
GEOG 8
World Regional Geography
IGETC: 4E CSU GE: D5
In terms of course-to-course articulation, GEOG 1A and GEOG 1B are core courses at most
universities, and as such are widely articulated with California universities. A sampling of Cal
State Universities reveals a course-to-course articulation at Chico, Humboldt, Sacramento, and
San Francisco. The University of California (Berkeley) articulates Cultural Geography (GEOG
1B) with its GEOG 4 (World Peoples and Cultural Environments) and Physical Geography
(GEOG 1A) with GEOG 40 (Global Environmental Change).
Page 15 of 42
Chico State and GEOG 8 to GEOG 10 (World Peoples and Cultural Environments) at UC(B).
Opportunities exist for expanding articulation. For example, UC(B) offers GEOG 50AC
(California and the Pacific Rim) which may articulate with GEOG 7. Likewise GEOG 8 may
articulate to UC Davis’s GEOG 10 (World Regions). Three new courses: GEOG 10 , GEOG 2B
and GEOG 2A ,offer potential articulation. For instance, the latter course may articulate to CSU
Sacramento’s GEOG 11 Lab Physical Geography.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
With the exception of PHYS 101, all PHYS courses have CAN numbers and are articulated with
a large number of universities, including CSU and UC (with the exception of PHYS 2A and 2B
at some UC campuses). PHSC 1 articulates with UC as part of the IGETC and meets CSU GE.
To our knowledge, ASTR 1 is accepted by all colleges and universities for transfer credit.
An articulation issue that will most likely need to be addressed in the next few years involves the
trend among UC campuses to require a calculus-based Physics course for life science students.
Although our students could technically meet this requirement by taking PHYS 4A and 4B here,
the content of those courses is designed mainly to meet the needs of engineering students. One
would design a very different course with students in the life sciences in mind. Given staffing
constraints, it is difficult to see how we would be able to offer a third Physics sequence in
addition to everything we do now. However, this should be considered as staffing decisions are
made. On our faculty, there are individuals assigned to math and to Chemistry who could add to
our ability to expand course offerings, if some of their current load in those areas could be
reassigned.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
Currently, all courses in the Geosciences (GEOl and PHSC 2-7) transfer to 4 year-schools and
either directly articulate with courses existing on those campuses or they can be applied toward
elective credits. Articulation agreements exist between several northern California campuses,
such as UC Davis, CSU Chico, Sacramento State, and Humboldt State University, with two
departments included with the latter institution: Geology and oceanography. Currently there are
no agreements with Sonoma State. See the following tables for specific articulation agreements
with some of these institutions.
Page 16 of 42
ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS BY DEPARTMENT OR MAJOR
EFFECTIVE DURING THE 03-04 AND 04-05 ACADEMIC YEARS
To: CSU Chico Department of Geological and
From: Shasta College
Environmental Sciences
GEOS 1 GENERAL GEOLOGY (3)|
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOS 2 PHYSICAL GEOLOGY (3)|
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOS 3 PRINCIPLES OF HISTORICAL GEOLOGY
(2)|
---------------------------------------------------------------------GEOS 20 WEATHER (3)|
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 1 Physical Geology
(4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 2 Historical Geology
(4)
-----------------------------------------------------------PHSC 4 Meterology
(4)
To: Sacramento State, Geology major
From: Shasta College
GEOL 10 PHYSICAL GEOLOGY (3)|
AND
GEOL 10L PHYSICAL GEOLOGY LAB (1)|
---------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 12 HISTORICAL GEOLOGY (3)|
AND
GEOL 12L HISTORICAL GEOLOGY LAB (1)|
----------------------------------------------------------------------Non-Major:
GEOL 1 GENERAL GEOLOGY
(3)|
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 1L GENERAL GEOLOGY LAB
(1)|
---------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 8 EARTH SCIENCE
(3)|
AND
|
GEOL 8L EARTH SCIENCE LAB
(1)|
(GEOL 8 and GEOL 8T (Earth Science Lab for Teachers)
are required lower-division courses for Liberal Studies
majors only.)
GEOL 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------PHSC 2 Earth Science Survey (4)
From: Shasta College
GEOL 108 The Dynamic Earth
(3)|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 109 General Geology
(3)|
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 1 Physical Geology
(4)
To: Humboldt State University Oceanography
Department
General Oceanography
(4)|
(4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 2 Historical Geology
(4)
To: Humboldt State University Geology
Department
OCN 109
Physical Geology
From: Shasta College
PHSC 5
Page 17 of 42
Oceanography
(4)
To: UC Davis Department of Geology
l) GEOLOGY 1
From: Shasta College
The Earth (GE:TB-SE) (4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------m) GEOLOGY 3 History of Life
(3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------m) GEOLOGY 3L History of Life Lab (1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOLOGY 17 Earthquakes
(2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------c) GEOLOGY 50 Physical Geology (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------c) GEOLOGY 50L Physical Geol Lab (2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------n) GEOLOGY 60 Earth Materials: Intro (4)
GEOL 1 Physical Geology (4)
OR
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 2 Historical Geology (4) (GE:TB-SE)
| OR
|GEOL 6 Ancient Life (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 2 Historical Geology (4)
OR
GEOL 6 Ancient Life (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 9 Earthquakes, Volcanoes & Other Geologic
Hazards (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 1 Physical Geology (4)
l) OR
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 1 Physical Geology (4)
l) OR
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 3 Mineralogy and Crystal Optics (5)
l) If a student takes GEOL 1 at Shasta College, credit
will be given for UC Davis' GEOLOGY 1 or 50+50L,
not both. If a student takes GEOL 5 at Shasta College,
credit will be given for UC Davis' GEOLOGY 1 or
50+50L, not both.
m) These courses are not strictly comparable with UC
Davis courses but will fulfill the history of life
requirement for the Geology major at UC Davis.
c) This course(s) is not strictly comparable with UC
Davis courses but will fulfill the introductory physical
Geology requirement for the Geology major at UC
Davis.
n) This course is not strictly comparable with UC Davis
course but will fulfill the introductory earth materials
requirement for the Geology major at UC Davis.
To: UC Berkeley Department of Earth and
Planetary Science
From: Shasta College
EPS 50 The Planet Earth (includes lab)
GEOL 1
(4)
Physical Geology
To: CSU Fresno Department of Earth and
Environmental Science
From: Shasta College
GEOL 1
GEOL 1
Natural Disasters and Earth Resources (4)
Page 18 of 42
Physical Geology
(4)
(4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 3 Geology Field Trip
(1)
GEOL 3
Geology Field Trip (1) Continued
-----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 12 Mineralogy (3)
GEOL 13 Crystallography (1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------GEOL 30 Introductory Field Methods (2)
OR
GEOL 5 Introduction to Geology (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 26 Geology of North Coast Ranges (2)
OR
GEOL 27 Geology of the Klamath Mountains (2)
OR
GEOL 34 Geology of the Modoc Plateau (1)
OR
GEOL 35 Geology of Lassen Volcanic Park (1)
OR
GEOL 36 Geology of Mt. Shasta and Vicinity (1)
OR
GEOL 37 Geology of the Northern California Coast
(1)
OR
GEOL 38 Geology of Point Reyes National
Seashore (1)
OR
PENDING; UNDER REVIEW FOR 2003-04:
(Reviewing GEOL 33)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 3 Mineralogy and Crystal Optics (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------GEOL 23 Introduction to Geology in the Field (2)
To: CSU Monterey Bay Department of Earth
From: Shasta College
System Science and Environmental Policy
ESSP 271 The Oceans
(2)|
PHSC 5
Oceanography
(4)
Currently, the only course with a Can number is GEOL 1 (CAN GEOL 2). It should be noted
that much of the articulation agreements that have been put in place are due to the great efforts of
Carolyn Borg, Shasta College’s articulation officer. Other agreements were established by
Randy Reed through direct contact with faculty at those institutions. Finally, although there are
many articulated courses, there certainly is the potential for many more. This, however, requires
review of the Geoscience courses from the 4-year institutions which, in many instances, has been
slow.
In contrast to the 4-year agreements noted above, there are no high school agreements in place.
There are few tri-county high schools that teach Earth Science and those that do include only
blocks of certain subject matter within a broader science course (i.e. Geology might be taught for
4 weeks before the class moves on to 2 weeks of Meteorology).
VI.
CURRICULUM DIVERSITY
A.
Chemistry
Page 19 of 42
Serving the students remains the prime directive for the Chemistry faculty. We have developed
CHEM 16 and 26 to better serve our population. Development of the two-course sequence
equivalent to CHEM 1A is also occurring in order to address students' needs.
The faculty has also investigated the possibility of a Chemistry Technician Program but at this
time the availability of such jobs in our area appears too low to take any action.
One area the Chemistry Department is aggressively pursuing is the offering of courses at a
variety of times, locations, and delivery systems. CHEM 2A is offered at night in the Spring and
Fall semesters and in summer session. CHEM 2B has been offered at night in alternating
semesters and in summer session. CHEM 10 has been offered in the evening in the last four
semesters and in alternating semesters it is offered at two different times in the evening. CHEM
11 is offered at night in alternating semesters.
CHEM 2A is also offered at night at the Red Bluff Center. CHEM 10 is offered via ITV in the
evenings to serve working students in our outlying areas. CHEM 10 is also offered online as an
Internet course to offer maximum flexibility for students.
In Spring 2004, CHEM 2B will be offered as an online/face-to-face hybrid course. The lecture
and discussion will be offered online with the lab portion occurring in the evening at the Shasta
College campus. This will maximize flexibility for students.
For the future, a hybrid CHEM 2A is being considered and a completely online version of
CHEM 11 is being developed.
B.
Geography
The addition of two field courses, GEOG 2A and GEOG 2B, adds some much-needed diversity
to our curriculum by providing a forum for addressing topics related to the application of
Geography in the field. GEOG 10 also increased curriculum diversity by adding a “techniques”
oriented course. This course is required for both GIS certification and a Natural Resources A.S.
degree, thereby acting as a bridge between the core discipline and Geography.
GEOG 7 and GEOG 8 have special roles to play with regard to curriculum diversity. GEOG 7
fulfills the CSU transfer requirement for CSU General Education Category D3: Ethnic Studies.
GEOG 7 and GEOG 8 fulfill Category 5, Multicultural/Living Skills, for the A.A./General
Education degree. Students are engaged in the topic of cultural and ethnic diversity and
challenged to confront racial, gender and lifestyle stereotypes.
Efforts are made to address different learning modalities by using different delivery methods and
encouraging student interaction.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
As noted above, curriculum is driven mainly by the universities to which our students transfer,
and our need to remain in alignment with those schools. Therefore, this will remain largely
independent of local population trends.
Page 20 of 42
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
The Geoscience curriculum is quite diverse and even includes courses that match emerging
trends in the earth science education. PHSC 7 is an excellent example of this as scientists are
now examining the interconnectedness of various earth processes, for example, how the oceans
influence global weather and climate, also under the influence of the geosphere through volcanic
eruption. Other courses are advancing these concepts as well, such as PHSC 2, PHSC 4, PHSC
5, GEOL 5, GEOL 6 and GEOL 9.
The curriculum diversity itself supports many options that an undergraduate may choose when
transferring to a 4-year school with a Geoscience major. The two A.S. degrees will emphasize
these options, especially as available at northern California universities such as CSU Chico and
Humboldt State. Alternatively, anyone with a general interest should be able to satisfy the
requirement whether it is regional or global in scope, and they can choose from lecture-oriented
or field-trip oriented courses.
VII.
TEXT ANALYSIS
A.
Chemistry
Text selection is done by consensus of the instructors teaching a particular course. In most cases,
this involves two (or sometimes three) instructors who review a variety of texts, discuss their
findings, and reach agreement. In some cases, only one instructor teaches a particular class, and
therefore does the selection alone.
Texts are generally used for at least 2 years, allowing used books to be available to reduce
expense to students. Mainstream texts that are commonly used at other colleges and universities
are used to ease articulation.
Most of the lab manuals have been written by Shasta College instructors, which tailor the
laboratories to the course objectives and the available equipment, as well as dramatically
decreasing costs to students (<$10 vs. >$50).
We do need to develop a procedure to use when there is a disagreement between instructors
regarding which text to adopt.
B.
Geography
The process of selecting text books for Geography has been ad hoc, with each individual
instructor selecting texts that they deem appropriate for their respective courses. Most courses in
the discipline require a college-level text for the course. Over the past 3 years each of the
following courses has had two different required texts (when offered by different instructors):
GEOG 1A, GEOG 1B, GEOG 7, and GEOG 8. GEOG 10 has used the same text (Map Use by
Muehrcke) both times it has been offered.
Page 21 of 42
In addition to conventional textbooks, atlases are used both as a complement to the text, and as
the principal book (Greg Reed for GEOG 1B, GEOG 7, GEOG 8). A novel (Grapes of Wrath)
and non-fiction work (Ishi: In Two Worlds) are used by Reed in GEOG 7 as well.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
The two full-time faculty members adopt texts by consensus, after review of currently available
books. When two different instructors teach different parts of a sequence of courses, the same
text is always used for every course in that sequence. We use texts that are very much in the
mainstream and commonly in use at other schools, for ease of articulation. Text changes are
considered only when publishers replace current editions by new ones, in an attempt to minimize
the cost of texts to students. Laboratory manuals are written and published locally by the faculty
here at Shasta College.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
Text selection has been performed by the individual faculty member teaching the corresponding
course. The texts are mainstream and are typically very popular texts with other college
institutions, although this is not considered when selecting the text. For the most part, the faculty
member searches publishers for potential texts and then requests examination copies. The books
are then reviewed for content as well as progression of the subject matter. Ancillaries are
sometimes considered, as it is desirable for some faculty to have the students utilize
accompanying CD-ROMS for out-of-class exercises. Once in place, textbooks are usually used
for several years, unless a publisher advances a new product more exceptional to the current text
to Geoscience faculty.
VIII. COURSE SCHEDULING AND SEQUENCING
A.
Chemistry
Every possible care is taken to avoid course conflicts and offer students the greatest flexibility
within the context of the Chemistry Department's staffing and resources.
The daytime CHEM 2A and 2B courses which serve the allied health students are scheduled in
such a way to minimize conflict with Physiology, Microbiology, and Anatomy courses which
these students also must take. Each semester the faculty in charge of those courses outline the
times when Physiology, Microbiology, and Anatomy are offered and scheduled times, which
avoids conflict.
CHEM 1A, 1B, 70A, 70B, 71A and 71B are also scheduled to minimize conflict with other
courses that science and engineering majors must take. In the past, the entire Science and Math
faculty created a matrix to ensure that students could take their necessary classes in 2 years.
Some changes in course times in math and other science courses have created some difficulties
but the Chemistry faculty have altered the times of course offerings to mitigate the problems.
This is an area that could be improved, but it needs to be coordinated with faculty from other
science disciplines and math.
Page 22 of 42
Course offerings at night, via ITV and on the Internet for CHEM 2A, 2B, 10 and 11 are a
vigorous response to the needs of our students and are explained in more detail in the curriculum
diversity section.
B.
Geography
The schedule of courses in Geography has varied from semester to semester over the period of
the program review. This is the result of several factors. The transition of the discipline from
Language, Arts, and Social Science to Science, Industry & Natural Resources, is one factor. The
lack of a dedicated classroom has necessitated that course schedules be changed to get access to
classrooms. The introduction of a new course, GEOG 10, has also affected scheduling.
In addition to offering courses at night, ITV has been used increasingly to provide access to
courses at outreach centers.
A significant impact on scheduling has been the increase in the number of courses offered out of
the Red Bluff Center. Unfortunately, these courses have not, in general, been scheduled in
conjunction with courses offered at the Redding campus. One affect has been that some courses
(GEOG1A, GEOG7) have been offered at the Redding and Red Bluff campuses at similar times.
Some of the latter courses are offered at the Redding campus via ITV, creating a de facto
competition for students. This in turn, has implications for whether or not courses make.
Starting in Fall 2004, a master schedule for Geography has been created to minimize conflicts
and maximize student access to courses at the various campuses and at different times during the
day.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
Course scheduling changes vary little, in order to avoid conflicts with related courses, since there
is little flexibility when it comes to room and instructor schedules. Most of the schedule changes
in Physics have come as a result of changes made elsewhere – for example, labs were moved to
late afternoons (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) to accommodate Chemistry classes in Room 1415, and
an extra Fall-Spring sequence of PHY 4A, 4B was created in response to the Math Department’s
change of the Precalculus course from two semesters to one.
There is virtually nothing offered at night in Physics (except for one lab section in PHYS 2A).
There may be demand for courses at night, but with current staffing constraints, it is unlikely that
evening offerings could be expanded.
At one time, several years ago, faculty from Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Math met to lay
out a pattern of courses ensuring that a student majoring in a Physical Science, Life Science, or
Engineering, and prepared to do college level math could complete all required transfer courses
in 2 years, if taken in the proper sequence. It is time that we repeat this exercise.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
Over the past 4 years, the Geoscience schedule has changed repeatedly and in dramatic fashion.
Scheduling has largely been done by Randy Reed, except for Red Bluff offerings. Randy has
Page 23 of 42
moved classes around to avoid conflicts with other GE science courses, especially GE Physical
Science courses, namely ASTR 1. Beyond these considerations, Randy has also tried to find
“prime times” when sections were most likely to gain the greatest enrollments. To date he is not
sure if that process is complete, although during Fall 2003, there were only two canceled courses,
both in Red Bluff, despite an increase in the enrollment quota (15 in Red Bluff and 20 on the
main campus).
Over the past 4 years, there has been little attempt to offer a course series specific to Geoscience
transfer students. This is largely due to the very low number of students who have identified
themselves as such. To date, there have been only about 10 students describing their desire to be
Geoscience majors and of those, only four or so have been consistently enrolled. It is because of
this, that the courses are more oriented toward the general transfer student. It is hoped that in the
near future, more students will enter a Geoscience transfer track so that sophomore-level courses
can be offered. Perhaps the establishment of the two A.S. degrees will promote this.
IX.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY
A.
Chemistry
A variety of instructional methods are used throughout the Physical Science courses. To varying
degrees, instructors use “traditional” lecture, classroom problem solving, PowerPoint
presentations, instructional videos and animations, demonstrations, simulations, group
discussions, student projects, laboratory experiments, activities and investigations, and use of
computers and interactive technologies for data acquisition and analysis.
All Chemistry courses (CHEM 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 10, 11, 70, 70A, 71, 71A) have at least one
online component, using WebCT for some or all of the following: quizzes, course calendars,
lecture notes, answers to exams questions, flash cards, interactive evaluation tools, simulation
tools, class and lab handouts, and student grades. A few courses are offered via distance-learning
methods: CHEM 10 and CHEM 2B are offered as fully online courses, and CHEM 10 is offered
as an Interactive TV course. We also have expanded the offerings of Physical Science courses to
the Red Bluff campus.
We are only scratching the surface in the use of some of these methods, and are probably not
sure just how effective any of them are. For example, do students really learn more from on-line
quizzes/homework/problem-solving practice? Are we even close to using current technologies in
the laboratory? What about use of high-quality animations to improve visualization and
conceptual understanding? Do we have any idea if fully online or ITV courses compare
favorably with traditional lecture courses?
A few courses are now offered via distance-learning methods. CHEM 10 is offered both as a
fully online course, and as an Interactive TV course. This type of instruction is expanding - there
are plans to offer CHEM 2B in this form soon.
We also have expanded the offerings of Chemistry courses to the Red Bluff campus. There are
serious concerns about the quality of instruction at the Red Bluff campus, as well as concerns
about scheduling conflicts with the main campus, which negatively impacts course enrollment
and viability on the main campus. This needs to be addressed.
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It is hard to develop (and test) new instructional methods, or expand course offerings when
stretched thin. Perhaps we could develop new curriculum (Environmental Chemistry, etc) if we
had more instructors.
We do not always have agreement of accepted practices within a department, for example
regarding use/type of goggles and use/type of lab notebooks in Chemistry. This should be
clarified.
B.
Geography
Instructional methodology in Geography for delivering content includes “traditional” lectures,
along with PowerPoint, transparencies, videos, DVD, and other forms of media. Student
participation is encouraged through directed questions, group activities, map and atlas activities.
The Internet is used in a variety of ways. Slides, animations, lecture notes and other materials
are presented. Students are encouraged (with caution) to investigate course-related subject matter
over the Internet. Interactive mapping websites are used in class and as take-home assignments
to develop critical thinking, map reading, and spatial reasoning skills.
Geography is based on observation of features, processes and phenomena that occur on the
landscape. As such, field investigation is an important part of geographic education. The addition
of the two new field courses (GEOG 2A and 2B) will greatly facilitate this. Some courses
(GEOG1A and 7) have included a field trip in recent years. While students are enthusiastic about
the opportunity to get outside, the logistics of coordinating a trip that is not “required” in the
catalog is problematic. Still, opportunities are taken to get students outside of the classroom to
make observations related to course content. For example, volcanoes can be observed from many
parts of campus on a clear day.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
In Physics courses, and in PHSC 1 and ASTR 1, instruction is rather traditional. Most class time
involves lecture/discussion, problem solving and group lab activity. Distance learning has not
been employed, except to use faculty web pages to make course resources available to students at
remote locations.
Computer technology has been integrated into both lecture and laboratory instruction. Various
sensors interfaced to computers have transformed the lab curriculum, with the main impact so far
in PHYS 2A and 2B.
Although the Physics faculty members are aware of developments in Physics education research,
they have taken a conservative approach to revising wholesale their methods of instruction based
on this work. Instead, methods that have been shown to be effective with high confidence, and
that fit our resources are implemented where possible.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
Full-time faculty in the Geosciences integrate multimedia technology in the classroom to
enhance somewhat traditional lectures. Among the hardware utilized are computer animations
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and graphics, laser discs and CD-ROMS, and VHS videos and video clips. All of this is
typically accompanied by overheads from the textbook that illustrate relevant points. Finally,
every course taught on the main campus is web supported, having their own website that presents
the course syllabus, scheduled lecture and lab topics, a lecture outline, and relevant links to
further support the material.
PowerPoint has been utilized by some part-time faculty and more recently, by full-time faculty.
Otherwise, part-time faculty are more traditional in nature, lecturing and using the whiteboard
and overhead for additional delivery.
One change that has occurred is the development of two hybrid science courses: GEOL 5 first
offered in the Spring of 2001 and every Spring thereafter, and PHSC 2 first offered in the
Summer of 2003. This style delivers an Internet lecture through a course-specific website, while
conducting labs once a week (three to four times per week during summer sessions) on campus
where the students complete lab work, watch videos, turn in course assignments and take tests.
This format reduces the student’s on-campus time by half. Both of the courses now in this
format are GE Physical Science courses with labs.
X.
FACILITIES
A.
Chemistry
There are several deficiencies in our Chemistry laboratory facilities. The laboratories are being
used above their designed capacities and there is shortage of computers and fume hoods in the
lab. During the summer of 2002, new fume hoods replaced the then 35-year fume hoods.
However, there are only six (maximum) fume hoods in each lab. In some experiments where
students are working with hazardous materials, four to five students must gather around one
fume hood sharing one experiment. This results in overcrowding and increases the chance of
accidents in the lab. It also hinders student learning, as in large groups, some students end up
with nothing to do, while one or two students actually conduct the experiment. The new fume
hoods are only equipped with one utility outlet, therefore only one experiment can be performed
in each fume hood. We need to add one more utility outlet (electrical, vacuum, water and gas
outlets) to each hood. The shortage of fume hoods could be solved by adding two ceilingmounted, pull-down fume extraction arms per bench, in the organic Chemistry lab, Room 1404,
and one unit per bench in Rooms 1401 and 1414.
All of the lecture rooms, which are used for Chemistry (Rooms 1425, 1415, and 1416) require a
wall-mounted pull down fume extraction arm. This is needed when live demonstrations are being
performed during the lectures. The portable fume hood, which was purchased for this purpose,
has proved to be insufficient for our purposes.
In CHEM 1A and 1B, students perform over 10 experiments using computer run sensors. There
is currently only one computer available per bench, meaning that up to six students must do one
joint experiment. This, of course, reduces the efficiency of student learning. This problem could
be addressed by adding at least one more computer to each bench in all labs.
The lighting in Rooms 1415, 1416 and 1417 is also not suitable for the use of LCD projectors.
There are only two light switches. Turning one light switch off turns off half of the lights leaving
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it too bright for the image from the projector to be seen. Turning both lights off renders the room
too dark to take notes. Installation of a light in the rear of the room should address this problem.
Early every semester, many new students enter the 1400 building looking for Room 1425, which
is outside the building, this often causes confusion for students. Installing a very large sign on
both ends of the building and directing them to Room 1425 would be very helpful to both faculty
and students.
Suggestions for improvements:






Add another utility outlet to current fume hoods in all Chemistry labs.
Add two ceiling-mounted pull-down fume extraction arms for each bench in the
Organic Chemistry lab, Room 1404, and one unit per bench in Rooms 1401 and
1414.
Install a wall-mounted pull-down fume extraction arm in Rooms 1425, 1415 and
1416.
Add one more computer to every bench in 1401, 1404 and 1414.
Install a projector light in Rooms 1415 and 1416.
Install signs in 1400 building to direct students to Room1425.
Some of these improvements will be carried out in the remodeling work which is planned over
the next 2 years.
B.
Geography
As mentioned above, the lack of a dedicated Geography classroom has been a hindrance. The
planned renovations to the 1400 building should greatly alleviate this. The new 1411 classroom
(slated for completion in Fall 04) will be well suited to Geography. Room 1415 (renovations are
currently being planned) will also be a good choice room for Geography courses. These rooms
feature built-in computer and LCD projectors, computers at the tables and “pods” that allow for
easy student interaction. This will greatly facilitate group activities, map reading and Internet
investigation. Movement of map racks into both Rooms 1415 and 1411 will allow instructors to
take advantage of the pull down make collection. Room 1416 will still be used as a back-up for
scheduling.
An important resource for Geography courses is the map collection. Unfortunately, the
collection is currently housed in the Physics stockroom where there is poor accessibility and
inadequate viewing space. A more usable place for the map collection is an important component
of the upcoming 1400 building changes. (See recommendations section.)
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
Since the remodeling of Room 1415 a few years ago, the lab situation in Physics has improved
greatly. Prior to that time, there was no room suitable for use as a Physics lab. With only one
room suitable for that purpose, scheduling is very tight. The planned remodeling of Room 1411
in the summer of 2004, as part of Measure A, will contribute greatly to increased flexibility in
scheduling labs to meet student needs.
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Even so, space in the 1400 building will remain tight, as Physics, Chemistry, Geosciences and
Geography all plan to use the new lab/classroom. If 4-year programs associated with the
University Center impact our lab space, and if enrollments in our courses continue to grow, even
the reconfigured space will soon prove inadequate. If, in the mix of Measure A projects, a new
building can be built, these future impacts may be alleviated.
It would be nice to have a small observatory and a nice telescope for class use. Joe Polen has
been bringing his own telescope for one night a semester. An observational astronomy class
(new class) could start if we had a small observatory. Over many years, Joe Polen has tried to
explore the building of a small observatory but even with the great night sky and many students
that take the class, there has been no progress. The concerns are mostly security - the observatory
has to be under a light that can be observed by Security, otherwise it will be vandalized. Roofs
are not adequate because of vibration and concerns about students safety climbing outside
staircases, etc. He has all but given up on the idea, at least for now. A lab was offered for this
class many years ago to fulfill a lab science requirement. To add a lab today would be a full time
job in itself to manage and equip; and also, lab space is at a premium now.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
On campus, Room 1416 has been the “rock room” hosting the Geosciences. Nearly all sections
are taught in this room, as it is the storage place of many of the lab materials needed and often
presented to illustrate points in lecture. The room now includes two aquariums to support PHSC
5 and the oceanography component in PHSC 2. Commonly, the short duration courses (thirty
series) are taught elsewhere, most often in Room 1417.
There are no suitable facilities for off-campus Geoscience courses, although Red Bluff High
School Room 103 comes close. That room is where the science teacher at the high school teach
components of earth science and has some material that he has kindly let part-time faculty use.
Still, materials at that location are sparse as compared to the main campus. Unfortunately, with
supply budgets being cut and many Geoscience sections offered on the main campus, there are
few materials to spare to support off-campus offerings.
There is currently no space for specimen preparation in the Geosciences. The department does
posses a polisher and rock saw, neither of which have been operated in over 5 years. In addition,
the Geoscience stock space has been reduced by 70% over that same timeframe. Since the
schools relocation to the Old Oregon Trail campus, Geoscience stock and prep was located in
Room 1416A which had direct access to Room 1416. Room 1416A had plumbing (water, gas
and vacuum) that supported the equipment, a fume hood, and adequate space for all the materials
as well as room for the full-time faculty members office. With the expansion of the Geosciences
on campus to include Oceanography, Meteorology, and a course on fossils, Room 1416A is still
the ideal location and it is recommended that the department reoccupy it.
The space was exchanged for a computer lab in 1997 which is not hosted or well maintained.
The lab has only gained significant use since Spring 2003 and now has widespread use across
science disciplines, with perhaps one or two classes using it per week. It is recommended that
the computer lab be relocated into what will become vacant offices during the “Science Lab
Renovation” project made possible by bond funds. Additional incentive to regain Room 1461A
is provided by the arrival of the Geography discipline to SINR. The Geosciences and Geography
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need a map storage and usage area and Room 1416A could be subdivided to accommodate that
need. Such a move would free up space adjacent to what is to become the Physics stock space
(Room 1417) and provide a prep area for faculty moving into the lecture hall (Room 1425).
Further, there is extensive camping gear, now stored in Room 1411, that support many SINR
disciplines including Geosciences, Geography, Natural Resources, Natural History, Agriculture,
Biology, and Zoology, that could be stored in Room 1416A.
It is further recommended that when new faculty offices are constructed with the use of bond
funds, that Room 1427 become the equipment/prep room for the Geosciences. It is the most
isolated location in the building and could easily be sound-buffered further so that saws, grinders
and polishers could again be used.
XI.
EQUIPMENT
A.
Chemistry
There are specific deficiencies in equipment available for use by the program. The equipment is
old, in short supply or does not exist. Equipment needed to address deficiencies and estimate
costs of acquisition:
Equipment and supplies needed for labs:
There is a very real shortage of both supplies and equipment in the Chemistry
laboratories. This includes such items as;
-
balances, filtration flasks, hotplates, test tubes, organic model kits, TLC plates
and much more
The estimated cost for all these items is $4500. The supply budget needs to be increased
so we can obtain these items. It is likely that the shortage of supplies and smaller
equipment will only increase over the coming months/years due to increases in
enrollment and the addition of extra classes, the fact that all instructors are conducting
more demonstrations in their lectures and participation in extra-curricular activities such
as the Science Olympiad and eighth-grader day.
Other Miscellaneous needs:
- DVD player
Estimated Cost: $50
Nederman pull-down fume hoods:
- 1425 One large $1100
- 1415 One small $600
- 1416 One small $600
- 1426 Twelve small $7200
- 1411 Ten small $6000
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The installation of these pull-down hoods is planned in the first phase of the science
laboratory upgrades in the summer of 2004.
Large equipment:
Highest priority
- Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (or computer interface retrofit for
existing NMR), $60000
- Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, $25000
- gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer with computer interface and associated
software, $50000
High priority
- 14 microscale/organic Chemistry glassware kits, $2800 ($200 each)
- Ultraviolet spectrometer with computer interface and associated software, $7000
- Visible light spectrometers, $500 each
Medium priority
- High performance liquid chromatograph with extra column so it can also be used
as a High performance ion chromatograph, $30000
Lower priority
- Atomic absorption spectrometer with computer interface and associated software,
$13000 refurbished or $25000 new
B.
Geography
Most courses in Geography have relatively few equipment needs since they are principally
lecture courses. The availability of computers in the classroom (with Rooms 1411 and 1415)
will allow more use of the Internet and Geography specific software and animations. The
addition of a bank for globes for in-class use would enhance student learning as well.
GEOG 10, with its lab, does have some equipment needs. An additional 10–15 compasses ($50
each) would replaces damage units and allow for full class participation. Expanding our
collection of maps and aerial photos would also enhance this course.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
For most of the curriculum, equipment is adequate and very comparable with what lower
division students would see at most 2- and 4-year schools. There is a need to increase equipment
available to do experiments in modern Physics. These experiments could include the
photoelectric effect, the speed of light, critical potentials, and studies of radioactivity. Much of
the equipment tends to be expensive, so it may not be practical to have class sets for each
experiment. In any case, costs could be around $20,000.
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Present equipment needs in Astronomy are shared with Physics. Because of small supply
budgets, Joe Polen has purchased software, 3-D glasses, and miscellaneous supplies himself for
this class.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
Deficiencies in the Geosciences include binocular dissecting (low-power) microscopes and light
sources, binocular high powered microscopes, rock and fossil prep equipment, analytic hardware
for field studies, and appropriate computers in Room 1416 that support Geoscience lab activities.
The microscopes themselves are of great use in oceanographic studies (PHSC 2 and 5), as well
as in fossil studies (GEOL 6). Many of the courses would benefit from even the most simple
rock and fossil preparation, such as cutting and polishing, chiseling and excavation and
preservation gear, including GEOL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, the twenty, thirty and forty series courses,
and PHSC 2. Oceanographic studies require water analysis hardware and it has already been
recommended that Lab Pro® equipment and Palm® hand-helds be purchased to support
classroom and field studies. These materials would emphasize observation, data collection and
analysis that would be then used to derive interpretations, all through computer assistance. Lab
Pro® also markets Geology equipment. To support this as well as animation, CD-ROMS and
analytical and Geoscience specific software, new computers are needed in Room 1416. It has
been recommended that 8 to 10 “e-Macs” be purchased from Apple because of the versatility of
OSX to run UNIX and LENOX (ARC view and ARC info are UNIX native) and other programs
that are freeware written by Geoscience teachers for Mac computers. Mac computers can also
run any IBM compatible software as well, and currently, the e-Macs are several hundred dollars
less expensive that the computers now being purchased by technology on campus. Bond money
for the “Science Lab Renovation” project is purchasing cabinetry to house a computer array, but
it cannot purchase the computers themselves.
XII.
PROGRAM SUCCESS AND PERFORMANCE
A.
Chemistry
At this point, we have rather limited means to assess the success of the Chemistry Program. All
instructors maintain occasional contact with some of their former students, and therefore, have at
least anecdotal evidence that we are preparing our transfer students well for their college or
university programs. We have, in fact, had former students return to Shasta College to give
Science Colloquium talks on their graduate research. Perhaps we should develop a more formal
method of evaluation that is somewhat practical and not excessively time-consuming (an
interactive web page was suggested in the last Program Review).
We also have evidence of the success of our programs, and certainly their performance by some
definitions, by looking at our continually increasing enrollments and our expanded course
offerings (see Section II, Research).
B.
Geography
There are not quantitative data to support this section, aside from enrollment figures.
Anecdotal evidence includes students transferring to 4-year universities in Geography (2-3
students per year over the period), along with former students returning to express appreciation
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for classes. Student participation in Earth Day, National Geography week, and GIS Day reflect
an involvement with the larger community. Overall, performance and program success has
likely suffered as a result of the lack of a full-time dedicated faculty. For example, the
Geography Adventure Club was previously active on campus, but has been inactive since 1997.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
Given our primary mission of preparing students for upper division work in the sciences and
engineering, the best measure of our success would be the performance of former students after
they transfer to 4-year schools. Any internal data we generate, such as departmental GPA,
completion rates, and so on are secondary.
Unfortunately, most of what we know about the success of former students is anecdotal – those
who choose to return and tell us how well they are doing probably constitute a self-selected
sample skewed toward those who had a positive experience here. If data tracking our former
students exists, we have not seen it. Therefore, at present we can probably say only that, lacking
any evidence to the contrary, we believe we are meeting the needs of our students.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
Since Fall 1999, the Geosciences have been in “recovery”. Prior to this time, there was no fulltime faculty in place for the 1998-99 academic year, and, prior to that, the full-time faculty that
did teach Geoscience also instructed veterinary tech and Chemistry courses. This effectively
reduced the Geoscience offerings and the stature of the program on campus, a position that
described the program from the mid-1990’s.
Recovery has included the arrival of a full-time faculty member in the Fall of 1999, Randy Reed,
to specifically teach Geoscience. Curriculum has changed dramatically, course offering’s in the
Geosciences and student enrollments are thought to have increased as compared to the mid- to
late 1990’s, although there is no data available to support the latter two statements.
Program success will continue to be measured by student enrollments, the success and retention
rate, as well as the transfer rate, a number that may turn out to be very difficult to track and apply
directly to the Geosciences. In addition, the number of sections offered and the number of
sections cancelled will be significant. The drive will be to increase the popularity of the program
through awareness, and effective teaching.
XIII. SUPPORT SERVICES
A.
Chemistry
Important support services for Chemistry students are:


Science Learning Center
Student Counseling
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
1.
Financial Aide Office
Science Learning Center
The Science Learning Center (SLC) provides students with a place to communicate with other
students, Xerox notes, get tutoring and is also a relaxed atmosphere in which to study. E-mail
communication with the coordinator of the SLC revealed that there is no system for collecting
and/or monitoring statistics; to determine what percentage of Chemistry students are using this
center. Nor has there been any evaluation of the efficiency of the Center and therefore no
mechanism to look at the users suggestions for improving the effectiveness of this Center. When
a group of 30 Chemistry students taking CHEM 1A were informally asked to give opinions
about improving our services regarding the SLC, they recommended:



The Math Center is open on Saturday mornings, why don’t we keep SLC open on
Saturday mornings as well?
More tutors are needed in the SLC.
SLC needs a printer for computers just like the Math Center and Business Center
With the bond money allocated to science, there is a possibility of having a new building added
to our science complex. If this takes place the SLC will:




2.
Relocate and will be in a more accessible location to Chemistry students.
More comfortable seating will be provided.
The testing room will be in a quieter location.
Several smaller study rooms will be built which will allow students studying the
same subject to gather and discuss a topic freely. This would also provide more
quiet study rooms for students who easily get distracted.
Student Counseling
Student counseling is an area of student support that many students complain about. When a
group of 30 Chemistry students, taking CHEM 1A, were informally asked to make comments
about our counseling services, they thought that there is often wrong advice given which results
in students taking wrong courses. They also complained that sometimes they have to wait too
long to see a counselor, as much as a month in some cases, and that appointments are sometimes
cancelled.
Suggestions for improvements:



Counselors need training and coordination.
It would be desirable if counselors could only serve a specific area and get
expertise in advising the students in that area.
Students should evaluate our counseling services and feedback should be used to
improve the system.
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3.
Student Financial Aid
When a group of 30 Chemistry students, taking CHEM 1A, were informally asked about the
Student Financial Aid Office, They said:




This Center often has long lines similar to lines that used to be seen at the DMV
This Center treats students poorly.
The paperwork takes too long before it is sent.
Sometimes paperwork gets lost.
Suggestion for improvements:
The system of managing this office should be reviewed and a student-oriented system with better
time management should be implemented. The Department of Motor Vehicles should be
contacted and consulted for advice on how line management might be useful.
B.
Geography
Support to students in Geography is offered in several different ways. Beyond normal office
hours, students are encouraged to attend pre-exam student sessions. Tutors at the Science
Learning Center provide further assistance to students needing extra help. The Writing Center is
also used as a resource for students working on research papers.
Students with special needs have taken advantage of services provided by the DSPS Office,
including note-taking and extra time for exams.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
We have had the best experiences with the support staff in test taking, sign language for the deaf
and for blind students. There are a lot of qualified caring people working here with our students.
Tutors in the Science Learning Center are a great help to our students.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
For the most part, students have used note-takers in Geoscience classes and there have been few
requests for other accommodations or support. Note-takers have been supported by disabilities
services. There was one deaf student that attended a field trip class and she was supported by
two interpreters in lecture and at field stops, again supported by disabilities services. The only
other request came from a student who needed a breathing machine to sleep. Geoscience supply
money purchased a power converter so that he could plug in the machine and attend an overnight
trip.
Typically, full-time faculty and some part-time faculty place copies of the textbook on reserve in
both the Library and the Science Learning Center. The latter provides support specific to science
students and has, one or two semesters in the past 4 years, hired Geoscience tutors. With budgets
being cut and greater demand for tutors in other science areas, there have been no Geoscience
tutors for the past five to six semesters. The Science Learning Center houses: Geoscience
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textbooks for addition reference, Geoscience materials for check out such as mineral, rock, fossil
and oceanographic specimens, and has an area dedicated to Geosciences established by Randy
Reed in the 2002-2003 academic year.
XIV. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
There are no community advisory committees for the programs in the Physical Science area.
These are usually found in vocational programs, but not in transfer, academic disciplines.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
There is no advisory committee for the Geosciences. It is recommended, though, that the fulltime faculty member make contact with local professional organizations, such as the local
chapter of the American Engineering Geologists, and local firms, such as CH2M Hill, to keep in
pace with trends in the applied aspects of the Geosciences. There are already contacts
established with appropriate faculty at many northern California university Geoscience
departments that serve as sources for evaluating educational trends.
XV.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND EVALUATION
There are some general recommendations that include all the programs/disciplines. These are
listed first, then specific recommendations for each program/discipline. These sections will first
list the strengths and weaknesses of the program/discipline, followed by a list of
recommendations with an action plan for each one.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Section VI (Curriculum Diversity)
Recommendation: Have input into the programs being developed as part of the University
Center.
Action Plan: The Center Dean should keep faculty informed of progress occurring in
developing programs for the University Center and provide opportunities for input and
feedback on programs affecting the sciences.
2. Section VIII (Course Scheduling and Sequencing)
Recommendation: Improve the coordination of scheduling classes in the sciences between the
Redding campus and the Extended Education sites.
Action Plan: Take an active role in developing a class schedule in each
program/discipline that meets the needs of students throughout the district. Also
participate in the regular evaluation of adjunct faculty teaching science classes in the
Extended Education sites.
Recommendation: Improve the coordination of course scheduling between the math and science
areas.
Action Plan: Meet with math faculty once per year to look at potential conflicts in
scheduling between math and science courses.
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3. Section X (Facilities)
Recommendation: Get all of the needed facility upgrades completed by Summer 2005 using the
Title III funds and bond issue money.
Action Plan: Participate in the meetings to coordinate and plan for the specific facility
upgrades needed for each science building.
A.
Chemistry
Recommendation 1: Science course schedules and their time should be revisited to give more
choice and flexibility to students.
Action Plan: A joint meeting between Math, and Science faculty should be arranged by
SINR during the month of April 2004, for improving the offering of Math and Science
courses.
Recommendations 2: We should evaluate online, ITV, summer and night courses.
Action Plan: Distance Education shall determine the evaluation criteria.
Recommendation 3: We want to ensure a high quality of instruction at the Red Bluff campus,
and we have concerns about scheduling conflicts with the main campus, which negatively impact
course enrollments and viability on the main campus. This needs to be addressed.
Action Plan: The Deans of Extended Education and Science, Industry & Natural
Resources, should schedule a meeting in March 2004, to discuss who will teach
Chemistry at Extended Education sites.
Recommendation 4: We should clarify the accepted practice within a department, for example,
regarding use/type of goggles and use/type of lab notebooks in Chemistry. This should be
clarified.
Action Plan: A meeting should be scheduled prior to the end of Spring semester,
between Chemistry faculty to make a decision regarding the type of goggles and lab
report writing that should be used in all Chemistry labs.
Recommendation 5: We need to develop a program evaluation tool, which sets standards by
which the success of the program can be measured.
Action Plan: Hire a consultant by February 2005 to develop an evaluation tool for the
Chemistry Program.
Recommendation 6: We need to decrease the faculty load to allow faculty to have time to
develop new instructional methods, expand course offerings and develop new curriculum
(Environmental Chemistry, etc.).
Action Plan: Hire one new full-time faculty instructor.
Recommendation 7: The SLC should be open on Saturday mornings, and more tutors are needed
to help students during the week. Provide a printer for computers in SLC, just like the Math
Center and Business Center.
Action Plan: Ask the coordinator of the SLC to estimate the cost of providing the above
extra support. Increase the budget by the needed amount.
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Recommendation 8: Relocate SLC so that it will be in a more accessible location to Chemistry
students. In the design of the new building, consider the following:
 Provide more comfortable seating in SLC.
 The testing room should be in a quieter location
 Build several smaller study rooms to allow students studying the same subject together
and discuss a topic freely. This would also provide more quiet study rooms for students
who easily get distracted
Action Plan: Send a copy of this recommendation to the project architect to keep the above
recommendation in mind for the design of the new SLC.
Recommendation 9:
 Add another utility outlet to current fume hoods in all Chemistry labs.
 Add two ceiling-mounted pull-down fume extraction arms for each bench in the organic
Chemistry lab, Room 1404, and one unit per bench in Rooms 1401 and 1414.
 Install a wall-mounted pull-down fume extraction arm in Rooms 1425, 1415 and 1416.
 Add one more computer to every bench in Rooms 1401, 1404 and 1414.
 Install a projector light in Rooms 1415 and 1416.
 Install signs in 1400 building to direct students to Room 1425.
Action Plan: Send a copy of these recommendations to the project architect to keep the
above considerations in mind for the design of the changes in the 1400 building.
B.
Geography
1.
Strengths
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2.
Dedicated faculty with diverse backgrounds which do justice to various
sub-disciplines and approaches in Geography
Faculty dedicated to furthering the discipline of Geography
Application of Geography to addressing contemporary concerns and problems:
resource use, population issues, human conflicts, etc. at various scales (local,
regional, global)
Move to SINR has increased focus on geographic science and brought increased
attention to human/environment interactions to sciences
Strong links to Natural Resources and GIS programs; this serves to provide a bridge
between vocational programs and the sciences
Strong links to the professional community, including geographers engaged in
planning and the application of GIS, GPS and related technologies
Links with Geography programs at Universities (CSUC, SFSU, etc)
Strong program of geographic technologies (GIS, GPS, etc.)
Map reading course combined with a good collection of maps
Weaknesses
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3.
Lack of dedicated, full-time Geography instructor has affected program development
and continuity
Links between Geography and other science programs, especially Geosciences, is still
developing
Move from the Language Arts and Social Science may have weakened the social
sciences connection with Geography
Lack of dedicated Geography classroom has created problems for scheduling (new
Room 1411 should solve this)
Current map library is inadequate for using the map, especially by students
Lack of opportunities for field trips
ITV course sections offered from remote sites undermine courses on the main
campus, in some cases causing them to not make due to insufficient numbers
Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Hire a dedicated, full-time Geography instructor.
Action: Make case for instructor need on the next hiring cycle.
Recommendation 2: Increase communication and coordination between full-time and adjunct
faculty.
Action: Hold joint semester meetings or get-togethers.
Recommendation 3: Increase opportunities for geographic field experiences.
Action: Offer a section of either GEOG 2A and 2B each semester.
Recommendation 4: Expand outreach and promotion of courses.
Action: Work with College and Community Relations on ideas.
Recommendation 5: Establish a dedicated (or semi-dedicated) Geography classroom.
Action: Work with other Science faculty of scheduling of Rooms 1411 and 1415.
Recommendation 6: Create a new map library, with improved access for students.
Action: Design new map library as part of the science building upgrades for Fall2004.
Recommendation 7: Strengthen ties with University programs.
Action: Visit campuses and coordinate student programs.
Recommendation 8: Strengthen ties with Geosciences Program.
Action: Due a lecture/class swap each semester between Geosciences and Geography
faculty.
Recommendation 9: Strengthen ties with Social Science courses (anthropology, economics,
history, etc.).
Action: Meet with selected faculty to explore opportunities.
Recommendation 10: Consider inclusion of GEOG 10 course for Geology transfer degree.
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Action: Evaluate possibility of providing an “Option” for inclusion of GEOG 10.
Recommendation 11: Include Geography topics as part of the Science Colloquium.
Action: Work with instructors on identifying speakers and setting dates.
Recommendation 12: Update map and air photo collection.
Action: Coordinate with Geosciences to determine best allocation of available funds.
Recommendation 13: Meet with Ross and Sandy and develop a budget that can be included
in the planning process for next year's budget.
C.
Astronomy, Physics, and Physical Science 1
1.
Strengths:
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Experienced teaching faculty who work effectively as a team to promote student
learning.
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Lab space and equipment that is adequate for present needs.
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Curriculum that is up to date and articulated with four-year institutions.
2.
1.
Weaknesses:

Lack of flexibility in scheduling and ability to add new sections or courses, due to
staffing limitations.
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Lack of facilities for observational astronomy.
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A supply budget that is not completely adequate to serve both Physics and
astronomy.
Section I (Program Description and Staff)
Recommendation: Look for ways to augment the faculty available to teach Physics.
Action Plan: Since a new full-time position is, at present, a pipe dream and the supply of
qualified adjuncts remains at zero, this requires deploying current faculty in different
ways. There are other faculty members (Berisso in math, Blaser in Chemistry) who are
qualified to teach at least some of the curriculum. When making assignments in math or
Chemistry, or in planning for new hires, Deans should consider doing so in such a way as
to increase the chance for qualified faculty to teach Physics. This is the only way that it
seems possible to expand course offerings.
2.
Section VIII (Course Sequencing and Scheduling)
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Recommendation: Work with other faculty from Physical Sciences, life sciences, mathematics,
and counseling, to develop a 2-year sequence by which science and engineering majors can
complete all lower division work, if they enter prepared for college-level math.
Action Plan: Schedule a meeting for flex day (Fall 2004) to coordinate course schedules
in order to create this sequence. Faculty members involved: Masulis and others to be
identified from Chemistry, Biology, math, and counseling.
3.
Section IX (Instructional Methodology)
Recommendation: Consider a team teaching arrangement for PHSC 1 with a faculty member
from Physics and one from Chemistry.
Action Plan: Before Fall 2004, identify faculty willing to team teach this course, and
place the course on the Fall schedule as team-taught. Possible faculty: Masulis, Gottlieb,
Blaser.
4.
Section X (Facilities)
Recommendation: Complete conversion of Room 1411 into a second (in addition to Room
1415) computer equipped lecture/lab room and begin to schedule some lab sections at times
more convenient to students.
Action Plan: Work on Room 1411 to be completed by Fall 2004. Whether it will be
fully functional on the first day of classes that semester remains unknown as we work on
the Fall schedule. Full implementation may wait until Spring 2005.
D.
Geology and Physical Science 2-7
1.
Program/Discipline Strengths: The curriculum now in place in the Geosciences is
impressive. It is diverse and can serve students looking to advance into any field of the earth
sciences. Further, the establishment of two A.S. degrees should increase the number of transfer
students coming out of the Geosciences. In addition, the program has infused a substantial
amount of technology in its teaching methodology and is moving towards increasing the use of
technology in lab and field activities. Once in place, the later use of technology will truly make
Shasta College Geosciences a curriculum that prepares students for the challenges of the job
market and societal issues.
2.
Program/Discipline Weaknesses:
a. Space is of a premium and there is no room appropriate for map storage/use,
field equipment storage, rock/mineral/fossil preparation and rock/mineral/fossil
preparation storage.
Recommendation: Move the Geosciences back into Room1416A and establish Room 1427 as a
rock/mineral/fossil preparation room.
Action Plan: This change could be accomplished with the monies from “Science Lab
Renovation” project in the summer of 2004 or 2005. Randy Reed has a plan for making
the needed changes, the fallout of which would also benefit Chemistry, Physics and
astronomy faculty.
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b. Field trip costs are increasing due to two factors: a) The colleges insurance will
not let 15-passenger vans tow a trailer resulting in the hire of additional vans for each
overnight field trip, one to be used as a “gear van”, and b) former Governor Davis signed
into law a requirement that all school employees who drive field trip vehicles carry a
commercial license appropriate to that vehicle. This means that students cannot drive vans
on field trips, resulting in the hire of drivers. If these drivers operate a vehicle while on
overtime, the charges will increase even more.
Recommendation: Change insurance companies or convince them that, with a professional
driver, the trailers are safe behind the vans.
Action Plan: This step could be initiated by several administrators and followed up on by
the same: the SINR Center Dean (Ross Tomlin), the Director of Transportation (John
Moore), the VP of Administrative Services (currently not a filled position).
Recommendation: Have the full-time faculty member get a commercial license for the
appropriate vehicle (15-passengger van).
Action Plan: Costs and time may be prohibitive; unless supply monies from the
Geosciences can be applied. In addition, it is not certain when this law goes into effect.
c. Supply costs are high, and are barely covering the basic needs. Needs are
expected to increase for the Geosciences, especially with the addition of oceanography.
Recommendation: With the increased popularity of oceanography and some Geology courses, as
well as the arrival of the two A.S. degrees, a greater draw on the supplies will need to be
accompanied by increases in the supply budget.
Action Plan: Determine an appropriate supplies budget to submit in the Spring.
d. Computer integration has been slow, even though several Mac computers have
been diverted from surplus property to Room 1416, most over 11/2 years ago. These
computers were upgraded somewhat but are now rather outdated.
Recommendation: Purchase new e-Macs for the classroom.
Action Plan: A request has been made during the Fall 2003 semester to the SINR Center
dean and he has contacted the Title III coordinator to evaluate funds. The request was
repeated at the start of the Spring 2004 semester.
Recommendation: Make the classroom Internet ready for the new computers or at least the
existing computers.
Action Plan: A work request for making six Internet connections in Room 1416 was
completed in early August of 2002. Follow-up on the request has revealed that a new
communication hub needed to be installed. In addition, there was/is a controversy over
what area pulls wire for such installation, Technology personnel or Physical Plant
personnel. This needs to be revisited.
Recommendation: Purchase Lab Pro® and Palm® hand held hardware for lab and field data
collection and computer analysis.
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Action Plan: A request has been made during the Fall 2003 semester to the SINR Center
Dean and he has contacted the Title III coordinator to evaluate funds. The request was
repeated at the start of the Spring 2004 semester.
e. Enrollments in the Geosciences are likely affected by the scheduling of GE
Physical Science courses.
Recommendation 5: Coordinate the course offerings among the Geosciences on and off-campus,
and with astronomy.
Action Plan 5a: To date there has been no collaboration between on-campus
programs/disciplines and the offering of courses within those areas at off-campus
locations. This has resulted in too many GE Physical Science courses being offered and
courses in direct scheduling conflict with one another, both of which likely contributed to
cancelled sections.
Action Plan 5b: Astronomy courses have traditionally been overenrolled, despite the
number of seat in the assigned classroom. On-campus offerings of ASTR 1 in the
academic years 2002-2003 increased from four sections the prior year to six, possibly
drawing students out of the Geosciences contributing to low enrollments and
cancellations. Astronomy has now been limited enrollments to seating capacity and only
four sections per academic year are being offered. Nothing further needs to be done
except for continued coordination in scheduling.
f. The Geoscience program is still rather unknown on campus.
Recommendation 6: Increase the awareness through fliers, contact with the counselors, and
college connection.
Action Plan 6: There has been contact with the counselors in the past, including the
hosting of the first counselor meeting by Randy Reed in Room 1416 at the start of the
Fall semester 2002. E-mail messages have also been sent to the counselors and college
connection faculty describing classes at the start of the past several semesters. Such
efforts need to be repeated.
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