iii. geography students - kansas state university student enrollment had increased to 19,301; in...
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III. GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS
Geography Enrollment Figures
Student enrollment at KSU maintained a steady increase through the 1970s and
into the 1980s, reaching 19,982 students in 1982. Then enrollment began to decline
annually until only 17, 570 students were enrolled in 1985. In 1986 Dr. Jon Wefald
became the new president, and he made a special effort to attract students to K-State. By
1988 student enrollment had increased to 19,301; in 1989 enrollment was 20,110, and by
1990 it reached 21,137 students. An all time high of 23,000 was recorded in the fall of
2006.
Geography course enrollment continued to increase, even when University
enrollment declined in the middle 1980s. During the four years from 1986 through
1990 the enrollment in multiple sections of World Regional Geography averaged more
than 500 students per semester. While Environmental Geography I averaged 400. In
the middle 1970s approximately 700 students were enrolled in geography courses each
semester, but from 1986 through 1990 the total averaged 1,161 students per semester.
With a high of 1,475 students in the fall semester of 1989. In the 1991-92 academic year,
student numbers in all departmental courses reached 3000 for the first time, and the total
has exceeded 4000 since the 2003-04 academic year.
The greatest numerical increase has been in World Regional Geography. It rose
from 550 in the spring of 1991 to 1038 in the fall of 1999 and has averaged over 1000
students a semester since. The course also has expanded its proportion of the department
enrollment. World Regional Geography accounted for between 37% and 41% of the
enrollment in the early 1990s, but the course has exceeded half of the students taking
geography since the spring of 1996.
Regional courses in general have fared well. Enrollment in the Geography
of Kansas which had been in the 40s and 50s, reached 90 in the fall of 1997. It now
averages more than 100 each time the course is offered. Geography of the United States
rose from 36 in the fall of 1995 to 92 in the spring of 2000 and has averaged more than
130 students since. Geography of Latin America has more than tripled its enrollment
since the late 1990s, reaching 55 in the spring of 2005.
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Dramatic growth has taken place for Human Geography and the Geography of Tourism. Enrollment in the former course had reached the 80s in the late 1990s. It exceeded 100 for the first time in spring of 2001, and it has stayed well above 200 in recent semesters. Tourism enrollees numbered in the 30s and 40s, but by the spring of 1998 the count had reached 77, and eight years later more than 180 students were taking the course. Other courses posting gains include Geography of Natural Resources, GIS, and Seminar in Rural Resources Management. The significant increase in enrollment in many geography courses can be attributed to the offering of more sections of World Regional Geography and Human Geography and the use of larger classrooms. The additional sections have been facilitated by hiring visiting assistant professors every semester since the fall of 1998 and the use of doctoral students as instructors. Table 2 gives Academic year enrollment since 1987-88.
Table 2: Academic Year Enrollment in Geography Courses 1987-88 to 2006-071987-88 1850 1992-93 2982 1997-98 2788 2002-03 39201988-89 2491 1993-94 3002 1998-99 2853 2003-04 43891989-90 2872 1994-95 2832 1999-00 3633 2004-05 43651990-91 2854 1995-96 2978 2000-01 3524 2005-06 42411991-92 3085 1996-97 2733 2001-02 3929 2006-07 4058
Sources: KSU Geography Enrollment History Reports for 1987-2007
The offering of many courses in larger rooms has made possible substantial
enrollment increases. The University instituted a policy by which rooms are assigned to
classes based on demand. In the past, certain rooms were assigned to departments. Often
they were located in the same building as the departmental offices. This was true the
entire time geography was in Thompson and Dickens Halls. In recent years geography
courses such as World Regional, Human, Environmental, and Tourism have been
assigned large and often “high tech” classrooms across campus. Although these rooms
are not specifically designed for teaching geography, they do facilitate using power point
for lectures.
Laboratory space limitations have hampered enrollment growth in courses such as
Environmental Geography I and II, Cartography, Computer Mapping, and Remote
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Sensing. As new GIS facilities are built in Seaton Hall and with the addition of a GIS
faculty position, enrollment in related courses is likely to increase.
Number of Geography Majors
The number of geography majors has varied over the years. The largest number
between 80 and 85 occurred in the five semesters from the fall of 1991 to the fall of 1993.
The number of Geography majors declined to the 40s and 50s in the mid to late 1990s,
But it has gradually and unevenly climbed into the 60s and 70s in recent years. Appendix
G shows the number of majors by semester since 1990.
Significantly more majors are upper class students than are underclass. Freshmen
typically number seven or eight and sophomores about twice that number. Many
students declare a geography major during their third year, and typically over 20 juniors
are in the program. Others become majors as fourth year seniors, and they tend to
number over 30. It is not unusual for students to complete their undergraduate studies in
five years. Although few students begin college as geography majors, many are attracted
to the field through enrolling in the large introductory courses such as World Regional
Geography, Environmental Geography I, and Human Geography. Pluralities of students
take these classes as sophomores. Many subsequently enroll in another course such as
Environmental Geography II, Geography of Natural Resources, Geography of Tourism,
or a regional course and then declare a major after a successful second experience.
Every semester some students declare dual majors with geography and another
field. Typically, five to ten geographers have dual majors. Often they begin with another
social science. Some keep their original major and add geography. Some geography
students have a secondary major, most often Natural Resources and Environmental
Science (NRES). It is not unusual for one or two students to be in the preplanning
curriculum each semester. Geography also offers a minor. As of the fall of 2006, 18
undergraduate students were pursuing a minor in geography.
Geography is one of 21 departments in the Kansas State University College of
Arts and Sciences. The faculty size of the departments ranges from 41 to 8. When
the Geography Department had 11 budgeted faculty, it was the next to the smallest in
the college. Although the department ranks in the lower half of the number of total
undergraduate majors, it ranks in the top half of B.A. and B.S. degrees conferred.
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Twenty departments offer Master’s degrees but only three departments have a
significantly larger M.A./M.S. production. Because the Ph.D. did not become effective
until August of 1996, and the first degrees were not granted until 2000, it is too early to
make meaningful College comparisons. Perhaps one of the most significant statistics
is in student credit hour production. Only five departments generate more than 1,000
student credit hours per faculty member, and Geography ranks first by a significant
margin.
Gamma Theta Upsilon History
Soon after the Bachelors degree program had been authorized, geography
students at Kansas State organized the Geography Club, which in 1959 became the
Beta Psi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the International Geography Honor
Society. Sarah Larson was the first organization sponsor and Huber Self the first faculty
sponsor. The charter members of Beta Psi consisted of twelve geography students and
Professor Herbert E. Rau, Jr. Gamma Theta Upsilon has played a major role in the lives
and activities of students at K-State. It has hosted visiting scholars, sponsored picnics,
arranged local and sometimes extended field trips, encouraged students to attend regional
and national professional meetings where special sessions are organized by GTU, and
made members eligible for scholarship awards.
In 1974 Dr. Seyler was appointed faculty sponsor of GTU, and he continued in
that capacity until 1982 when he was succeeded by Dr. Duane Nellis. Under Seyler’s
leadership the organization flourished. Dr. Nellis made a special effort to help those
graduating in geography to obtain employment in government agencies, private and
government planning agencies, and in teaching positions as well as in other fields. In
1985, the KSU Activities Board granted Nellis the “Advisor of the Year Award.”
Dr. Charles Martin was appointed faculty advisor of GTU in 1989. During his
tenure GTU began recycling cans and bottles, with the proceeds going to the local chapter
of Habitat for Humanity. In the Adopt-A-Highway program GTU picks up trash along a
two-mile stretch of US 77 in Riley County.
In 1997 Dr. Max Lu became faculty advisor for GTU; that responsibility he held
until 2006, when he was replaced by Dr. Deborah Che. GTU continues to hold an annual
banquet and a picnic, to sponsor guest scholars, and to coordinate participation in the
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University Open House and the Telefund. GTU has also enhanced its fundraising through selling t-shirts, working concession stands at football games, and cleaning Bramlage Coliseum after basketball games. For several years a popular program has been the brownbag lunch seminar. Brownbags feature lunchtime speakers from geography, other departments on campus, and visitors to the University. Topics range from interesting travels to scholarly research. The outstanding work of the Beta Psi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon has been recognized by the central office of the International Geographic Honor Society. There are over 140 chapters worldwide, and the Chapter of the Year Award is given to one outstanding chapter that exemplifies active participation at their college. Beta Psi was selected as the Chapter of the Year in both 2000 and 2005. Individual members of Beta Psi have also won numerous GTU scholarship awards.
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GAMMA THETA UPSILON IN 1963
Top Row: Harry L. Seyler, Marvin L. Vialle, William R. Siddall, Robert G. MadziyaSecond Row: Herbert L. Rau, Eldor C. Quandt, Huber Self
Bottom Row: Tom H. Brettschneider, Lloyd A. Stjernberg, Jerry D. Croft, Robert G. Heft
GAMMA THETA UPSILON IN 1970
Top Row: Jerrie Rapp, Barbara E. Potts, Vera A. Scott, Helen E. Gross, Steven R. Kale, John L. Johnson
Second Row: William A. Ziegler, Gary L. Henton, James F. Bock, Robert M. Perry, Huber Self, Clyde E. Weaver
Bottom Row: Charles Bradley, Stephen Stover, Marvin W. Weigand, Robert C. Urbanek, LeRoy Ford, Lester D. Ready
Plate 3
Plate 4
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GAMMA THETA UPSILON PHOTO 1988
Front Row: M. Duane Nellis, James Kilgannon, Marion Mackay, Janette Metzler, Raymond Hoogendoorn, Erik Peterson, David Kromm, Stormy Kennedy, Kevin Page, Christopher Deyoe
Back Row: John Bally, Kelly Butwinski, Mark Strahm, John Turner, Gary Jones, Todd Stell, Tod Meyn, Stephen Stover
GAMMA THETA UPSILON IN 1990
Front Row: Duane Nellis, Don Harrier, Scott Haley, Curt WeitkunatSecond Row: Ann Hinterleitner, Craig Walters, Steve Mize, Tom Mettille, Janette Metzler
Back Row: Julie Kesinger, Kay Weller, Phil Brink, Michael Tims
Plate 5
Plate 6
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St. George Geographical Society
The St. George Geographical Society was founded in 1973 by a group of four graduate
students. Because one was a Brit and the nearby town had an agreeable tavern, the name
St. George was chosen. Although most meetings convened in Aggieville, once a semester
a field trip was made to St. George. Professor Huber Self usually led a walking tour of
the village. All participants remember the highlights well.
From its inception, St. George has been a social society, bringing together
faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and the occasional alum, or departmental
visitors on a Friday afternoon. St. George continues to meet about once a month. The
Society provides a relaxed, informal setting where members of the K-State geographic
community can get together and discuss all things geographic.
Student Recognitions
Numerous awards have been earned by geography students. Several are given
annually within the department. One of these, the Leonard LeBlanc Award, was
established by LeBlanc, a geography alumnus of the class of 1973. Mr. LeBlanc has
given generous financial support, maps, and African and Asian art to the department. He
continues to provide funds annually to the outstanding undergraduate major in geography.
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The award is based on intellectual distinction, leadership, and service to the department
and to the profession of geography. After Huber Self’s retirement in 1980, the faculty
and geography alumni established the “Huber Self Scholarship” in his honor. Student
selection is based primarily on scholastic attainments. The first award was made in 1981
to Stan Wilds.
In addition to the Self and LeBlanc Scholarships, the Geography Department
recognizes students with several other awards. Since 1992 the William Grimm
Scholarship has been awarded to a worthy student in honor of Captain William Grimm,
a former student who was killed in the Persian Gulf War. Established in 2006, the Seyler
Undergraduate GIScience Scholarship is named in honor of Professor H.L. “Sy” Seyler,
a GIS pioneer in Kansas, and the driving force behind the creation of the Geographic
Information System Spatial Analysis Laboratory (GISSAL) at K-State. Awardees
must demonstrate both their accomplishments and future plans for using geospatial
technologies in geographic research or employment. Each year the Department also
designates a National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) Excellence in
Geography nominee.
Four awards are given to graduate students. Endowed by Dean Stephen and
Susan White since 2004, the White Scholarship is given to the outstanding graduate
teaching assistants. The Outstanding Department Citizenship Award was renamed in
memory of a former student, Mary Dobbs, in 2007. Established at K-State in 2006, the
R.B. Marston Scholarship is named for Rumsey Bissell Marston, a lifelong educator, and
is available to graduate students who are preparing a MA thesis or PhD dissertation that
utilizes concepts and techniques in physical geography and involves a significant level of
fieldwork. Lastly, there is the “Graduate Student Leadership Award.”
K-Staters have won many national awards including a Rhodes Scholarship by
Virgil Wiebe. Since 1971, nineteen students have won the prestigious annual Buzzard
Scholarship a national Gamma Theta Upsilon award. One has won a Richason Award
given annually by GTU to an outstanding undergraduate with career or graduate student
aspirations in geography. Among the other awards won by K-State geography students
are an American Water Foundation Research Fellowship, several Community Service
Scholarships, Dean’s Scholarships, a National Science Foundation Undergraduate
Fellowship, an Environmental Protection Agency Fellowship, a National Aeronautics
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and Space Administration Fellowship, four National Geographic Society Internships,
Dole-Yeltsin Scholarships, an American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Francis Lortz Memorial Scholarship, a Udall Scholarship, a Homeland Security Award,
and several prizes for outstanding student papers at the Kansas Academy of Science and
various geography conferences. Appendix H lists award recipients.
Geography Alumni Activities
Individual alumni and faculty formalized a relationship with the founding of
the Geography Alumni Association (GAA) at the K-State homecoming in 1980. The
purposes of the GAA were: 1) to encourage alumni to keep in contact, 2) to review
department curricula and suggest changes that might match needs identified by on-the-
job, non-academic geographers, 3) to provide insight and support in regard to jobs for
geography graduates, and 4) to support financial, academic, and physical needs of the
department. The GAA elected officers in 1980 for a two-year term. Brian Logan was
elected president, Ann Scott, vice president, and Linda Mitchell, secretary-treasurer.
In addition John Johnson and Bob Perry were chosen to encourage contributions to
the scholarship fund, to help screen student applications for that award, and to help
with arrangements for the fall homecomings. At the meeting in November 1982, Ann
Scott moved from vice president to president, according to the original rules of the
organization. John Cyr was elected to the newly combined office of vice president-
treasurer, John Johnson was chosen secretary, and Dave Fleetwood was elected to be
scholarship chairman and to help in planning homecomings for 1983 and 1984.
At the 1982 homecoming various methods were considered for collecting funds
to refurbish the new seminar room on the third floor of Dickens Hall and for encouraging
continuing contributions to the Scholarship fund. Donna (Hull) Goltry, was invited to
be the speaker. Her subject was, “The Impact of Reaganomics on the Ozarks Region,”
where she had been employed as a regional planner. The speaker at the homecoming
in 1983 was John C. Gottschamer of the Kansas Water Resources Board in Topeka. He
spoke on “Changes in the Water Resources in Kansas.” The speaker at the homecoming
in 1984 was 1959 alumnus Dr. Milton D. Rafferty, head of the Geoscience Department
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at Southwestern Missouri State University, whose talk was on “Social and Economic
Changes in the Ozark Region.” These presentations were given at Friday afternoon
seminars.
John R. Cyr, Director for North Central Kansas Planning Agency, presided at the
1985 business meeting. The alumni decided that all future homecomings will meet every
other (odd numbered) year. Thus, the next homecoming was planned for 1987. John
R. Cyr was elected to continue as president of the GAA. Ann Scott, Associate Dean of
K.S.U. Libraries, was chosen secretary and John L. Johnson, head of the Documents
Section of K.S.U. Libraries, vice president-treasurer. Several of the geography alumni
then attended the football game on Saturday afternoon, and they and others participated
in the Geography Department picnic and softball game on Sunday.
In October of 1987 the department celebrated its seventh Geography Alumni
Homecoming event. Randy McKinley and Stanley Wilds were the featured speakers.
Randy discussed “Monitoring Oil and Gas on B.L.M. Lands Using Spot and Landsat
Thematic Mapper Remotely Sensed Data,” while Stan talked about “The Geographic
Information System Pine Ridge Prairie Dog Control Project.” John Johnson was elected
president of the GAA. John Gottschamer became vice president and Ann Scott was
elected treasurer and secretary. At this meeting it was decided that the Geography
Alumni Association would revert back to the annual homecoming meeting of the group.
Several people participated in a Konza Prairie tour later that day. The grand finale was
a barbecue hosted by Ann and Dave Scott at the Scott’s fine stone home in the Ashland
Bottoms.
The 1988 Geography Alumni Association’s eighth homecoming meeting was held
October 14 and 15. On Friday, Dave Fiser, at the time the Mayor of Manhattan, gave a
talk about “Planning for Development: The Manhattan Experience.” The mayor met with
the St. George Geographical Society for some animated post presentation discussion.
The GAA business meeting was held on Saturday morning, followed by a visit to the
Manhattan City Commission and a tour of development projects for the city. The event
was concluded with a barbecue at Ann and Dave Scott’s home. John Johnson was elected
president for the years of 1988-1990. John believed, and others agreed, that because the
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geography alumni are scattered throughout the United States and around the world, it is
extremely difficult for many to travel to Manhattan for a yearly gathering; however, some
of them might come for a special occasion such as a 30th, 20th, or 10th year homecoming
from the time they were graduated.
The ninth Geography Alumni homecoming was held on October 27-28, 1989;
it was highlighted by a lecture from KSU’s first geography degree recipient, Nadine
(Oltgen) Burns, a high school special education teacher in St. Joseph, Missouri. Her talk
focused on her reflections about why geographic education is important. The St. George
Geographical Society met in St. George after the lecture. Other activities included a
business meeting on Saturday morning, a department open house, the KSU/KU football
game, and a GTU alumni picnic at Tuttle Creek Park.
The tenth Geography Alumni homecoming took place on November 3 and 4,
1990. Thirty-three special invitations were sent to geography alumni to attend their
10th, 20th, and 30th graduation anniversary homecoming. A panel discussion was held
in which Brian Logan, Planner for the Kansas Transportation Administration, John
Cyr, and John Johnson were the speakers. All three discussed how geography had
influenced their career success. At this homecoming, Ann Scott agreed to become the
permanent secretary of the organization. John Johnson continued as president, and John
Gottschamer was elected vice president.
Alumni weekends continued annually through the fall of 1996. Activities
included panel discussions on being professionally employed as a geographer,
individual presentations, GAA business meetings, and often participation in a St. George
Geographical Society session, the GTU picnic at Tuttle Creek, and a K-State football
game. In subsequent years, alumni returned for varied activities, such as Geography
Awareness Week, the GTU banquet, and GISSAL events.
The Geography Department is in the process of forming a new Alumni Board
comprised of undergraduate and graduate alums in business, government and education.
The Board will work with the department in supporting needs such as funding student
travel and scholarships, remodeling facilities, creating internships, and identifying
employment opportunities.
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In the fall of 2006, the department initiated the Distinguished Geography Alumnus
Award. The first person chosen was Dr. Patricia Solis (MA 1996). Patricia is Director
of Research and Outreach for the Association of American Geographers. She was given
the award during Geography Awareness Week. Patricia’s Geography Awareness Week
address was titled “Heuristics, Serendipity, and Enlightened Opportunism: Making a
Difference through Geography”.
Geography Awareness Week
The United States Congress passed a joint resolution, signed by President Ronald
Reagan, proclaiming the week of November 15-21, 1987 as the First National Geography
Awareness Week. The resolution was introduced by Senator Bill Bradley (D.-N.J.);
it was designed to promote an increased understanding of the need for geographic
education at all instructional levels throughout the United States. Governor Mike Hayden
presented Dr. Duane Nellis with a corresponding proclamation for the State of Kansas
in ceremonies at the Governor’s office on November 10, 1987. Each year since 1987
a National and a Kansas Geography Awareness Week has been declared in which K-
State geography faculty and students have participated. The Wednesday of Geography
Awareness Week is known as GIS Day.