As faculty members of San Diego Mesa College, we are enthusiastic about attending the GIS Symposium on your campus during August 11th and 12th. On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to outline our individual intersts in GIS, and the plans we have regarding this technology for San Diego Mesa College.
I, MARK TREMBLY, have introduced lectures concerning GIS in our physical geography laboratory courses for about one year. This summer students will carry out an exercise on ArcView, focusing on an orientation to GIS theory, concepts and applications.
During February, I attended the three day workshop at Pasadena City College, where I gained some hands-on experience with ArcView, and gave a paper entitled "Introducting GIS to Community College Geography Instruction - A Resource Guide." During my sabbatical leave this coming Fall Semester, I plan on developing at least three more GIS exercises for the geography labs, as well as several exercises for our urban geography course.
PROFESSOR BEN WEAVER, a counselor and adjunct geology and geography instructor, also plans on attending the symposium. Mr. Weave, a geologist by training, is quite proficient in the application of GIS, and has recently completed the three week GIS training program this summer at Indiana State University.
PROFESSOR PAMELA CHAPMAN, Chair of the Architecture Department, and instructor in Landscape Architecture, is interested in GIS as a tool for site planning and natural hazards assessment. She is currently familiar with AutoCAD.
MR. HANK BEAVER is the director of our Independent Lwearning Center, and formerly a geography teacher. Mr. Weaver is focusing on making GIS software and hardware available to students at individual work stations in the ILC, for their course work in geography, geology, history, etc.
Finally, DR. COLLEEN O'CONNOR will be joining us. Professor O'Connor is both an Historian and Political Scientist. She is interested in simulation gaming and historical geography.
MR. PATRICK PIDGEON, Dean of the School of Social/Behavioral Sciences and Multicultural Studies, would like to participate in the conference. Dean Pidgeon, formerly a Professor of Philosophy, has a keen interest in GIS and would like to provide the administrative support in establishing GIS components to the curriculum in other disciplines, such as political science, anthropology, landscape architecture and history. Dean Pidgeon will play an active role in assisting Professors Trembley, Corum and Weaver in developing a separate GIS course and eventually, development of a certificate program.