2023-2024 Academic Catalog

Dec 22, 2024

2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

GEOG 281 - Special Topics: PoP in Geography

The “Special Topics POP in Geography” course offers students, usually sophomores and juniors, an opportunity to engage a real-world problem of practice related to geography. Students will work in teams and in consultation with faculty and community experts to address various dimensions of the problem of practice. They will learn and apply research skills and develop speaking and writing experience and expertise. May be repeated for credit when topic is different.

Spring 2022 Topic - WHAT & HOW TO REMEMBER: 100 YEARS OF GEOGRAPHY AT CLARK

The Graduate School of Geography marked its 100-year anniversary in Fall, 2021. In Fall 2022, the School will engage in a more formal set of events to mark this centennial. But what should we remember of these 100 years? How should we mark them? The Graduate School of Geography (GSG) at Clark is renowned many things, both today and over its century of existence. For example, it is known for having granted more PhD degrees than any other department in the country, a significant number of them to women. It is also associated with the racist theory of environmental determinism from the early 20th century. It has had five of its faculty members elected to the National Academy of Sciences. What do these facts reveal, and what do they hide or ignore? In this class, we will research some of the history of the department, and identify ways to celebrate its history, acknowledge its gaps and weaknesses, and mark its present trajectory. Students will work in teams to develop materials and programming for the Fall celebration events, developing and refining their skills in archival and interview research, web and graphic presentations, and writing.

Prerequisites: Any 000 or 100 level Geography Course

Course Designation/Attribute: POP

Anticipated Terms Offered: unknown, likely bi-annually