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Show 4 Si)npl- l;riJ-. .VUiy 3. 1985 5 lgjj " x(' Geography-treated as a stepchild? by Betty Edmondson News Editor In 1983, professor David Helgren gave his introductory geography class at the University of Miami a quiz to assess their geographical knowledge. The students were predominantly business and liberal arts majors. They were given a world map and a list of places to locate on the map. He was shocked to find that 67 percent could not locate New Guinea, 71 percent couldn't find Algeria and 53 percent could not place Quebec. Even more distressing was the fact that 41 percent could not find Los Angeles and 55 percent were unable to place Chicago on the map. Helgren's quiz results were picked up by the . media and soon, teachers around the country were giving the same quiz to their college classes with similar results. At Weber State College, Dr. Deon Greer gave the quiz to his classes with much the same outcome.American students were compared with their European and Russian counterparts who consistently performed far better on such tests. There was a period of intense self-examination while we tried to figure out why we did so poorly on geography tests. But the interest seems to have died down, and we wondered what the present state of geography teaching and learning was. Ire 1970, when there were nine million students enrolled in the nation's colleges and universities, 800,000 students were taking geography courses. In 1980, although total enrollment had grown to 12 million, geography enrollment had dropped to 600,000. Clearly, interest in geography was at a low ebb, for a number of reasons. Elementary and secondary teaching was blamed, some called for higher academic standards for college entrance, and others thought college teaching needed to be revamped and brought up-to-date. The great problems of our day, such as hunger, overpopulation, resource depletion, energy consumption, air and water pollution and social and political revolution are directly related to man's use of his natural environment. Geography has a lot to teach us about all of them. We live in an age when business is conducted ever more on an international scale, when capital investments cross national borders, when trade deficits are headline news and when finding new markets for goods is an imperative if agriculture, the steel industry and auto manufacturers are to survive. These issues are all closely related to geography. Can we hope to solve such problems while neglecting the study of this important subject? We think not. The state of Utah now requires that public schools teach one semester of geography to students in the ninth grade. Greer believes it should be a full year and that some geography should be taught in every grade. Geography as an academic discipline has been treated as a stepchild for too long. In spite of the fact that technology has overcome many environmental limitations and made it possible for man to exploit nature's resources more clli-ciently, we see an ever-increasing percentage l the world's people with substandard living conditions, while a minority live in comparative luxury. We think it's time to inform ourselves as fully as possible about this planet wi share. The study "I world geography is one tool we have ready al hand to help us. I see KNOW I I IH.l on page V fci A JI, Guest editorial Revised policy provides clarity in criteria by Diane Kawamura Editor's Note: Diane Kawamura, an assistant professor in radiological sciences, is the chair of the admissions and standards committee. Her committee, along with the general education committee, presented the revised basic skills policy to the faculty senate, who passed it in their April IS meeting. Several questions and concerns were expressed to the admissions and standards committee and the general education committee, chaired by Craig Gundy, regarding the basic skills policy passed by the faculty senate in the spring of 1982-to go into effect autumn quarter 1985. Hoping to answer these questions and concerns, the two committees formed a joint subcommittee to investigate the 1982 policy. As a result of this investigation, a revised policy was drafted and sent to both committees for review. After several review processes by both committees, an open meeting was held for all faculty members for their input on April 8, 1985. The faculty senate approved this new basic skills policy on April 18, 1985, for commencement fall quarter, 1985. The eight-part policy differs from the original version in that it is a positively-worded document with recommendations of the revised criteria students will need to be placed in English and math. The revised criteria for English and math placement resulted from recommendations made by these departments and a review ol the current Weber State College applicant's American College Testing scores (ACT). The placement into both English and math courses offers more flexibility while maintaining the intent 6f the 1982 policy, which is a strong statement about the acceptable standards that faculty expect freshmen students to possess in these basic skills. Furthermore, the document recommends that students in the basic skills program not carry more than 12 credit hours until they have completed one quarter with an actual college grade point average of 2.0 or better, and also recommends that they may take any lower division general education course for which an appropriate basic skill waiver has been granted. The recommended time frame for students to complete their basic skills is 44 credit hours, or their freshman year. The policy recommends that students who must complete the basic skills requirements take at least one of these courses per quarter and encourages them to lake other approved courses. One other aspect of the revised policy thai makes it better for Weber State College is its readability. The document is clear and concise and makes it possible for counselors to be more effective in outlining a program for potential college students. Because of this clarity, high school students planning to apply lo Weber Stale College will have a better understanding of what standards this institution expects them to possess. Editor-in-Chief ' Rac Dawn Olherl Publisher 1 larold Y. 1 linikrr Signpost Advisor Larry Stahlr Executive Secrclarv Kami Hi Managing 1 dilor Wll k Ksl'i ih lii il News Editor Belly Kdmondsnn Assignment Kdilor I'amclla Slokci Sports Kdilor Stew Spa f ford Asst. Sports Editor Chris . Miller Entertainment Editor aac Barlow Senior Reporters Chris I.arscn l.oivtla Park Reporters MayvomK' Wells Mark I ladlcy loleen Simmons 'IVdAnn Olseii Mallluw Brown I'arki-r Harney Cory Sylvcsler Chai Irs 1 lai i in.Joi Ad Sales Manager Kevin Carrillo Ad Salespersons l.oni Dayton Mike Waterfall Pholo Editor Brie Chrislcnsen Photographers elf Hyhcc Kirk 1'ugniirc Signal n re I. Villi Si ill ' I dill I )eliveiv k Weil Kl HI I (iti iV K Editorial Production Manager Kmilie Bran Editorial Staff Brvan Medea ry Caril Icnnings l.ela Konaync Advertising Production Manager Michael Nonlenslioni Ad Staff Chad I lass, II Cartoonist SLAV 'I'll. up, |