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Building a Partnership to Build a Pipeline for Geographers

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Title: Building a Partnership to Build a Pipeline for Geographers
Language: English
Authors: Shabram, Patrick, Housel, Jacqueline
Source: New Directions for Community Colleges. Sum 2021 (194):67-78.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2021
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Geography Instruction, College Students, Majors (Students), Community Colleges, College Faculty, Partnerships in Education, Professional Associations
DOI: 10.1002/cc.20453
ISSN: 0194-3081
Abstract: Given an impending shortage of geographers, and a lack of diversity in the field, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) has worked to expand the number of geography majors, in part by outreach to community college faculty and students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2021
Accession Number: EJ1297597
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0150823002;0yg01jun.21;2021Jun12.04:39;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0150823002-1">Building a partnership to build a pipeline for geographers </title> <p>Given an impending shortage of geographers, and a lack of diversity in the field, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) has worked to expand the number of geography majors, in part by outreach to community college faculty and students.</p> <p>Geography is an interdisciplinary field. Overlapping fields include geology, meteorology, climatology, ecology, environmental sciences, anthropology, economics, sociology, and demographics, just to name a few. Long straddling the fence between physical science and the social sciences, the geography discipline attracts students primarily as an elective, either as a science elective through a course such as Physical Geography or as a social science elective through courses such as Cultural/Human Geography or World Regional Geography. From our experience, students who eventually choose geography as a major are often attracted to the relevance geography has in their daily lives. The attraction may be through the view outside their window, concerns about how climate change will impact them, or social justice and inequality issues related to urban development. As a discovery major, geography at community colleges plays a significant role in introducing the field to undergraduate students.</p> <p>The American Association of Geographers (AAG) is a scientific and education society dedicated to the advancement of geography. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the organization is governed by a council of elected officials and councilors from its membership and an executive director who oversees operations and implementation of the organization's objectives. The organization features nine regional divisions and 76 specialty groups, each with an elected board, to address regional interests and professional interests. Taskforce and special committees are often established to address timely social challenges and long‐term planning objectives.</p> <p>The AAG has developed long term goals to increase participation and diversity in the discipline, with specific goals outlined in its 2020–2022 three‐year strategic plan to advance geography as a sustainable discipline while enhancing the organization's service to the discipline and its membership (American Association of Geographers, 2020c). The AAG identifies in the strategic plan the "need to research, reassess, and adapt our current membership model to better serve our current members and to expand and diversify our membership" (American Association of Geographer, 2020c, p. 9). Community colleges offer an important avenue to achieve these objectives.</p> <p>Yet despite the role community college could play in helping AAG achieve its objectives, only 3% of the AAG's total membership hail from community colleges. Finding ways to support two‐year faculty and encouraging greater membership among two‐year college faculty and students provides a great opportunity to expand the discipline and increase diversity by enticing more two‐year students to select geography as a major field of study.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-2">DEMAND FOR GEOGRAPHERS</hd> <p>Higher education has been unable to keep pace with the growing demand for graduates in the workforce with the spatial and technical skillsets essential to geography and its related fields (Solem et al., 2008). The AAG has recognized over 90 fields in which geographic study plays a predominant role in workforce development, and with the growing cross‐disciplinary nature of geographic information systems (GIS), a degree in geography, geospatial science, or a related field has become marketable (American Association of Geographers, 2015). While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected 2018–2028 modest job growth of 3% for workers with the title of "geographer," fast growth is found in many related fields where a degree in geography offers a path to these careers. These job growth projections include 15% in cartography and photogrammetrists, 11% for urban planners, 11% for environmental scientists and specialists, 8% for atmospheric scientists including meteorologists, and 5% in surveying and mapping. As an example, the 2020 COVID‐19 pandemic has demonstrated the value of geospatial analytical expertise, as many geographers or professionals with training in geographical fields have been on the forefront of monitoring the spread and distribution of COVID‐19 cases. Further, a Bachelor's degree in geography is a gateway to many fields that often have a limited number of college degrees specific to the field, such as hydrology, forestry, and market location analysis, or require a Master's degree for entry level positions, including fields such as meteorology or urban planning (U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, 2020).</p> <p>The AAG has recognized the need to increase graduates within the discipline and is making efforts to expand outreach to undergraduates to encourage greater participation in geography majors, including community college students. Examples of these efforts include offering very low student membership rates, reduced registration fees to AAG's annual meeting, and creating an Undergraduate Student Affinity Group. Recent efforts by current and former AAG presidents have focused on education and diversity, hallmarks of community colleges, not only as a mechanism to improve the field but also to expand the number of geography majors. The 2019–2020 AAG President, David Kaplan, dedicated his first "President Column" in the <emph>AAG Newsletter</emph> to addressing the number of majors in geography and closely related fields. Kaplan (2019) notes, "only 1% of liberal arts major specialize in geography" (para. 4), comparing those numbers to the United Kingdom where geography majors account for 5% of liberal arts majors. Kaplan (2019) acknowledged the expansion of some of geography's "closest cognates—meteorology, environmental studies, area studies and the like" (para. 7). Given that over one in three undergraduates and nearly 40% of first time college students are community college students, and nearly half of four‐year degree recipients have spent at least some time at a community college, the effort to build the number of students in the discipline should come with an effort to expand participation of community college faculty (Ginder et al., 2019; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019). Here, we include all traditional two‐year colleges, which are loosely defined as public, affordable, and open‐enrollment institutions that provide a curriculum aimed at both serving as a pathway to four‐year schools and providing local workforce development. According to Mark Revell (personal communication, May 19, 2020), Manager of Career Programs and Disciplinary Research, "The AAG's new three‐year strategic plan has a broad focus on expanding our membership and being more inclusive of voices that traditionally have not been at the center of the AAG, such as professional/nonacademic geographers and community colleges." In line with addressing these objectives is building the profile and promotion of geography as a discipline among two‐year colleges.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-3">CAREER AND ACADEMIC OPTIONS</hd> <p>Geography at two‐year colleges has changed in recent years as community colleges remain agile and demand‐driven, responding to students with varying educational and life experiences and their local environments. Responding to local needs and national trends has led to many two‐year colleges offering two‐year degrees, short‐term technical certificates, and in some states, a limited number of four‐year degrees. GIS, for example, is a skill set that complements many other fields, from marketing to emergency planning to natural resources, with many students looking to append a certificate in GIS to another degree or to advance in their current careers. In other cases, recent graduates or professionals use GIS certification to build technical skills sets to help advance in a field expected to grow at a rate much faster than average between 2018–2028, but that does not need an advanced degree for entry‐level employment (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). In many cases, GIS certifications, four‐year degrees in applied geosciences, and two‐year degrees in geography or related fields provide opportunities for employment upon graduation from the community college. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, for example, that the typical entry level position for Surveying and Mapping Technicians is a high school diploma or equivalent, but that "mapping technicians often need formal education after high school to study technology applications, such as geographic information systems (GIS)" (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020, Survey and Mapping Technicians, para. 3). Hence, a two‐year student often has the ability to enter a career in a related field without attending a four‐year college.</p> <p>While two‐year colleges prepare many students in geography‐related disciplines for direct entry into the workforce, the most common role the two‐year college plays is that of providing a local, affordable entry point for students planning to transfer to a four‐year college (CCRC, 2015). Geography courses fill core curriculum requirements for graduation, serving a broad range of interests, which serves the varied backgrounds and experiences inherit at the community college level. The commonality in the different subjects is an interest in geospatial relationships and often an interest in human and environmental interactions. Students have the potential to benefit from the smaller classes and closer interactions with professors that are afforded the community college student, hence, faculty at community colleges often play a large role in students' decision to the enter the field (Wolfe, 2018).</p> <p>For students planning to transfer, the community college may serve both as a place to discover geography as a field of study and also as a place for a more personalized introduction to higher education in general. The following comments exemplify how community college impacts the transferring student in different ways:</p> <p> <emph>The various geography courses that I took at my community college are what drove me to pursue my bachelor's degree in urban economic geography, and has [</emph>sic<emph>] also provided the opportunity for me to move on to a graduate education in urban planning</emph>. –Jacob Gagnon, Sinclair Community College (OH) Graduate (J. Gagnon, personal communication, June 19, 2020)</p> <p> <emph>I felt that I was more prepared [</emph>transferring from a community college<emph>], not just academically but also on the administrative side. I understood more about how to plan my path and be more successful. I also was more prepared to make the important connections with professors and staff. I think this was directly impacted from my CC experience</emph>. –Eric Sheley, Front Range Community College (CO) Graduate (E. Sheley, personal communication, June 20, 2020)</p> <p>The influence of four‐year faculty within the AAG is evident in the membership and governance of organization and its divisions. Faculty at four‐year colleges have been shown to underestimate the number of transferring students to their institution, so the role of two‐year faculty in developing new geographers is most likely underestimated and overlooked (Wyner et al., 2016). Given the number of community college students, the AAG has an opportunity to reach a large number of potential geography majors by increasing the participation of two‐year faculty and focusing more on promotion of the discipline within community colleges.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-4">Challenges</hd> <p>Gaining full recognition in the AAG membership of the potential of geography at community colleges will be challenging for several reasons. For one, tracking students interested in geography and who might transfer from the two‐year college into the major is difficult. In 2018, out of 1,022 two‐year institutions in the United States, only 158 had formal programs/degrees in geography or majors in a closely related field such as geographical information systems (Housel, 2018). Geography courses are offered at many two‐year institutions, but the emphasis on general education at community colleges has traditionally focused on satisfying general education requirements, and as a result, students have overwhelmingly received general associate degrees without a declared major. Many of these students are exploring options for eventual majors at four‐year colleges, but knowing which students may be interested in geography or a related field is not obvious to the instructors. Casting a wide net by providing promotional materials to and encouraging participation at AAG events to students in geography courses may be one way to ensure greater selection of geography as a major upon transfer to a four‐year college.</p> <p>Second, geography degrees at two‐year colleges vary in what courses are offered and where the courses are located within the institution. Traditional introductory courses (e.g., Human, Physical, and World Regional Geography) and the more technical GIS courses are often not found in a centralized geography department. Instead, geography/GIS might be found in a multidisciplinary department, social science department, physical science department, or in a more technical career‐oriented department. Hence, those looking for STEM majors, for example, might not recognize that geography exists at an institution if it is located in a social science department, even when science courses are part of the offering. The disparate nature of geography relative to its overlapping sciences is not an issue isolated to two‐year colleges; four‐year universities often vary greatly in what college the discipline resides, whether or not the institution offers BA/MA or BS/MS degrees (or all of the above), or if in shared departments, what other disciplines the degree is aligned with.</p> <p>Geography is a discovery major. Few students walk onto a college campus declaring geography as their major, and only discover the discipline through coursework they take once on campus. As a discovery major, failure to represent the full breadth of geospatial analysis represents a lost opportunity to engage a significant portion of the undergraduate population. Hence, despite the benefits of being an interdisciplinary field to academic and workforce development, this feature of geographical study also makes gathering information on the discipline difficult.</p> <p>Third, many community college students who eventually become geography majors at four‐year colleges may not have the option of a geography major at their two‐year institution. These students may have taken two or three introductory courses that piqued their interest enough to transfer to a geography program at a four‐year college but are not tracked as transferring geography students at the four‐year institution. With no clear geography major and little ability to track transferring students into the major, geography faculty at four‐year colleges and within professional organizations may not fully appreciate the impact of two‐year colleges on the field.</p> <p>Accentuating these challenges is the experience of the transferring student. In states where articulation agreements and/or guaranteed course transfers are not in place; geography course credits may count as electives, and students in the major may be required to retake courses. This experience can be costly both financially and in terms of time, decreasing the opportunity for success and serving neither the student nor the discipline.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-5">Solutions</hd> <p>Where exceptions to these challenges exist, two‐year colleges and universities work closely to build strong programs together. Geography majors with clear articulation agreements offers one avenue for building partnerships. For example, the Colorado Community College System has regularly brought together faculty from four‐year and two‐year colleges to build articulation agreements that serve as the guideline for majors at the system's two‐year colleges. Elsewhere, including community college students research experiences with the four‐year colleges or encouraging transferring students to apply as lab technicians or research assistants can help solidify the transfer pathway and provide students greater experience during their more limited time at the four‐year college. Geography at Santa Fe College (Florida), for example, has collaborated with the University of Florida (UF) to give community college geography students, the majority of whom have been first generation students, undergraduate research experiences. The ultimate goal of the program is to encourage transfer to any four‐year college, not just UF (Judge et al., 2020; Matyas et al., 2021; Stofer et al., 2021).</p> <p>Many geographers at both two‐year and four‐year institutions understand the disadvantages of lacking a clear transfer pathway for students and have worked to build collaborative partnerships (Bragg, 2020). With a disproportional number of two‐year college faculty being stand‐alone geographers, the burden of building such partnerships at the community college often falls on one or two individuals with large teaching loads (Carter & Housel, 2013). To alleviate this pressure, the AAG should offer greater support to specialty groups that support the community college mission, and develop committees or taskforces to address partnerships between two‐year and four‐year faculty.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-6">MOTIVATION FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNITY COLLEGE GEOGRAPHY PROGRAMS</hd> <p>Given the fact that community colleges enroll just under half of undergraduate students, they provide good options for partnering to expand training of geographers for the field. With small classes, which may translate into a higher level of faculty interaction, community colleges offer the opportunity to introduce the discipline of geography and the AAG to students on a more personal level. This type of partnership goes beyond simple efforts to increase AAG membership among faculty and students. Geography as a major field of study at a community college has proven to be much more successful when the college has a full‐time geographer (Orf, 1999), so increasing the profile of geography could improve if two‐year colleges invest in hiring full‐time geography faculty. Establishing a greater partnership between community college faculty and the leading professional organization in the field offers a mutually beneficial relationship in achieving the goal of preparing more students for this growing field.</p> <p>Further, community college students typically have greater diversity both in terms of race and ethnicity and socioeconomic background (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008). Low income and first‐generation students are more likely to select a community college as their entry point into higher education (Fain, 2019). Expanding the participation of institutions with traditionally more diverse student bodies provides an opportunity for growth in diversifying the discipline. While much of the effort of the AAG to increase diversity within the field has, importantly, sought to increase participation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and tribal colleges, diversity programs that have included two‐year colleges have had some success in increasing both the number and diversity of geography majors. A 2001–2004 program at the California State University Long Beach, for example, found engaging students in the geosciences in a summer research program not only produced an increase in the number of geography majors at the university, but also resulted in a greater percentage of students identifying as some race or ethnicity other than non‐Hispanic white (Rodrigue, 2007). The AAG could encourage the kind of partnerships and collaborations shown to be effective in transfer (Bragg, 2020) by encouraging engagement between two‐year and four‐year faculty.</p> <p>Inclusion means more than expanding membership and existing services to a new population of community college faculty. Reaching out to community college faculty requires understanding their unique needs and working together to see possibilities from a different point of view. "Institutional equity [in representation] is a concern," notes Marissa Isaak Wald, a member of the geography faculty at Central New Mexico Community College and chair of Community College Affinity Group at AAG. "We are not coming to the table in the same way that our four‐year counterparts are, so efforts to increase participation may not fully benefit community colleges if there are not more institutions contributing to the conversation" (M. Wald, personal communication, June 2, 2020). Community college faculty who have been active with AAG understand that finding the best way to bring more community college faculty to the table is a challenge for AAG.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-7">BUILDING ON SUCCESS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY COLLEGES</hd> <p>During its 116 year history, AAG has promoted geography through its work organizing annual conferences, facilitating initiatives to support research and networking (for example specialty and affinity groups), strengthening the discipline through supporting research rooted in expanding the reach of geographers, and general advocacy for the discipline and the professionals who work within the field. Several actions by AAG members and staff have impacted the work of community college faculty. These actions have both direct and indirect benefits. Here, we review ways in which AAG has supported community colleges through specific initiatives.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-8">Community college affinity group</hd> <p>An affinity group focused on community colleges, open to any dues‐paying member of the AAG, has been a part of the AAG for over 20 years. The membership of this group extends beyond community college faculty, with many of the more than 200 members of the group represented by four‐year faculty, AAG staff, and industry professionals who got their academic start at a two‐year college. The Community College Affinity Group's stated mission is to "give community college geographers a stronger voice within the discipline and within the AAG by disseminating information about funding opportunities for projects relevant to community college geographers, enhancing research and professional development opportunities for community college faculty, and promoting curriculum development in GIS and other technical areas" (American Association of Geographers, 2020b).</p> <p>With expanding community college enrollment during and after the Great Recession, and new emphasis on two‐year colleges by the Obama administration (TAACCT, 2020), the mission of the Community College Affinity Group took on new life. Recognizing the under representation of community college faculty in AAG and how little was known about them, the group has worked over the last couple of years to expand the membership and build a better understanding of two‐year faculty. A 2019 review of membership found the affinity group had 205 members spread across 13 countries, with 144 members based in the United States (Housel, 2018). Another realization was that many members of the Community College Affinity Group were also members of the Stand‐Alone Affinity Group, which supports faculty who are the only (or one of two) geographers at their institution. While the Stand‐Alone Geographers Affinity Group was originally created to support four‐year faculty with tenure and evaluation concerns, the group has recognized common issues that relate to community college faculty including the small number of faculty members with different responsibilities than peers within larger disciplinary departments, and budgetary restrictions that make professional development travel difficult. Many Community College Affinity Group members are also in the Geography Education Specialty Group, focused on higher education. As such, recent AAG leadership has worked to increase collaboration between the specialty groups including shared conference sessions and membership correspondence. Currently, members of the Community College Affinity Group, including recent Chairs, are building a formal survey of two‐year geography faculty to better understand the state of geography and geography faculty at community colleges.</p> <p>The Community College Affinity Group supports and advocates for their membership in several other ways:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> They organize or/and sponsor sessions and panels at the Annual Meeting of AAG. Generally, the facilitation of these sessions rests with a three‐member board (Chair, Vice‐Chair and Secretary) of the affinity group. Their sessions cover a range of topics, including Challenges of Teaching World Regional Geography (2019); Technology In/Out of the Classroom (2019); Promoting Geography through Cross‐Disciplinary & Cross‐Institutional Partnerships (2018); The Role of Two‐Year Colleges in Recruiting Future Geographers (2018); The Innovation Library: Sharing Web‐based Mapping Activities (2018); and Teaching a Modern Physical Geography Laboratory (2018). These sessions and panels appeal to a wide range of geographers at the conference and are one of the ways the group contributes to the wider discipline.</item> <p></p> <item> Recently, the Community College Affinity Group submitted a proposal to include community colleges in a new AAG award—AAG's Program of Excellence award. The proposal was accepted by the AAG council, and the first community college program—the Department of Geography and Geospatial Technology at Lakeland Community College (Ohio)—was recognized in 2020. According to the AAG, the selection committee "was impressed by Lakeland's strong and productive relationships with area stakeholders, from K‐12 schools through to public and private sector employers, representatives of which serve on the program's advisory board" (AAG, 2020a , para. 11).</item> <p></p> <item> The group develops ideas to support community college faculty, such as recent efforts to facilitate teaching‐focused workshops at meetings of the AAG's nine regional divisions. Leading this effort is the East Lakes Division, in part because of the election of a community college faculty member as chair. The AAG is considering enhancement to its regional meetings to increase membership benefits and efforts to expand the education/teaching focus at other regional meetings continues</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0150823002-9">Other Direct AAG successes</hd> <p>Aside from efforts of the Community College Affinity Group, AAG staff, leadership, and two‐year faculty have taken steps to increase community college participation. For example:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> To increase the visibility of two‐year geography programs, AAG has waived the fee for community colleges to list their program in the annual AAG <emph>Guide to Geography Programs</emph> , an annual reference for prospective students, faculty, private industry and government agencies on undergraduate and graduate programs and degree requirements at institutions in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. While still far from capturing all the geography or geography‐related majors, community college participation in the program guide has grown over the years, increasing from 10 community college listings in the 2014–2015 guide to 22 listings in the 2018–2019 guide.</item> <p></p> <item> Several scholarships are available to community college students—$1500 scholarships for students transferring to four‐year schools and travel awards to provide students funding to attend the Annual Meeting. Not only do these awards provide financial support, they offer opportunities to network with professionals and peers while building confidence in students. As Eric Sheley, 2016 recipient of the Darrel Hess Community College Geography Scholarship noted, "The scholarship made me feel like I was officially a member of the geography community."</item> <p></p> <item> Recently, AAG has organized sessions at the AAG Annual Meeting to increase the visibility of and to support underrepresented institutions including community colleges, many of which were developed with participation by community college faculty members. For example, in 2019 AAG organized a symposium, "Promoting Diversity in Geography: Strategies to Improve Inclusion, Broaden Participation, and Assess Progress" and three panel sessions on the topic of "Increasing the Participation and Validation of Geographers at Underrepresented Institutions," focusing each session on a subtopic, either teaching strategies, research strategies, or mentoring and connecting. This intention speaks to AAG's concern for the need to expand the community of geographers.</item> <p></p> <item> The number of community college faculty serving on national AAG committees has increased in recent years, in part because of recommendations and encouragement by AAG staff and officers of the organization. Currently in 2020, community college faculty serve as the Chair of the East Lakes Division, hold positions on the Healthy Departments Committee to provide guidance and action to enhance the health of geography departments, and on the COVID‐19 response taskforce. Two‐year faculty have also participated in a proposal to establish an Advanced Placement exam in GIS (AP® GIS&T Study Group, 2018).</item> <p></p> <item> Community college faculty have taken the lead to survey and better understand both stand‐alone geographers and two‐year faculty and have recently proposed a standing committee to address increasing membership by underrepresented undergraduate institutions.</item> <p></p> <item> Mark Revell, Manager of Career Programs & Disciplinary Research at the AAG has worked to include community college faculty on panel discussions held at the organization's Annual Meeting, as well as organize panels to specifically address the role of community colleges in recruiting future geographers to the field. "I think we can have a productive discussion on what we're already doing, how we can do these things better, and new ideas for better serving community college students and instructors," says Revell (M. Revell, personal communication, May 19, 2020). For these panels, Revell recruited two‐year faculty both geographically close to the location of the Annual Meeting, or through outreach through the Community College Affinity Group to reach those faculty members who were planning to attend the meeting.</item> <p></p> <item> Another initiative, the Emerging Workforce Scholars program, tied to the Annual Meeting national conference, invites community college students local to the Annual Meeting location to apply for conference entrance and a $500 stipend to attend special career‐focused sessions at the conference.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0150823002-10">Indirect AAG benefits</hd> <p>Although not specifically focused on engaging faculty at community colleges, geography faculty at all institutions, including two‐year schools, indirectly benefit from several AAG initiatives. These benefits include: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>) AAG membership has become more accessible as AAG changed the fee structure to one based on income; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>) AAG has focused on increasing student memberships through efforts such as offering a low‐cost membership and supporting a new undergraduate affinity group—Jennifer Lumpkin, a planner with the City of Dayton and a former geography student at Sinclair Community College describes the role of AAG in helping undergraduates excel: "As opposed to passively observing the work of professional and academic geographers, student geographers at AAG are encouraged to jump in and become part of the conversation, setting their work up alongside experts and engaging in discussion with peers and mentors" (J. Lumpkin, personal communication, June 19, 2020), (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref3">3</reflink>) AAG provides resources that can easily be used in the classroom (e.g., Job & Career website) and access to journal articles to keep faculty up‐to‐date on current research in geography, (<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref4">4</reflink>) faculty can participate in week‐long summer Early Faculty Workshops and New Chairs Workshops; and (<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref5">5</reflink>) AAG supports, and is taking steps to enhance annual regional conferences, which are less expensive then attending the AAG Annual Meeting.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-11">POSSIBLE FUTURE GOALS</hd> <p>Despite the work of the Community College Affinity Group, expanded opportunities for community college students, and efforts to increase the visibility of community colleges at AAG, the vast majority of community college geography faculty are not members of AAG. While no formal survey of geographers who are not members of the AAG exists, feedback provided at Community College Affinity Group meetings suggests a major impediment is the lack of perceived value to the two‐year faculty member. Cost concerns extend beyond the cost of membership. Often the Annual Meeting, held every spring, is seen as the highlight of AAG activities, to the point that many members perceive AAG as synonymous with the meeting (AAG, 2020c). The cost of the week‐long meeting is usually beyond the travel budgets allocated to community college professors, if they have such a travel budget at all. Further, heavy teaching loads translate into significant missed class time to attend the entire Annual Meeting. Missing classes may reflect negatively on a teaching faculty member's performance, even with the benefits staying current on the discipline subject matter affords the teaching professional. When selecting that occasional, or in some cases, rare professional conference to attend, many two‐year college professors may select one with a strong emphasis on pedagogical practices over a meeting focused on the latest research in their respective discipline. Hence, attendance by many two‐year faculty members at these meetings is often sporadic. Promoting shorter regional or virtual meetings among two‐year colleges may offer greater access to two‐year college faculty.</p> <p>Encouraging greater AAG membership from community college students is also a challenge. Outside of the demands of work and family that are often inherent to many community college students, these students can be particularly susceptible to a lack of confidence, so even encouraging students to submit a poster to a national conference or apply for an AAG scholarship can be challenging. When students have presented at, or just attended, a conference, their decision to pursue a degree in geography is usually solidified. Often, a faculty member serving in a mentorship capacity encourages student participation. The impact faculty can have on students is well‐documented, making faculty engagement an important avenue for building student participation in the AAG (Finnegan, 2019; Umback & Wawrzynski, 2005). These points emphasize the need for both full‐time geography faculty at community colleges and the engagement of these faculty members with the AAG. One initiative outlined in the 2020–2022 strategic plan is to support geography departments through its Healthy Departments Committee (American Association of Geographer, 2020c). Using that initiative, or developing a similar initiative, to promote geography classes supported by full‐time faculty at two‐year colleges should be a priority of the AAG.</p> <p>Staff and AAG leadership agree that the organization has done well to increase community college representation but that more needs to be done to encourage participation. Kaplan (2020) notes in his February 2020 President's Column, "Community colleges are key aspects of our geography universe that simply do not get the recognition they deserve...Not only are a plurality of all undergraduate students enrolled in public two‐year institutions, but if we are looking for true diversity within our discipline, this is where we start" (para. 9).</p> <p>The question has been asked of several community college members as to what AAG can do to support community college faculty and students, a question complicated by the diverse nature of two‐year colleges and their student bodies and the limited number and participation of community college members. The efforts of a handful of community college members have tried to answer the question, but they do so from positions of limited influence. The recognition of community colleges through the expansion of the Program of Excellence Award, and even the research behind this chapter have opened new lines of communication that may help lead to better outreach or an increased emphasis on alternatives to the Annual Meeting. One such possibility is the regional division meetings, professional conferences focused on geographic regions that are usually less expensive and in smaller, less expensive markets often closer to the home institution of the attendees. Further, most of these meetings are held over a Friday and Saturday to help limit lost class time. Despite the advantages to community college faculty in attending, they do not often attend these meetings, and depending on the region, often strong participation from four‐year colleges is also lacking.</p> <p>Some AAG members have suggested that providing greater focus on education may be one way to vitalize these meetings while providing better opportunity for attendance by community college faculty and students. So too would be encouraging partnerships between two‐year colleges and four‐year colleges. Efforts could include supporting transfer pathways (articulations), actively encouraging attendance at regional meetings, or by promoting grant opportunities, such as the National Science Foundation solicitation that made the Santa Fe College/University of Florida partnership possible.</p> <hd id="AN0150823002-12">CONCLUSION</hd> <p>Geography is a field of study in search of new students to fill an impending labor shortage. The number and diversity of students at community colleges well serves the stated objectives of the American Association of Geographers to increase participation and diversity within the field of geography. As such, the AAG has taken steps to increase the number of undergraduate students, including community college students, participating in AAG activities. The opportunities for greater community college involvement align with the strategic goals of the AAG, so even more should be done to build the profile of community colleges at the AAG. Recent discussion around expanding the community of two‐year colleges offers promise that the AAG may yet achieve these objectives.</p> <ref id="AN0150823002-13"> <title> REFERENCES </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> American Association of Geographers. (2015). Jobs & careers: Salary trends for geography careers. Retrieved from <ulink href="http://www.aag.org/cs/salarydata">http://www.aag.org/cs/salarydata</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref2" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> American Association of Geographers. (2020a, February). AAG announces 2020 AAG award recipients. AAG Newsletter. Retrieved from <ulink href="http://news.aag.org/2020/01/aag-announces-2020-aag-award-recipients-2/?utm%5fsource=informz&utm%5fmedium=email&utm%5fcampaign=AAG%20Newsletter">http://news.aag.org/2020/01/aag-announces-2020-aag-award-recipients-2/?utm%5fsource=informz&utm%5fmedium=email&utm%5fcampaign=AAG%20Newsletter</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref3" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> American Association of Geographers. (2020b). Community college affinity group. Retrieved from https://community.aag.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=993fdb68-a838-449d-99ee-74216e273f6f</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref4" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> American Association of Geographers. (2020c). Three year strategic plan 2020 – 2022. <ulink href="http://www.aag.org/galleries/governance/AAG%5fStrategic%5fPlan%5f20202022.pdf">http://www.aag.org/galleries/governance/AAG%5fStrategic%5fPlan%5f20202022.pdf</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref5" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> AP® GIS&T Study Group. (2018). Bridging high school and introductory undergraduate courses in geographic information science and technology. Journal of Geography, 117 (4), 165 – 173. doi: 10.1080/00221341.2017.1407816</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Bragg, D. D. (2020). How transfer partnerships support more equitable baccalaureate attainment. In D. D. Bragg, T. L. Yeh, L. Wetzstein, E. A. Meza (Eds.), New Directions for Community Colleges: No. 192. Transfer partnerships for improved equity and outcomes, (pp. 11 – 19). San Francisco, CA : Jossey‐Bass. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20419</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Carter, D., & Housel, J. (2012). Stand‐alone geographers in the North American Academy: A survey of perceptions and concerns. The Professional Geographer, 65 (2), 230 – 246.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Community College Research Center. (2015). What we know about transfer. Retrieved from https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/what-we-know-about-transfer.pdf</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Fain, P. (2019, May 23). Wealth's influence on enrollment and completion. Inside Higher Ed. 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Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019021REV.pdf</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Housel, J. (2018, April 10–14). Community college progress report [business meeting]. Community College Affinity Group, American Association of Geographers 2018 Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Judge, J., Lannon, H. J. L., Stofer, K. A., Maytas, C., Lanman, B., Norton, H., & Hom, B., Lowering barriers in STEM engagement for 2‐year college students through integrated academic, research, and outreach experiences.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kaplan, D. H. (2019, July 1). Should we be worried? Or how to maintain and expand the number of geographers in our schools. AAG Newsletter. doi: 10.14433/2017.0056</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kaplan, D. H. (2020, February 1). Beyond the academic 1 percent or how to create a more inclusive and equitable academic culture. AAG Newsletter. Retrieved from <ulink href="http://news.aag.org/2020/01/beyond-the-academic-1-percent/">http://news.aag.org/2020/01/beyond-the-academic-1-percent/</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Matyas, C., Stofer, K. A., Lannon, H. J. L., Judge, J., Hom, B., Lanman, B., & Norton, H. (2021). 2‐year college students benefit from but face unique obstacles to undergraduate geoscience research at a 4‐year university. Manuscript submitted for publication.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). 2008 spotlight: Community college. The Condition of Education. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/analysis/2008-sa03.asp</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> National Student Clearinghouse. (2019). Term enrollment estimates Fall 2019. Retrieved from https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/CTEE_Report_Fall_2019.pdf</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Orf, T. M. (1999). The status of the discipline of geography in community colleges: The national setting and the Kentucky example. (Publication No. 9943019) [Doctoral dissertation], University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Rodrigue, C. M. (2007). Geography diversity initiatives at California State University, Long Beach: The Geosciences Diversity Enhancement Program. Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, 69, 160 – 167. https://doi.org/10.1353/pcg.2007.0014</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Solem, M., Chueng, I., & Schlemper, M. B. (2008). Skills in professional geography: An assessment of workforce needs and expectations. The Professional Geographer, 3, 356 – 373.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stofer, K. A., Matyas, C., Lannon, H. J. L., Judge, J., Lanman, B., Hom, B., & Norton, H. (2021). Two‐year college students report multiple benefits from participation in an integrated geoscience research, coursework, and outreach internship program. Manuscript submitted for publication.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Umbach, P. D., & Wawrzynski, M. R. (2005). Faculty do matter: The role of college faculty in student learning and engagement. Research in Higher Education, 46 (2), 153 – 184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-004-1598-1</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> United States Department of Labor. (2020). Trade adjustment assistance community college and career training. Retrieved from https://<ulink href="http://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/skills-training-grants/community-colleges">www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/skills-training-grants/community-colleges</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020). Occupational outlook handbook. https://<ulink href="http://www.bls.gov/ooh/">www.bls.gov/ooh/</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wolfe, B. A. (2018). Introductory geosciences at the two‐year college: Factors that influence student transfer intent with geoscience degree aspirations. Journal of Geoscience Education, 66 (1), 36 – 54. https://doi.org/10.1080/1089995.2018.1411740.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wyner, J., Deane, K. C., Jenkins, D., & Fink, J. (2016). The transfer playbook: Essential practices for two‐ and four‐year colleges. Washington, DC : The Aspen Institute & Community College Research Center. Retrieved from https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/transfer-playbook-essential-practices.pdf</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Patrick Shabram and Jacqueline Housel</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Patrick Shabram is a geography professor at Front Range Community College, Larimer Campus (Colorado).</p> <p>Jacqueline Housel is a geography/GIS professor, Chair of the Department of Sociology, Geography, and Social Work at Sinclair Community College (Ohio) and Chair of the East Lakes Division, American Association of Geographers.</p> </aug>
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