Analysis of Some Aspects of Geology Summer Field Courses

Abstract

A questionnaire was sent to 108 departments listed in the AGI Directory of Geoscience Departments as offering a summer field course in geology. Analysis of the returned 62 percent of the questionnaires provides data on summer field courses conducted during the summer of 1967. The average field course traveled 627 miles to its first work area, where 19.5 students began 5.95 weeks of field work to earn 6.1 academic credits. Each week these students worked 9.9 hours per day for 5.96 days. To participate in this rigorous program they paid: $61.42 for transportation, $104.75 for food, $40.42 for lodging, $19.94 for academic supplies, and either $93.81 resident tuition or $153.06 nonresident tuition. Costs for a summer field course averaged $299.43 for resident students and $358.18 for nonresidents; or $7.34/day for the resident students and $8.80/day for the nonresidents. During their participation in the field program they enjoyed a staff-to-student ratio of 1:7.8. Most of the students enrolled in 1967 summer...