Geography Program   
Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy  

Global Awareness and Diversity- a respect for human diversity and individuality and an understanding of the interdependence of the world's peoples upon one another.

In order to serve this need, we are proposing a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography at GCSU.  Our five year plan calls for the degree to be in place by August 2009, with 25 majors by August 2013.

The outline for the proposed Geography Major demonstrates our commitment to the National Council for Geographic Education's Geography for Life standards, which address:

• The World in Spatial Terms
• Places and Regions
• Physical Systems
• Human Systems
• Environment and Society
• The Uses of Geography

In addition to implementing the major, our five-year plan calls for a continued investment in the Geography Minor program, to serve GCSU students who wish to develop their geographic and international knowledge.  We currently support 30 minors, and will expect that number to remain consistent as we convert some students to majors and recruit new minors.

Teaching Geography
In order to sustain a degree program in geography, our department will need to hire one or two more faculty members.  The following fields are most desirable to complement our existing strengths:

Community Service
An important part of our five-year plan is the growth of our service to both GCSU campus and the greater community.  Already our classes have demonstrated a commitment to local service projects, and we expect this work to grow with the creation of a degree program.  Faculty and students alike can contribute in a variety of ways:

• Campus mapping and spatial solutions
• Analysis of geographic trends
• Developing plans and presentation materials for local agencies and non-profit organizations
• Incorporating service learning into courses and capstones