Department of Geography & Planning
Locus enim est principum generationis rerum (Roger Bacon)
|
The University of Toledo Department of Geography & Planning Locus enim est principum generationis rerum (Roger Bacon) |
|
In the News Degrees Offered People Courses Facilities Affiliated Centers
Lake Erie Center |
Undergraduate Handbook
 |
|
Contents of this Page The faculty of the Department of Geography & Planning welcomes you to our undergraduate program and wish you success in the completion of a bachelor's degree at The University of Toledo. This Undergraduate Handbook has been prepared to introduce you to the program, faculty, facilities and various offices of the University and department as well as support staff who can provide official and/or informal assistance. We urge you to read this Handbook carefully and keep it as a continuing reference during your undergraduate study. Please feel free to offer comments on the contents of this Handbook. Each member of our faculty and staff urges you to meet with us during your first semester. If at any time during the program problems arise, please feel free to contact appropriate faculty members. Again, we hope your stay with us will be challenging, productive and happy . The mission of the Department of Geography and Planning is to provide a quality multifunctional program that supplies service at the general education and baccalaureate level to the university community, provides quality undergraduate programs, fosters theoretical and applied research in geography and planning, promotes multicultural understanding, complements interdisciplinary work, and engages in community outreach. DEPARTMENT GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE Four primary levels of achievement are expected of undergraduate students: 1. To ensure that all undergraduate majors acquire knowledge of basic geography and planning terms and concepts. 2. To provide a quality multifunctional program that requires all undergraduates to have at least one course in each of the major tracks in geography. These areas include:
ii) Community, Urban and Regional Planning; iii) Environmental Geography; iv) Cultural and Behavioral Geography; v) Geographic Education; vi) Geographic Techniques and Applications. 3. To enhance microcomputer literacy with basic capabilities in word processing, computer cartography and graphics, geographic information systems (GIS), statistical analysis and data management. 4. To ensure that all undergraduate majors have adequate writing and communications skills demonstrated by writing intensive courses, a capstone course or senior thesis, and oral class presentations. S OURCES OF PROGRAM INFORMATION This Undergraduate Student Handbook is a composite of information obtained from a variety of official references as well as faculty decisions made during evaluation of the program. Specifically, each new student must become familiar with The University of Toledo's Course Catalog and The University of Toledo Student Handbook. Both references are available from the College of Arts and Sciences office. ADMISSION INFORMATION Please refer to the general section of The University of Toledo Course Catalog (pages 4-7 of the 1997-1998 edition), and the College of Arts and Sciences Section (pages 20-21 of the 1997-1998 edition) for specific information on admission requirements. PROGRAM OF STUDY AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS FOR The undergraduate major of 31 hours in Geography and Planning consists of the following: a) the student must choose one course each in the following areas of
(ii) human-economic geography (GEPL 2030-4990 except 3410, 3540, 3550, 4490, 4500, 4510 , including regional courses; (iii) cartography (GEPL 3410);
ii) Community, Urban and Regional Planning; iii) Environmental Geography; iv) Cultural and Behavioral Geography; v) Geographic Education; vi) Geographic Techniques and Applications. The minor of 22 hours in Geography and Planning consists of the following:
b) one regional course selected from the following: GEPL 3030, 3050, 3120, 3220, 3300; c) one planning course selected from the following: GEPL 4530, 4510, 4600. Students may not take P/NC in either the major and its related courses or for courses in the minor. BASIC TERMS & CONCEPTS IN GEOGRAPHY & PLANNING Competencies in the major and minor have been reduced for discussion and assessment purposes to a manageable body of topics called "Basic Terms and Concepts". These are constantly being revised by the faculty to help maintain the relevancy of study topics as the nature of GEPL changes. These terms and concepts are frequently covered in a variety of courses that comprise our GEPL curriculum. Undergraduates should note that these same basic terms and concepts are elaborated at the graduate level, and they also offer insight into the varied research agendas of the GEPL faculty and graduate students. This list helps maintain continuity between the needs and interests of students and faculty by fostering a community of thought and activity in the Department. While the "Basic Terms and Concepts" illustrates something of the breadth of geographic knowledge offered in this department, they also constitute "Specialization Tracks" in GEPL that help students focus their studies more narrowly on specific interest areas and career clusters. During the final semester of undergraduate study, every graduating senior will meet with the Undergraduate Advisor. Part of the discussion will involve an informal "competency test" in which the student will have the opportunity to demonstrate competency in the "Basic Terms and Concepts." Another objective of the exit interview is to give students the opportunity to discuss their future plans in relation to their undergraduate training. Graduating seniors will also be asked to complete an exit survey to determine whether the department has fulfilled their academic needs and expectations. HONORS IN GEOGRAPHY A ND PLANNING The honors program in Geography and Planning is open to all qualified undergraduate majors whether or not they are enrolled in College Honors. The following are requirements for entrance into the Honors program in Geography and Planning: Admission 1. The student must maintain a 3.5 minimum GPA in Geography and Planning courses. Requirements A student must complete 9 hours in designated honors courses in Geography and Planning and a 4-hour senior honors thesis project. During the final year before graduation, the student will meet with the department's undergraduate advisor to select a faculty research advisor, complete and submit to the department's faculty for approval a senior honors project (GEPL 4960). Senior honors thesis The title of the senior honors thesis is reported to the undergraduate advisor who will then select a faculty research advisor for the student. The title of the honor's thesis must be filed no later than one semester prior to the expected date of graduation. A copy must also be filed in the library of the Department and students also are expected, as a courtesy, to provide members of their thesis committees with copies. Students are expected to complete the program in a timely manner with normal time to completion of four years or less. Students must fulfill the University Core Curriculum requirements, along with all College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Geography and Planning requirements. Refer to the general section of The University of Toledo Course Catalog for specific requirements and courses in the University Core Curriculum . Students requiring more than four years will be reviewed formally to determine why they are not making timely progress and to provide the necessary assistance. To assure that undergraduate majors are making timely progress, students are encouraged to review a copy of their A & S College computer generated degree audit each semester (Appendix B). The A & S College and Geography and Planning Department advisors use the audit to assess student progress toward graduation. The student may also want to keep and constantly update their own "College of Arts and Sciences Check Sheet" to compare to the degree audit. The audit is available from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Regulations of the College of Arts and Sciences require that candidates for graduation must earn a minimum overall accumulative average of C (that is, a 2.0 quality point average on a 4.0 point scale), as well as an accumulative average of C in the major at The University of Toledo. The Geography and Planning Department advisor mainly oversees that majors, minors, and honors students are making progress in their "major courses" and in their "related (to the major) courses." Arts and Sciences College advisors are mainly concerned that the student's coursework related to college and university requirements (core requirements, foreign language requirements, WAC requirements, multicultural requirements, and so on) are being met in a timely manner. The Geography and Planning advisor will gladly assist students in interpreting their degree audits. "Students are responsible for correctly selecting courses for their programs of study each semester and for fulfilling all degree requirements. Although advisors will assist wherever possible, the final responsibility rests with the students" (refer UT Catalog). GAMMA THETA UPSILON: AN HONOR SOCIETY Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is an International Geographical Honor Society. This society serves five major purposes which include: 1) Furthering professional interest in geography by affording a common organization for those interested in geography . 2) Strengthening student and professional training through academic experiences other than those of the classroom and laboratory. 3) Advancing the status of geography as a cultural and practical discipline for study and investigation 4) Encouraging student research of high quality and to provide an outlet for publication. 5) Creating and administering funds for furthering graduate study and /or research in the field of geography. To become a regular member of GTU, an initiate must have completed a minimum of three courses in geography, with a "B" average. All initiates must rank in the upper 35 percent of their class and shall have completed at least three semesters of college courses. Consult the Department's GTU advisor for more information. Careers in Geography and Planning Geographic Information Systems Analyst: GIS is a computer and software system used to store, display, and analyze map information. GIS specialists help local governments and private agencies evaluate alternative locations for industries, banks, and a variety of facilities. They also analyze traffic movement, land availability, real estate prices, population distribution, and environmental hazards. More Careers: Source: Association of American Geographers UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT USE OF DEPARTMENT FACILITIES: Department Laboratories : Undergraduate students are given full access to department instructional research laboratories. This includes use of the computer, cartography and environmental laboratories and their associated equipment. Students are permitted to use these facilities twenty-four hours a day. We request that when working in laboratories that outside doors be locked at all times. In addition, we urge undergraduate students to use caution in the use of these facilities during evenings and weekends for their own personal security. We ask all members of the department to maintain security in these areas, since the university does not carry insurance on instructional equipment. Hoffman Research Library: Undergraduate students may use the resources of the Hoffman Research Library during normal university hours. The library is a unique resource that contains numerous geographic and planning documents, journals and books. Resources in the library are non-circulating and must be used only in the library. The telephone is to be used exclusively for intracampus calls. Please help maintain the neatness and security of this facility for all members of the department. Please report any instances of abuse of library privileges immediately to the director of the library. University Computer and Library Services: The use of university computer and library services are governed by the rules of these centers. Undergraduate students entering the program will be given information on services and computer accounts early in their first semester of residence. Students are expected to meet with the undergraduate advisor each semester to select the following semester's courses. The undergraduate advisor must approve the students course selections. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the early registration period to avoid the inconveniences associated with the late open registration . The University of Toledo has very strict regulations regarding sexual harassment and discrimination. We ask all undergraduate students to be aware of these policies and follow the regulations. Any incidents of sexual harassment should be immediately reported to the department chair. STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY A student found to be academically dishonest by a faculty member may appeal, in order, to the appropriate chair, the associate dean, the College Appeals Committee, and to the University Student Grievance Council. The procedures for making an appeal to the Student Grievance Council may be found in The University of Toledo Student Handbook . Refer to the General Section of The University of Toledo Catalog for the policy statement on Academic Dishonesty Students have the responsibility and the right to call to the attention of an instructor any grade which the student believes to be in error or unfair. In the event that an undergraduate student has an academic grievance, he or she may appeal by adhering to the following procedure: 1. Discuss the problem with the department chair. Throughout the year the department hosts various visiting scholars. In most cases, these individuals will present lectures and seminars to all our students. The presentations provide a unique opportunity to augment our existing faculty ranks and to give students a chance to meet and speak with many outstanding scholars. All faculty and students are encouraged to attend these functions. ATTENDANCE AT PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS Students are encouraged to attend and present papers at professional meetings such as the Association of American Geographers and the American Planning Association. The faculty is pleased to work with students in helping them prepare presentations. When possible financial support to attend meetings and present papers will be provided to students. |
|
¤ The University of Toledo ¤ Department of Geography & Planning ¤ |