Over the next several years, the Geography Department will be integrated as an autonomous unit into the School of the Environment. This provides the opportunity to increase collaboration with other departments in the School while the developing an expanded Ph.D. program. The environmental culture of the Pacific Northwest puts the Department in the position of achieving national and global recognition while focusing on both on local and regional research and continuing national and international projects.

The Geography Department currently offers three short-term study abroad programs (in Spain, Italy, and Nepal). These courses are taught using existing resources and faculty. 2009-10 will be a maintenance and planning year, where we will retain existing programs, improve advertising and promotion by working directly with academic units and departments, and plan for program expansion in 2010-11. As we develop the programs, we will focus on three goals. First, we will work on a coordinated curriculum focus on comparative international sustainability. Second, we will enhance and expand efforts to engage students in meaningful research with our international community partners. Third, we will work with OIA and departmental faculty on fiscal strategies needed to achieve transition to new faculty involvement in order to maintain the programs over the long run.

The Geography Department currently offers several classes in hybrid and fully online formats. In order to minor in Geography, a student must take three required courses (GEOG 210, 230, and 380) that are not currently offered in online versions. Over the next two years, we plan to offer hybrid and then fully online versions of these classes. In addition, we will expand our existing fully online classes in physical, human, regional, and techniques courses so a student can complete the 16 additional elective credits (with some flexibility) needed for a minor.