The mission of the Department of Geology is three fold:  1) we generate and preserve knowledge about earth systems, the processes that act upon them, and the history of life;  2) we provide excellent general education courses in the earth sciences that are central to a comprehensive liberal arts education;  3) we provide quality education in the geological sciences at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
        The faculty of the Department of Geology generate knowledge by investigating challenging problems that have important implications for understanding local, regional and global processes.  Scholarly research, grants from federal sources such as NSF, and publications have increased significantly in the last five years, in great part due to the emphasis on collaborative multidisciplinary research.  The Department's contribution to preservation of knowledge is exemplified by its highly-ranked paleontological repository, which is used by numerous national and international scholars, and its work in helping to compile computerized data archives, such as the North American Pollen Database and the North American Plant Macrofossil Database, that provide the framework needed to investigate and solve global problems in the earth sciences.  The generation and preservation of knowledge has always been interdependent with our graduate mission, and our students actively contribute to our research mission.
        Geology is a cornerstone of a good liberal arts education because it is the science that examines many issues critical to the scientific needs of the nation and society.  Examples include the evolution of life, environmental topics (e.g. ground water, landfills, nuclear waste repositories), geologic hazards that a can affect society (e.g. volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, landslides) and exploration/management of natural resources.  In addition, geologists interact with many other sciences by applying state-of-the-art techniques from chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics to problems in the earth sciences.  These concepts are taught by tenured or tenure-track faculty in our GER courses.  Basic geologic concepts, environmental concerns, and critical and controversial areas in paleontology and evolution are taught in separate courses that are open to students from any discipline.
        Advanced undergraduate education is fulfilled by a diversified geology curriculum which emphasizes sound geological observations, formation and testing of hypotheses, and the application of modern quantitative techniques and analytical methods not only from geology, but also from chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics.  Emerging needs in the fields of environmental studies and global change are being addressed by new courses and by changes in traditional courses.  Graduates from our bachelor's programs are placed in the best graduate schools in the country, in government service, and in industry.
        Our mission in graduate education is to produce well-trained, versatile scientists who will contribute significantly to the needs of the state, the nation, and the world.  Our students can interact with lay-people as well as professional colleagues in solving a wide range of geological and environmental problems.  We are constantly introducing more rigorous analytical and quantitative techniques to study processes that affect the earth and its inhabitants.
 
 

        Our fundamental strategic goal is to increase the national and international research prominence of the department while continuing to provide a broad based geological education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  Our specific goals, objectives and strategies for the next five years are outlined below.  Each of the goals, objectives and strategies listed below are important elements of our strategic plan and no priority is meant to be implied by the order in which they are listed.
 

GOAL 1:	Appoint, support and retain tenure-track and tenured faculty of outstanding quality, diverse in gender and ethnic background, and sufficient in size to fulfill the department's missions.
Objective 1:	Improve the national and international prominence of the department by increasing the amount of research in emerging or revitalized areas of the department, while retaining quality in areas that have been traditionally strong.
Strategy 1:	Gain national and international recognition in global change and paleoclimatology by building on current strength in Quaternary geology.  Researchers from the Quaternary group in the department, currently recognized as leaders in the field, have developed innovative methodology for solving critical issues in the fields of global change and paleoclimatology.  They have been extremely successful in securing external funding from diverse sources to support their research.  Presently, grants to this group (3 active grants = $469,000) account for 38 % of current external research funding in the department.  This field is expected to remain as one of the prominent programs in the department.
Strategy 2:	Gain national and international recognition in environmental geology.  This group is addressing problems of geological, physical, chemical and biological aspects of groundwater, surface water, natural hazards and ecosystems using theoretical and applied approaches.  The addition of a hydrogeologist in 1993 has provided a critical component essential to the development of a strong environmental geology program.  Collaboration with faculty in other departments provides additional expertise.  Since this is a relatively new program, external funding for this group is presently low ($100, 289) but there is good potential for improvement.  Environmental geology should continue to emerge as an important focus for the department.
Strategy 3:	Gain national and international recognition in petrology/tectonics.   This group teaches the majority of courses required for undergraduate majors, but has not historically been strong in research.  It has been focused and revitalized by recent appointments to form an active group that uses structural geology, metamorphic petrology, and igneous petrology to investigate processes that occur in mountain belts.  Presently, this area is the most successful in the department in securing funding from the National Science Foundation (5 active grants = $342,155) and it is rapidly attaining national recognition.  This group is expected to carry on strong research programs that will acquire solid reputations during the next five years.
Strategy 4:	Maintain national and international recognition in paleontology/ sedimentary geology.  This group forms the traditional core of the department and it is changing to respond to new trends in the discipline.  In paleontology, emphasis is being placed on the study of extinctions and biodiversity through geologic time and their relationship to ongoing problems in biological conservation.  Sedimentary geology is focusing on the use of depositional models to detect and interpret patterns of global change in the past.  Current external funding is strong in this group ($320, 561) and we expect that our internationally recognized faculty will sustain the department's excellent reputation in these areas.
Objective 2:	Appoint and retain new faculty who will complement the existing faculty, and who will provide critical mass to gain external support for state-of-the-art lab facilities.  The department needs two additional faculty, one in surficial geology and the other in radiogenic isotopes; these additions will allow  environmental geology and paleoclimatology/global-change to acquire national prominence.  One of these positions will replace Professor Swett when he fully retires in 1996 and the other is a new position.
Strategy 1:	New appointment in surficial geology-paleopedology.  The areas of environmental geology, paleoclimatology, global change, and the Quaternary geology programs will benefit by the addition of broad based geologist specializing in the study of soils, landscape change, and surficial processes.  This person will utilize an array of modern analytical and quantitative methods and will collaborate with a number of faculty.
Strategy 2:	New appointment in radiogenic isotope geochemistry.  All areas of the department will significantly benefit by the addition of an outstanding analytically and quantitatively oriented broad-based geologist with expertise in radiogenic isotope geochemistry. This researcher must be capable of establishing, operating, and funding a thermal ionization mass spectrometry laboratory and be willing to collaborate with other disciplines in the department.  A dynamic scientist in this broadly defined field is crucial to maintaining current areas of strength and for the long term success of emerging areas of strength.
Strategy 3:	Other appointments.  In addition to the two areas described above, there is need in the department for more expertise in areas such as geochemistry, ecology, Cenozoic studies, and geophysics.  If funding for positions in these areas appears feasible, the department will identify the areas of specialization most needed and proceed with a proposal to the Dean.
Strategy 4:	If unexpected faculty vacancies (retirements etc.) occur in the next 5 years, the Department's needs will be evaluated carefully to ensure that proposed replacements have skills in areas that best complement existing faculty in the department as a whole, but do not deplete an active group of the critical mass it needs to retain national recognition.
Strategy 5:	If the department of Biological Sciences does not hire a community ecologist, the Department of Geology will propose to the Dean that we be permitted to hire one to provide expertise needed by the Quaternary geology and paleontology groups.
Strategy 6:	Provide effective mentoring for every faculty member appointed as an assistant and associate professor, geared to his or her own needs.
Objective 3:	Increase the number of women and minority faculty recruited and retained.
Strategy 1:	Make certain that the proportion of minorities and women in candidate pools for authorized searches is similar to the percentage of qualified minorities and women in the national pools.
Strategy 2:	Ensure that effective mentoring is provided for every woman and minority faculty member appointed as an assistant and associate professor, geared to his or her own needs.
Strategy 3:	Identify qualified minorities and women with skills in areas in which the department needs additional expertise and propose that the college hire them under its special recruitment program.
GOAL 2:	Maintain high quality undergraduate instruction.
Objective 1:	Improve the course offerings for undergraduates.
Strategy 1:	Introduce  a course in Geologic Hazards.  A new GER course will be added in the fall of 1995.  This course will address the major geologic hazards that affect our nation,   emphasizing geologic processes that can result in catastrophic events.  It will provide essential education so that  students can make sound decisions in their daily living (e.g., selection of housing that avoids areas prone to catastrophic geologic events such as in flooding, volcanic eruptions, or earthquakes).
Strategy 2:	Offer honors or majors sections in large core courses.
Strategy 3:	Offer a required undergraduate seminar.
Strategy 4:	Develop courses that emphasize quantitative laboratory skills.
Objective 2:	Strengthen education in the Environmental Geosciences.
Strategy 1:	Introduction of a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geology.  This new program will modify the traditional Geology curriculum to provide environmental training.  The new program will build on expertise brought in by faculty hired in the last five years, and draw from existing courses on campus to produce a balanced instruction in the various disciplines essential to an environment geoscientist.
Strategy 2:	Add a course in geologic hazards (see above).
Objective 3:	Continue to provide quality education in basic geology, and make improvements where necessary.
Strategy 1:	Revise the traditional offerings and modernize laboratory facilities.
Strategy 2:	Secure additional TA support for laboratory sections in courses required for the undergraduate major and those with large enrollments.
Strategy 3:	Maintain 100 percent faculty-taught courses at all levels in the department during the Fall and Spring semesters of the regular academic year.
Strategy 4:	Improve outcome assessment by adding a questionnaire to be completed by graduating seniors.
Strategy 5:	Develop a standardized evaluation form for all geology courses, to permit uniform evaluation of faculty and identification of problems.
Objective 4:	Involve more undergraduates in research projects.
Strategy 1:	Apply for Research Experience for Undergraduates money through NSF to hire undergraduate assistants for faculty research projects supported by NSF.
Strategy 2:	Encourage more undergraduates to do senior thesis research projects.
GOAL 3:	Provide the strongest possible graduate training.
Objective 1:	Attract graduate students with better math and science backgrounds into Geology.
Strategy 1:	Develop a departmental brochure that emphasizes our strengths and the importance of math and collateral sciences.
Strategy 2:	Identify a permanent source of funding to bring outstanding graduate applicants to visit the department.
Strategy 3:	Identify a permanent source of funding to increase graduate student salaries.
Objective 2:	Provide more formal apprenticeship relationships of doctoral students with faculty.
Strategy 1:	Ensure that advanced undergraduate courses have Teaching Assistants to provide this relationship.  Academic and many industry jobs require that applicants have teaching experience in their sub-discipline.
Strategy 2:	Increase collaborative research with graduate students which will lead to publications, and continue to encourage graduate students to seek external grants to support their research.
Strategy 3:	Offer the best Ph.D. candidate each year an appointment as an Instructor to teach the Introductory Geology course during the summer session.
GOAL 4:	Improve infrastructure to support teaching and research missions.
Objective 1:	Increase funding for research in all areas of the department.
Strategy 1:	Expand external funding for research in the department by encouraging faculty to increase submission of proposals to government agencies and foundations, such as NSF.
Strategy 2:	Encourage faculty to increase the number of seed grant proposals (e.g. Carver and CGRER).
Strategy 3:	Encourage faculty to include more funding in proposals to support additional undergraduate and graduate research assistants.
Strategy 4:	Encourage faculty to do collaborative multidisciplinary research and to increase the number of multidisciplinary research proposals.
Objective 2:	Modernize and improve the research facilities in the department.
Strategy 1:	Secure funding for the modernization of geochemistry facilities and instrumentation by generating proposals to appropriate funding agencies.
Strategy 2:	Secure funding for the development of a Stable Isotope Facility.  The development of this facility will benefit several disciplines in the department and foster collaboration with environmental researchers in Iowa.  It is critical to research in Global Change and Paleoclimatology, and to maintaining strength in traditional areas.
Strategy 3:	Acquire funding for a Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (TIMS).  Researchers providing over 80 % of the Department's external funding use data from TIMS laboratories.  The facility is vital to the long-term success of the emerging areas of strength in the department (environmental geology and geochemistry).  It will also provide benefits to virtually all disciplines in the department and foster collaboration with researchers in other departments, colleges and institutions.
Strategy 4:	Acquire support for an electronics/geochemistry technician to replace the position lost in late 1980's.
Strategy 5:	Acquire funds to maintain and improve equipment for capturing and analyzing morphometric data.
Strategy 6:	Enhance computer capabilities for developing large taxonomic and specimen data bases.
Strategy 7:	Continue to support and upgrade the rock preparation and thin section laboratory, and maintain support for a full time technician.
Strategy 8:	Acquire funds to establish a curatorial assistant position for the Paleontological Repository.  This position is required in order to obtain future collections improvement grants from NSF.
Strategy 9:	Acquire funds and technical support for expansion and enhancement of the research computer network in the department.
Objective 3:	Improve instructional facilities to foster excellence in teaching and learning.
Strategy 1:	Introduce computerized instructional aids.  Acquire facilities necessary to provide computerized instructional aids in the three large general instruction laboratory classrooms in Trowbridge Hall.
Strategy 2:	Upgrade teaching lab facilities/equipment through money from the college and through proposals to NSF for this purpose.
Strategy 3:	Modernize lecture capabilities in the Geology Department.  Acquire a computer with a CD ROM player, a videodisk player, and appropriate projecting equipment for lectures in undergraduate GER and majors courses.  This technology will allow us to use the rapidly expanding audio-video materials now on the market that highlight recent advances in earth sciences.
Strategy 4:	Acquire funds to support a manager/technician for instructional computer facilities in department.
Strategy 5:	Acquire funds to re-establish the storekeeper position for teaching collections/lab management to replace the position lost in mid-1980's.
Strategy 6:	Acquire funds and technical support for expansion and enhancement of the teaching computer network in the department.