New Zealand Earth Systems 2 – June 28 to November 8th
The Earth Systems 2 programme analyzes current environmental issues arising from the interface between nature and society. Focusing on field and research based education, students study how the geosphere, bioshpere, hydrosphere, and anthrosphere systems interact to form the New Zealand Earth System. As part of this programme, students will undertake research projects assisting in the re-development of Christchurch alongside its people. This programme will see students develop as individuals and challenge concepts of learning, while giving something back to the City of Christchurch. The programme includes a 10-day field session focusing on recent the recent Christchurch earthquakes, the recovery and rebuild, and other critical environmental issues such as climate change, agriculture and pollution. To fully understand Christchurch’s place in the New Zealand Earth System context, during the field session, students will also spend several days in the Southern Alps studying glaciers, climate change and the role water plays in modern society. Following the field session, where research projects will be identified for participating students, students will enroll in a set of chosen courses and electives with learning outcomes that match the theme of this programme.
10-Day Field Session: June 28 – July 8
The field session will begin at the Christchurch’s earthquake ground zero post – City Centre, providing students with a context of the earthquake(s) impact. The session will be divided into several inter-related modules where students will meet community leaders, begin to develop leadership skills, volunteer in community projects, and initiate their semester long research project. Following the City Center field exercises, students will transition to the Southern Alps, where they will study glaciers and the effects of climate change on New Zealand.
Aspects covered during field session include:
- The science behind the earthquakes and timeline of events
- Tour of the areas impacted by rock fall, shaking, liquefaction, and lateral spreading, to obtain a sense of what Christchurch residents have endured
- Firsthand accounts of the damage and drama of the quakes
- One day of volunteering ‘hands on service’ in the Christchurch community
- Learn about the community’s preparedness, response, and recovery
- Understand the emergency response at local and governmental levels
- Meet high level decision makers
- Reflect on decisions and how they are being made in the recovery process
- Tour post-earthquake Christchurch/Canterbury to grasp the bigger picture
- Cultural exposure to Maori perspectives on environmental guardianship or kaitiakitanga
- Southern Alps Glacier exercise
- Effects of climate change on Kiwi agriculture
Campus Semester: July – Mid November
Programme Details
Credits/Units: 18 total credits transcripted by the Lafayette College.
Earth Systems Field Camp (2 credits)
Research Methods in Geography (4 credits)
Earth System Science (4 credits)
Two course of your choosing (up to 8 credits)
Tuition
2013: $18,500 NZD
2014: TBA
Other costs:
- Return Airfare – approximately $1,500 NZD
- Room at Ilam Apartments – $4,809 NZD
- Board – self-catered approximately $200-250 NZD per week
- Books – approximatley $400 NZD
Applications Close: March 15th 2013
- Research Methods in Geography - GEOG 309: This course draws on both service and problem-based learning. This means that it is based on group work, on learning by doing, and on learning with a community service element. The projects that groups undertake are intended to contribute towards practical outcomes for a number of community groups (that broadly work under the Transition Towns umbrella) such as Project Lyttelton, Lyttelton Harbour Issues Group, Roimata (Woolston), Sumner Redcliffs Transition Group. The emphasis is on working together to solve real world problems by developing skills that are designed for lifelong learning and that are also transferable to the workplace. The course is both a preparation for graduate study and for entry into the workforce
- Earth System Science-GEOL245-S2: This course covers the fundamental chemical and physical processes at work within the earth system from a geological perspective through a combination of knowledge-based and applied teaching approaches. Lectures will both transfer knowledge and engage students in case studies. Laboratory exercises will apply lecture material to a variety of physical, chemical, and numerical problems. Topics to be covered include: biogeochemistry; hydrology & hydrogeology; low temperature geochemistry; geochronology.
Select Two Electives (can include – but not limited to - for a complete Canterbury listing follow this link):
- Hazard and Disaster Investigation HAZM403-S2: Investigation, solution and reporting of hazard and disaster management situations
- Resource and Environmental Management GEOG206-S2: This course will provide students with a general introduction to debates in resource and environmental management, an understanding of the policies and practices of such management in New Zealand, a critical analysis of the concepts upon which these are based, and an insight into practical issues in this field, including environmental and social impact analysis and the Resource Management Act.
- Science, Maori and Indigenous Knowledge SCIM101-S2 This is an integrated multi-disciplinary course between Aotahi: School of Maori and Indigenous Studies and the College of Science. This course provides a basic understanding of Maori and indigenous peoples’ knowledge in such fields as astronomy, physics, conservation biology, aquaculture, resource management and health sciences. The course provides unique perspectives in indigenous knowledge, western science and their overlap. The course will provide an essential background in cultural awareness and its relationship with today’s New Zealand scientific community.
- Engineering and Mining Geology GEOL338-S: The course provides an overview of engineering geology and mining geology practice, and includes introductory material on rock mechanics and mining geotechnics as well as important background on environmental management of mine wastes.
- Environmental Politics and Policy POLS304-S2: This course analyses the resource and environmental aspects of public policy.
- Forest Management FORE316-S2: Development of integrated natural resource management approaches to various decision-making techniques. Application of quantitative techniques for analysis of wood production problems, including log manufacturing, log allocation, stand simulation and optimization.
- Introduction to Geographic Information Systems GEOG205-S2 Geographic information systems (GIS) provide the tools for managing, analysing and presenting spatial information in an intuitive and graphical way. This course provides students with an introduction to the fundamental concepts, principles and techniques of GIS. The course examines the use of geographic technology including global positioning systems as well as GIS. It also introduces you to the development of GIS and GPS software skills, including ArcView.
- Geospatial Analysis in the Social and Environmental Sciences GEOG323-S2: Using a series of examples this course aims to extend a student’s knowledge of GIS by investigating the three main elements of spatial analysis. First, cartographic models are used to illustrate the representation of data on a map as well as map-based operations generating new maps. Second, forms of spatial modelling are used to illustrate the possible spatial interactions that exist between objects in a model. Last, various spatial data analysis techniques are employed to look for evidence of possible spatial relationships that exist in data. These include autocorrelation, point pattern analysis, and geodemographic analysis. A variety of software packages are used to explore each element of geospatial analysis as well as highlight a number of problems inherent when dealing with spatial data such as the ecological fallacy and modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP).
- New Zealand Biodiversity and Biosecurity BIOL273-S2: An overview of the indigenous flora and fauna of New Zealand, including their biogeographic origins, the unique and unusual aspects of native organisms, the makeup of native communities, and their interactions with introduced organisms. Emphasis will be placed on the role of biological invaders in modifying New Zealand ecosystems.
- Sustaining Native Biodiversity in Primary Production Systems BIOL379-S2: A review of theoretical concepts coupled with policy and management tools to implement sustainable native biodiversity on managed lands such as agricultural and plantation forestry ecosystems.
- Geographies of Development GEOG212-S2: This course provides students with an understanding of development geography and critical geopolitics. It considers the spatial imaginaries through which we know and map the so-called third world and the material consequences of these imaginaries for people, places and politics.
- Sustainable Development SOCI237-S2: This course critically examines processes of sustainable development and social change from New Zealand and international perspectives. The course considers processes of development and underdevelopment in a world political and economic system, the state of the environment, access to and use of resources, poverty, and how people forge their livelihoods. Students will consider different development paradigms, the nature of aid and development projects, and ways of pursuing sustainable development. Case material covers the Asia-Pacific region as well as New Zealand experiences, and there is an opportunity to research and write about development issues for a chosen country.
- Tectonics and the New Zealand Continent GEOL334-S2: Tectonic and structural aspects of convergent and divergent plate margins and their application to the geological development of New Zealand.
- Magmatic Systems and Volcanology GEOL336-S2: Study of magmatic systems including the nature and origin of igneous materials and links with the physical processes of volcanology.
- Environmental Engineering: This is a new 200-level course. More information will be available at a later date.
- Fluids and Hydrology: This is a new 200-level course. More information will be available at a later date.
- Geotechnical Engineering: This is a new 300-level course. More information will be available at a later date.
- Ecological Engineering: This is a new 300-level course. More information will be available at a later date.