THE EARTH SCIENCE ACTION PLAN: SUPPORT FOR L&T IN THE DISCIPLINE CHUGD briefing, May 2007 Neil Thomas (Earth Sciences Subject Advisor, Subject Centre for GEES)

Context for the Arden meeting GEES Subject Centre in existence since 2000 Generic support for 3 GEES disciplines Specific support for each discipline Changing HE landscape Have we (the SC) got it right?

Rationale for the Arden meeting Not just a GEES SC event Bring together key players in HE provision Geological Society, BGA, CHUGD, ESEU, GEES Subject Centre Most important – representatives of the community Develop joined-up thinking & solutions Improve: SLE, our work balance, health of discipline across continuum of education

Aims of the Arden meeting To: Identify & discuss relevant L&T issues for own departments and the discipline Prioritise the issues that will most affect the discipline over next 4-5 years Identify mechanisms and activities to support the discipline community in addressing these issues Develop a timetable for implementation of the identified activities ( )

Questions posed What is the future of Earth Sciences, and what will the discipline territory be in 2011? What will be the key issues to affect and shape the discipline in the period ? What are the priority areas for the UK discipline community? What activities (long & short term) can be undertaken to support the profile of the discipline and L&T issues within these priority areas? How can the Subject Centre help?

Action Plan priority areas Fieldwork teaching & learning Basic skills in Earth Science Curriculum issues (inc. employability) Recruitment & marketing the discipline Promoting motivation & scholarship of students

Activities identified for CHUGD input Preparation of field skills requirement list for Earth Sciences graduates (2007-8) Run a field course for staff to a ‘commonly used’ field area to share practice (2009) Facilitate collaborative field courses between consenting institutions (2008 onwards) Lobby schools curriculum policy authorities to include the identified Basic Skills in A and A/S syllabi & Earth Sciences input (ongoing) Establish an effective employer input & research employer needs (ongoing)

Activities identified for CHUGD input Research curriculum balance in programme topics and credits ( ) Develop & pilot collaborative teaching models in curriculum areas where staff shortage/skills deficiency exists ( ) Exploit 2008 as Year of Planet Earth by running Summer School and competitions/contests ( )

Summary Programme of support activities identified for SC will co-ordinate process, but… Needs active input of all stakeholders (SC, CHUGD, Geol Soc, individuals)