Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium

1
Natural ResourcesDistance Learning Consortium

• Gary R. Evans
• Director
• Natural Resources Distance Learning Program
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
  University

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Natural Resources Distance Learning

• Recent Study
• Sample of 300 US Universities
• 55 - listed Distance Learning courses
• lt9 - listed Natural Resource courses within
  their Distance Learning programs
• lt5 - Any University listing any Natural Resource
  courses

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Key Word Search

• Forest Natural Resources 
• Range Wildlife  
• Environmental Science Fisheries  
• Recreation / Tourism Soils  
• Conservation Biology Ecotourism
• Watershed Water Resource 
• Natural Resources
  Environmental Education
• Wildland Fire Science Meteorology
• Conservation Studies Statistics
• Geographic Information System (GIS)
• Human Dimensions of Natural Resources

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Distance Learning Alternatives

• THE NEED
• Renewable Natural Resources Foundation report
• 50 of SES in natural resources can retire, now
• 45 of GS 14 15 in natural resources can
  retire, now
• Universities have opportunities
• Deliver natural resource education through
  non-traditional learning technologies
• Significant need for professional degrees in
  natural resources, eg. MNR

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The Continuing Question

• Why should a natural resources agency
• employees education stop the day they
• become employeed?

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Why Virginia Tech?

• College of Natural Resources
• Joint Venture Agreement with USDA Forest Service
• Developing courses to meet Agency needs
• Developing beyond the traditional
• Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning
• Among The Top Ranked in U.S.
• Delivering 24/7 365, World Wide
• 400 Courses on line

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Virginia Tech

• Courses within the joint venture agreement
• Upgrading to VA Tech academic and teaching
  standards
• Redesigning to distance learning instructional
  formats
• Courses on-line for Fall 2004
• Modern Wildlife Management
• Partnerships and Volunteerism
• Foundations of Public Land Management

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Consortium

• University Limitations to meet rapidly growing
  demands
• Time
• Faculty
• Funding
• Physical infrastructure
• New Opportunities
• Develop a consortium to create and deliver
  courses via Distance Learning

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Consortium

• Who?
• Universities develop and deliver on-line
  courses
• Federal, State and Local land managing agencies
  employees seeking education
• Professional Societies setting standards for
  certification and accreditation

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Consortium

• Share a Vision
• Universities with well developed distance
  learning courses, certificates and graduate
  specialization degrees
• Agree to form a consortium to deliver courses via
  the web
• Bring together colleges well recognized for
  unique strengths in specific on-line curriculum
• Courses offered through the Consortium

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Consortium

• Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium
  community of interest
• Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources
• University of Idaho College of Natural
  Resources
• Northern Arizona University College of Forestry
• University of Montana College of Forestry and
  Conservation
• USDA Forest Service
• DOI Bureau of Land Management
• DOI National Park Service
• National Wildland Fire Management Agency

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Consortium

• Univ. of Idaho restoration ecology courses and
  Certificate
• Northern Arizona Univ. focused on forestry and
  American Indian values
• Univ. of Montana wilderness management
• Virginia Tech public lands management and
  interdisciplinary recreation planning and
  management

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Consortium Advantages

• Develop certificate programs (12 15 credits)
• Provide joint Master of Natural Resources/Master
  of Forestry degrees
• Build on the strengths of existing programs
• Deliver education to a broader student base
• Provide flexibility to working professionals
  seeking education
• Combine the strengths of top faculty across the
  U.S. in the best available courses
• Provide a venue for universities to broaden the
  curriculum available for their upper division and
  graduate programs

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Next Steps

• Formalize the Consortium
• Begin jointly advertising opportunities
• Continue dialog with interested universities
• S. F. Austin Univ. resource interpretation
• Colo. State Univ. range ecology
• Clemson Univ. tourism
• N.C. State Univ wood products
• N.E. Forestry Colleges eastern forest mgt.

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Contact

• Gary R. Evans, Ph.D.
• Director, Natural Resources Distance Learning
  Consortium
• Northern Virginia Campus, Virginia Tech
• 1021 Prince St.,
• Alexandria, VA 22314
• Tel. [phone] Fax [phone]
• Email gaevans1_at_vt.edu