Instructionally Related Activities Funds Request Summary

Project SponsorJennifer Perry
Activity TitleANTH 332 Field Trip to Santa Cruz Island
Activity/Event DateField Trip/September 13, 2014
Date Funding Needed ByAugust 1
Previously Funded?Yes
Semester/YearSpring 2013
Proposal #510
Report submitted for previously Funded Activity?Yes
Report submitted for previously Funded Activityanth-445-spring-2013-ira-report.docx (MS Word)
Academic Program or Center NameAnthropology
Estimated total Course Fee revenue0
Amount Requested from IRA1,888
Estimated Number of Students Participating30
Conditions and ConsiderationsField Trip
Brief Activity DescriptionThis interdisciplinary course, Human Ecology (ANTH/ESRM 332) is focused on human interactions with the environment through time. Theoretical frameworks and models from ecology, archaeology, history, and ethnography are considered alongside case studies from throughout the world and different time periods. The Channel Islands are an ideal context in which to explore these ideas because of their 13,000-year record of human occupation, their current protected status, and their proximity to campus and therefore their logistical feasibility in terms of field trips. This one-day field trip is designed to expose students firsthand to a region that has been subject to human action for thousands of years and for which earlier evidence is still visible. The students and I will travel to eastern Santa Cruz Island, where I will lead an interpretive hike. Throughout the day, we will examine local geology, botany, and archaeological sites; discuss relevant readings; and apply abstract ecological and anthropological concepts to tangible examples. The ultimate goal of the field trip is for students to be immersed in experiential learning on the island, which will require them to think more concretely and personally about human-environment interactions. It is likely that the majority of the students have either never been to one of the Channel Islands or had limited experiences there. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce students to the islands in an educational setting, which will hopefully result in them returning to the islands in the future. Based on past experience, the field trip will also promote social interactions between students and enhance subsequent in-class discussions.
Learning Outcomes and Relation to IRA to Course OfferingsAs discussed in the activity description, this field trip is specifically for students of a interdisciplinary course in Human Ecology (ANTH/ESRM 332). It is a required component of the course and will be connected directly to broader course content. Following the field trip, students will be required to write a paper that incorporates assigned readings, class discussions, and the field trip experience, in which they will be required to apply concepts and theories they have learned in class to the Channel Islands. The paper will be based on a worksheet that they will be required to take notes on during the field trip. They will also be tested on components of the trip in the context of a midterm exam. Furthermore, they will be expected to draw from their experiences on the field trip during subsequent in-class discussions, using it as a shared tangible example to relate to other concepts and case studies.
Description of Assessment ProcessAssessment of the activity will be based on discussions during the field trip and subsequent in-class discussions, evaluation of the assigned paper, and student performance on relevant questions on the midterm exam.
Activity Budgetanth-332-ira-request-travel-budget.xlsx (MS Excel)
CIA Budget
CIA Proposal
Course Syllabus
CIA Certification
Other Sources of FundingStudents are expected to provide their own lunches and to cover their own vehicle transportation to and from Ventura Harbor.
Target Audience/Student MarketingThis field trip is for the students of the ANTH/ESRM 332 course I am teaching in the fall semester of 2014. Since this is a mandatory trip, students will be notified in written form, including on the syllabus, as well as verbally beginning on the first day of class.
Bring Benefit to CampusAlthough this field trip is strictly for ANTH/ESRM 332 students, based on prior experience it will undoubtedly have positive outcomes that are far-reaching. A required field trip to the Channel Islands promotes greater interest in and appreciation of the islands. The more students who are given educational opportunities to travel there, the greater the likelihood that even more will become interested as they learn about the islands from their peers. Field trips such as these tend to promote a positive feedback loop about the Channel Islands. Now that the field station on Santa Rosa Island, I anticipate that this field trip will specifically cultivate interest in visiting it. On a more abstract level, I have found that field trips to the Channel Islands enhance student identities and connections to CSUCI as well as pride in the name and mission of the university.
SustainabilityThe focus of the field trip is on long-term perspectives on human interactions with island environments. Students will be exposed to tangible examples of human impacts, both positive and negative, at different time scales including prehistoric, historic, and short-term actions in the present. Further, we will debate the extent to which peoples of the past behaved in sustainable ways. In doing so, students will be encouraged to consider how the evidence on the islands relates to practices on CSUCI campus.
Program Chair/Directordennis.downey
Academic Affairs AVPkaren.carey
AcknowledgementI acknowledge that I have reviewed and accepted the Conditions and Considerations herein. Please check off boxes as appropriate.

Program Chair/Director Approval

ApprovalI approve the IRA Funds Request described on this page
NameDennis Downey
Date/Time3/2/2014 4:34:18 PM

Academic Affairs AVP Approval

ApprovalI approve the IRA Funds Request described on this page
NameKaren Carey
Date/Time3/4/2014 8:16:04 AM
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