Field Studies: Requirements
Students in the Northwestern University Environmental Field School usually enroll for two units of Environmental Science credit (390). If a student is majoring in a social science major it has been possible to have one of those credits count as a type of policy credit toward fulfilling requirements of such majors. Students will be expected to prepare for the summer experience through a modest reading program. If they have had either Political Science 371(Environmental Politics) or Political Science 204 (Politics and Nature), they have much of the requisite background for dealing with the policy component of the field school. If a student has had neither of those courses, nor an appropriate substitute, some further directed reading will be required, both before a student begins the placement, and while it is underway. There will be orientation meetings during Spring Quarter.
While many of the students involved in the environmental field school are majoring in environmental sciences or environmental engineering, there are almost always social science and history majors as well. Even theatre majors and music majors may have skills of particular value to the National Park Service. The music and theatre majors who have been in the program have done just fine during their summer in the field, while having life changing experiences. While a student's Northwestern major and course preparation may be a factor in the type of placement we will seek, self-reliance, responsibility, a sense of adventure and a quest for rich new learning experiences are actually more important factors. Students in the summer internship are typically between their sophomore and junior years, or between their junior and senior years. But we have, upon occasion, placed mature students who have just completed their freshman year, and we have placed graduating seniors and graduate students as well.
In addition to doing the work in the field, under National Park Service direction, students will submit weekly field notes back to the NU program office, usually by e-mail. Students will prepare a research paper based upon the work done over the summer. This paper will be due during the early part of the 2005-2006 academic year. During the time when a student is in the field either the NU director or co-director will conduct a site visit to the park. During this site visit we will observe what each student is doing, hopefully accompanying the student to the field or work sites. The NU visitor will also meet with the National Park Service staff, and (most important) will work with the student to develop the topics and materials for the paper. We may also try to take each student out for a good meal.
The Northwestern University expectation is that students will work in a park on a full time basis for at least seven weeks. Usually students begin work shortly after spring quarter exams are finished. But a student may be able to work a different time schedule. Given the NU academic calendar, it is possible for a student to begin work as late as the end of July, or even early August, and still get in seven weeks of work before returning to campus. So, upon occasion students have spent the first part of the summer on such things as an NROTC cruise, a NOLS program, or even a period of work at home or on campus, before beginning the field school. The time period in the field is, of course, always contingent upon a Park's needs. But often a Park may actually prefer a later placement, both because other seasonal people may leave by early August to head back to school, and/or because Park housing may be more available.
