Nature's (one of them) Editorial: Geoscience on the chopping block

[Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert]

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00216-1
The article is eerily similar to ones demanding more money for humanities.
Even the traditional "force more students to take these classes" refrain is present:
"A short-term solution to prevent low student numbers on university geoscience courses would be to provide accessible and compulsory first-year Earth science modules to students from business, politics, law and other STEM subjects."

Another similarity is that article fails to mention any tangible benefit for students or the need to reform offerings to match changing labour market needs.

[Parasaurolophus]

Instead, many of the skills and techniques needed to source oil and gas are directly applicable to industries critical to climate change mitigation. As one example, carbon capture and storage can involve pumping CO2 into spent oil wells in sedimentary basins.

I found this particularly funny, given that carbon capture and storage is (1) primarily used for enhanced oil recovery, and (2) pretty much a la-di-da cloud-cuckooland "solution" for the forseeable future, unless we magically start scrubbing it directly out of the atmosphere better than kudzu can.

[Hibush]

That is a hilariously naive editorial.

They admit that the field has been driven by demand in oil exploration, and pussyfoot around the fact that students have noticed energy companies switching their attention from exploration to other energy sources.

There will still be a need for geoscience, but if lower student numbers in fossil-fuel-associated courses is a consequence of saving the earth, that change should be easily accommodated.

[Anselm]

Earth Science always fills up at my community college.

[Vkw10]

My long ago geoscience class included much discussion of geoscience and land use. Sink holes, mudslides, building codes in earthquake zones, flood plains and urban development, lots of fascinating material that had little to do with energy production. CurrentU's geoscience program has close ties with civil engineering, construction management, architecture, and urban planning. Their courses are popular.

[Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert]

Earth Science always fills up at my community college.

Popularity of low-level courses, as well as "geoscience for [enter major name]" classes cannot save geoscience departments, if there is barely any actual geoscience majors to take high-level classes.

My long ago geoscience class included much discussion of geoscience and land use. Sink holes, mudslides, building codes in earthquake zones, flood plains and urban development, lots of fascinating material that had little to do with energy production. CurrentU's geoscience program has close ties with civil engineering, construction management, architecture, and urban planning. Their courses are popular.

Having geoscience elements embedded in many other fields does not offer much value for graduates on its own (e.g. geotechnical engineering degree offers much more direct pathway to a job dealing with sinkholes) - again situation not dissimilar to humanities claiming "critical thinking" ad "writing" skills. 

[Aster]

I vote that we add Latin language courses into General Education electives.

[mamselle]

I vote that we add Latin language courses into General Education electives.

Salve!

Fiat.

M.

[dismalist]

I vote that we add Latin language courses into General Education electives.

Salve!

Fiat.

M.

Because college is mostly signalling, not learning, I move to make Latin a required subject for all four years of four year colleges, and an elective for two year colleges.

That'll separate the wheat from the chaff! :-)

[Hibush]

Presumably the admissions exam will have a significant section in Latin to make sure the admitted students have a reasonable basic education. Then the Latin GE requirements can be college-level material.

[dismalist]

Presumably the admissions exam will have a significant section in Latin to make sure the admitted students have a reasonable basic education. Then the Latin GE requirements can be college-level material.

Absolutely good idea!

Look, to be a civil servant in the British Empire one had to know Latin and Greek. These skills had nothing to do with running an empire. It was just a signal that "I can do stuff". 'Course, the British Empire was a good deal only so long as it lasted. Then came the American Empire. To succeed in that one needs, or needed, an MBA. Also, a mere signal. I think Latin is a stronger signal than the MBA.

All those who realize early on that Latin is not their cup of tea will then choose an education that teaches real things. Drop out early. And that is why requiring Latin is socially useful. :-)

[Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert]

Presumably the admissions exam will have a significant section in Latin to make sure the admitted students have a reasonable basic education. Then the Latin GE requirements can be college-level material.

I see a clear benefit for people whose native language retained grammatical cases.
Though, it may be better marketed as fixing historical wrongs against speakers of Romance languages (works both in US and Canada)

[Parasaurolophus]

Presumably the admissions exam will have a significant section in Latin to make sure the admitted students have a reasonable basic education. Then the Latin GE requirements can be college-level material.

I see a clear benefit for people whose native language retained grammatical cases.
Though, it may be better marketed as fixing historical wrongs against speakers of Romance languages (works both in US and Canada)

I like it!

[mamselle]

Look, to be a civil servant in the British Empire one had to know Latin and Greek. These skills had nothing to do with running an empire. It was just a signal that "I can do stuff". '

Actually, that's not quite true.

The basic texts in most subjects were more and more being written in vernacular languages, but many medical, theological, legal, and some scientific texts that were relied on by those in the governance and service infrastructure careers were still in Latin, and were not immediately translated because learning Latin was still expected, so you could read them, through much of the 19th c.

It was a functional skill, not simply a parlor trick.

M.

[Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert]

Another Nature-related paper:
Highlighting altruism in geoscience careers aligns with diverse US student ideals better than emphasizing working outdoors

"...We also find that many respondents know little about what a career in geoscience entails. We argue that better informing students about the altruistic potential of geoscience careers would be an effective strategy to broaden recruitment...."

Combined with the article that started this thread ("Geoscience on the chopping block"), this forms a disturbing pattern:
"Dimming career prospects reduce appeal of geoscience majors to the traditional [privileged] demographic?
=> Let's attract underprivileged students who have no idea about actual careers and condition them to help others for free"