Re: PALEONET digest 110

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Hi all.

Just read the following couple of coments:

>Dr. Poulton makes a good point. Could people who have experience with
>cross-posting their courses please describe its advantages and
>disadvantages?
>
><poulton@gsc.NRCan.gc.ca> wrote (9/10/97),
>>The placement of paleo in either geology or biology departments would seem to
>>have some importance, considering anecdotal evidence that cross-posting paleo
>>courses offered by geology departments in some universities in the biology
>>departments has significantly increased enrolments and allowed for new
>>staffing. Another factor would be the individual attitudes of managers in
>>each department, suggesting that opportunities arise where there is a
>>favorable climate.

My limited experience, being a PhD student right now with a BSc in Biology
and an MSc in Geology (although I was doing graptolite taxonomy and
biostratigraphy for that MSc - go figure!), is that some universities are
awfully picky with letting students cross-register for higher level
undergrad courses in palaeo (I won't even mention grad courses), no matter
which department 'hosts' the course.  My undergrad university presented
several obstacles to students interested in attending palaeo courses, some
quire reasonable (ie., requiring at least two first-year biology courses
from geology students) but others more oriented towards a: keeping the
total enrolment of students at a 'manageable' level and b: the enrolment of
'other dept.' students to a politically correct minimum.

I certainly hope this doesn't reflect what's seen in the majourity of
universities: based on what I've seen from teaching palaeo undergrad labs
and some limited lecturing in a systematics/biogeography course, it's hard
enough to get young people interested professionally in palaeontology as it
without presenting them with too many obstacles.

Well, just another perspective.  Hope it sheds a little more light...


Rod Taylor

Rod S. Taylor
I.S.P., University of Amsterdam
Mauritskade 61, Post box 94766
1090 GT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
phone: 31.20 525.6287; fax: 31.20.525.5402
e-mail: taylor@bio.uva.nl

'I go from day to day, I know whwere the cupboards are,
 I know where the car is parked, I know he isn't you'

        Tori Amos, 'Hey Jupiter' (the Dakotah version)