Abstract
Rolling with the Changes: Keeping a GIS Program Current
Track: User Presentations - Teaching
Authors: Robbyn Abbitt
Over the past 5 years the Field of GIS and Higher Education have both experienced unprecedented rapid changes. The field of GIS has exploded and there is no longer the hope of one person 'knowing it all.' Simultaneously higher education in the US has seen dramatic decreases in funding. With increasingly limited resources, degree programs are faced with necessary updates in order to stay current with 'the real world." Miami's story is like many others. We have learned to leverage local professional knowledge to upgrade courses and supplement our own software administration tasks. We have also learned that crossing academic departmental lines is opening new opportunities to our students. No longer can only GIS professionals/academics teach all of the skills needed to be successful. We believe our story shows one way to rolling with the changes while still providing the high-quality education that our students expect and deserve.