4-6pm every Tuesday is, for Geography, free of timetabled teaching to allow for Geography Community Tuesday events.
Alex Jeffrey, DPD in Geography, oversees events organised by different members of staff. This follows a model begun by Helen Jarvis, ex-DPD in Geography.
Keeping these two hours clear of timetabled teaching means that Geography events can take place without timetable clashes. Geography Community Tuesday events have included: - SSCs - presentations to all stage 1 students about field courses - annual lecture of the Tyneside Geographical Association - a talk by Patrick Cockburn - mentoring events - a dissertation conference (see separate case study) in which stage 3 students present to stage 2 students - GeogSoc committee meetings and social events.
Geography is a large degree programme with a high proportion of students doing joint degrees. Timetabled teaching is scheduled in different buildings across campus: this, and the lack of a student common room, can make it hard to establish a coherent 'Newcastle Geographers' identity. Having a regular, dedicated session for the subject area is a way to help build this sense of community.
From a timetabling and attendance point of view, yes: it makes it more likely that students and staff can attend the events. Attendance still depends on interest in and promotion of each event, but branding them as 'Geography Community Tuesday' events helps foster a subject area identity that would otherwise be made difficult by the (geographic) spread of sessions across the University estate.
Geography Community Tuesdays
Student Engagement
Undergraduate (all Stages)
Geography, Politics and Sociology
-
Over 200 students in a group
In response to issues