a Geographer's Place

Tenure. It’s not what most people think. People often say, “Oh…tenure. Yeah. That’s when you have a job for life. You can’t be fired.” No. You can get fired once you have tenure. It happens (see this whole fiasco for an example). All tenure means is that you (supposedly) have academic freedom. That is, you are protected from repercussions should your research or personal views come into play in the classroom or your research. For example, a tenured professor can research odd things (like my colleagues who discovered that Kansas is indeed flatter than a pancake ) and is likely to not get in trouble or fired for them. Similarly, should they speak out against colleagues or the PTB or not agree with them, even if the tenured person is very  vocal about their position, that's okay. They're protected (unless what they're doing is "heinous"). A person without tenure is usually fired for doing those things outright. Quick and with no questions asked. ...

My number one reason for being a Geographer can be summed up in one word: Fieldwork. While I've written on that topic previously, I want to expound a little more on the subject and explore Field Studies . At it's core, a "field study" means you are conducting some kind of fieldwork with a specific purpose. This is why I do what I do. So I can drag people into the field with me, help them see the landscape anew! Currently, I run two international field study courses: Sustainability in the Caribbean , where I spend a couple weeks with students on the Island of Grenada, and Geography by Rail ® , a program I designed (and trademarked!) to explore landscapes using the quintessential mode of transport: the train. Both represent exciting, but different, field study programs. Students at Levera beach, Grenada, excited at the opportunity to study on a tropical island! Regardless of which they partake in however, students overwhelmingly enjoy the opportunity t...