Vol X, No. 2 - Summer 2002
Contents |
In Focus |
Mapmaking |
Geonews |
Profile |
Employee
Mike Sublett is professor of Geography at Illinois State University. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Achievement Award given by the National Council for Geographic Education and is director of the geography internship program at ISU.
Illinois State is one of a few universities that require all undergraduate majors in geography to complete a semester internship before receiving a degree. Professor Sublett and his colleagues initiated the requirement in the mid-1980s after faculty noted that fewer than 33 percent of the geography majors availed themselves of the internship elective. With roughly 60 majors, 12-20 students are placed in the internship each year.
Initially there was concern that all interns would not be placed. According to Mike, every student has been placed, although this past spring was challenging due to the down turn in the economy.
Each student is expected to receive "real world" experience through the internship. Skill levels are tested, decisions are made about pursuing a career in geography, and more often than not, the student receives a paycheck.
The student is prepared for the internship by class work in Mike's Seminar in Geography plus encouragement and counseling from faculty in the department. Through the Seminar, students learn how to prepare a one-page resume and how to write business letters, perform videotaped mock interviews, hear success stories from former interns, and decide what career path they would like to pursue. Plus, the department hosts a geography career fair where employers, former students, and others discuss career potentials in the field.
Placements have ranged from Yellowstone National Park in the public sector to small companies like Mapping Specialists in private industry. Skills in geographic information systems (GIS) have come to the forefront in recent years according to Mike. About one-half of the students end up working at the place where they interned or in a similar setting. Others drift into something else because of the transferable skills developed in the liberal arts and sciences.
Technology has affected the department and program in a variety of ways--including faculty hiring, building space, curriculum development, and major requirements. The most significant change has been the blending of cartography and GIS, and as the nature of cartography has changed, so have employment opportunities. Mike observes that GIS has come on strong. It even has dominated intern placement in some years.
Mike observes that ISU and the students have enjoyed good relations with the dozens of places hosting interns over the past 15-plus years. Employers continue to ask for new interns, contact him with regard to new hires, and continue to be part of the career fair. Everyone has benefited--faculty, students, and employers. MSL would concur!
- Tim Carter
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