GIS Educational Opportunities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States.

MALHOTRA, RAKESH; VLAHOVIC, GORDANA

This study examines the role Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play in the GIS educational landscape in the United States. Research of HBCU institutional web sites was used to develop a database of GIS and related geospatial courses, concentrations, degrees, and departments offering these courses. The review of this information indicated strong differences in access to GIS education for students between rural and urban settings, community colleges and universities, and private and public HBCUs. The availability of GIS technology at HBCUs and at other institutions of higher education was also contrasted to examine the existence of a technology divide and data show that HBCUs have kept in step with other institutions in introducing GIS into their curriculum. Information from a similar study conducted almost a decade ago (Padgett and Crayton 2001) was used to determine advances in GIS educational offerings at HBCUs over the recent past. As employability trends for geography graduates show increasing emphasis on transferable technical skills-like GIS, the availability of geospatial courses, programs, and certifications at HBCUs is critical to increasing diversity in geography as a profession and, in the long run, the vitality of geography as a discipline. Unfortunately, the advent of GIS has not had any material impact on the establishment of core geography programs at HBCUs.

UNITED States; GEOGRAPHIC information systems; HISTORICALLY Black colleges & universities; GEOSPATIAL data; GEOGRAPHY

Southeastern Geographer, 2011, Vol 51, Issue 3, p443

0038-366X

Academic Journal

10.1353/sgo.2011.0027