Finding a university's place in the community: training local organizations in GIS

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Finding a university's place in the
communitytraining local organizations in GIS

• Dr. David R. Bowne
• Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
• dbowne_at_richmond.edu
• ACS-GIS Symposium, Feb. 28 March 2, 2003

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Background

• The University of Richmond was awarded a Jessie
  Ball duPont Fund grant
• Integrating faculty research, student learning,
  and community problem-solving through geographic
  information systems (GIS)
• Offer instruction in the application and use of
  mapping and spatial analysis to the non-profit
  community

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UR commitment to community service

• Volunteer Action Council (VAC), a
  student-created, student-organized community
  resource center that connects individual and
  groups on campus with local agencies and
  organizations in need.
• Community Service Day uniting Richmond students,
  faculty, staff and alumni on a daylong project
  each fall.
• Bonner Scholars program, a special scholarship
  opportunity available to students who have
  demonstrated a commitment to community service
  during their high school years and who seek to
  continue their involvement in college.
• Serving learning opportunities, which connect
  classroom learning with community service.
• Connect Richmond, an online community information
  network that unites nonprofit organizations with
  academic resources and offers leadership
  opportunities for students.
• Virginia Campus Compact. Headquartered at the
  University of Richmond, this organization works
  to encourage service at institutions of higher
  learning through multiple initiatives.
• Center for Faith and Service, which coordinates a
  variety of volunteer programs for students.

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Target Audience

• Richmond, as the capital of Virginia, is home to
  many non-profit organizations (NPOs).
• Find them through ConnectRichmond Campus
  Community Partnership of MetroRichmond
• (http//www.connectrichmond.org)

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Offer instruction in the application and use of
mapping and spatial analysis to the non-profit
community 1) GIS primer

• Many have heard of GIS, but do not know much
  about it.
• Had to educate on what GIS is and is not.
• Held 2 evening information sessions.
• Think Spatially!

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Primer Goals

• A basic understanding of what a GIS is and is not
• An appreciation of the many applications of GIS
• Ideas of how your organization could use GIS
• Excitement in implementing those ideas
• And confidence in your ability to succeed

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Offer instruction in the application and use of
mapping and spatial analysis to the non-profit
community2) GIS Training

• Great demand for training with GIS software.
• Want nuts bolts but that limits applicability
  across software.
• Teach GIS fundamentals within context of
  software.
• Offered one-day training workshops

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Training Objectives

• Familiarity with basic GIS concepts and
  terminology
• Working knowledge of ArcGIS 8.1 (ArcView
  component)
• Completion of an entire GIS project

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Training Topics

• Introduction
• 1)      Basics of GIS
• 2)      Types of geographic data
• 3)      Data formats
• 4)      Coordinate systems
• 5)      Scale
•  
• Hands-on with ArcGIS 8.1 (ArcView 8.1)
• 1)      ArcMap
• 2)  ArcCatalog
•  
• Project planning
• 1)      In general
• 2)      Todays sample project
•  

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Training Topics

• Acquiring data
• 1)      Download from web
• 2)      Finesse into ArcMap
• 3)      Join table with coverage
•  
• Display considerations
• 1)   Changing symbology
• 2)      Selection spatial queries
• 3)      Creating a new shapefile from selection
•  
• Map creation
• 1)      Elements of map design
• 2)      Printing
• 3)      Exporting

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Offer instruction in the application and use of
mapping and spatial analysis to the non-profit
community3) Beyond Training

• NPOs need resources to obtain software and
  hardware.
• Use the GIS resources of the University of
  Richmond via faculty/student projects.
• Demonstrate to bosses and funders utility

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Successes

• Three formal faculty-npo research collaborations
• Several less formal partnerships
• 40 attendees to information/training sessions
  so far.

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Challenges

• Partnering faculty with NPOs.
• Having enough students trained in GIS to help
  NPOs.
• Temporal disconnect
• Creativity deficit