SEE-U 2001: Frequently Asked Questions

| What is the cost of the program and what does it include? The cost for the 5 week, 6 credit summer field study program is $4500. This includes tuition, room and board, and most instructional materials. It does not include transportation to and from the field study site initially. It also does not include the cost of books. When are the fees and tuition due? A $35 dollar non refundable application fee must be included when you send in your application. A $500 deposit must be paid by May 1. The full tuition, $4500 is due June 1. Is Financial Aid available through Columbia University? There is a limited amount of scholarship monies available to aid students who have both academic merit and financial need. If you think that you would qualify please get your application materials in as early as possible along with a letter saying you wish to be considered for scholarship. Students may pursue the traditional route of obtaining Federal Loans and have these funds applied to this program. Students may consider seeking small private loans with reasonable repayment rates. We have contact numbers for some low interest part-time study loans. If you do not feel that you qualify for financial aid, but you are very enthusiastic about the program, you should consider becoming a student organizer. What is a student organizer and how do I become one? A student organizer is a student who volunteers to help organize other students and distribute information, posters etc. These students who assist in organizing and motivating 3 additional students to participate will be given a stipend to cover their transportation expenses to and from the field site of their choice. Will the six credits I earn through this field study be accepted by my home institution? All students are advised to get pre-approval from the registrar or academic advisor at their home institution to ensure that these credits are accepted as fulfillment to course requirements. However, Columbia maintains high standards and it is very likely that your institution will accept these six credits as fulfillment for laboratory requirements. In fact, the SEE-U program is the first field course that has been approved by Columbia University to fulfill the laboratory requirements of its own students. If I am not Ecology major would the SEE-U field study experience still be valuable for me? You do not need to be Ecology major to participate in the SEE-U field study; however, you do need to have an interest in environmental issues, organismic ecology, and the scientific method of data collection. As consequence of the exposure to these issues during the SEE-U program, students will become better voters, better world citizens, and more knowledgeable about the Earth’s processes. What portion of the program will be fieldwork and what portion will be laboratory? Approximately half of the time will be spent in the laboratory or working on computer models using computers, and approximately half will be spent in the field collecting data and gaining deeper understanding of the specific biome being studied. How could this field study help my career? Students wishing to pursue higher education or careers in Ecology, Natural Resource Management, or Conservation Biology need to have a good understanding of the scientific method and how to design and conduct research in order to further their education and job potential. Additionally, the digital techniques you will be learning are generalizable to many fields such as demography, land planning, sociology, architecture, anthropology, and many others. Why should I choose to do my field study with the Columbia University SEE-U program? Columbia University’s Center for Environmental Research and Conservation is becoming one of the world’s leaders in ecological research. Students participating in these field studies will have the opportunity to work with some of the finest environmental scientists in their fields. The technological components of this program include working with GIS, GPS, and simultaneously being linked to students doing similar activities in other biomes. This interconnectivity and technological innovation will help to develop a unique and more in-depth appreciation of biological and environmental diversity. These cross-biome comparisons are generally not available to students in other field study programs without independently pursuing study in geographically distinct locations. How will I be graded? Students will be asked to pose solutions to research questions and to work in pairs to develop the methodology, to collect the data, and to analyze the data to come up with solutions to the question. Student teams will cooperate to present either a written or an oral presentation on these research projects daily. Students will have the opportunity to conduct a term-long independent research project of their own design and on a subject of their own interest. Additionally, SEE-U students will participate in several electronic discussions with students in the other biomes to better understand large-scale ecological issues. Regular journals, intermittent quizzes, and ongoing participation will also influence grading. Will I be able to choose my research topics? Students that have a particular area of interest will be free to develop and work on research projects that are relevant to their particular interests. Students will collaboratively design portions of each daily research project, so individual interest will play an important role. How much free time will I have during the 5 week summer session? The SEE-U program is a rigorous activity that will be as demanding as it is rewarding for those who fully participate. To this end, students will have scheduled activities from Monday to Thursday each week and will have Friday and one weekend day to pursue their independent research project. Students will have at least one free weekend day each week during the course of the program and a variety of recreational activity options will be made available. What kind of housing should I expect? The housing in each of the three biomes is communal, but will always be comfortable. Students in Biosphere 2 will be housed in detached dorm rooms. Students in Black Rock Forest will be housed in the forest headquarters. Students in Brazil will be housed in space at the research stations. Accommodations will be typical of most field situations. When is my total payment due? A $500 deposit is due May 1 and final payment is due by June 1. Are other payments methods acceptable such as credit cards? Credit cards are an acceptable form of payment. The credit cards that are acceptable are Mastercard and Visa. Credit card payments must be accompanied by a written authorization from you or the primary card holder, if the card is not in your name. If you wish to pay with a credit card, please contact us directly and we will guide you through the process. What does my tuition cover? Tuition covers your Room and Board, most instructional materials and instruction, transportation once you are onsite, and computer networking expenses. It does not cover your textbooks or transportation to the field site initially or your return trip home upon completion of the course.