Summer station: initiating the undergraduate research experience in RS/GIS

The Partnership for Spatial and Computational Research (PaSCoR) was established in 1998 at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez through a PAIR-NASA grant. The PaSCoR program aims to develop an undergraduate curricular experience in remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) that result in professional knowledgeable of the discipline in concepts and applications and with strengthened soft skills in teamwork, oral and written presentation. Furthermore, the PaSCoR curriculum incorporates research and ethics as major components of the student's experience. In achieving these goals the curriculum design was taken into account to provide the student with RS/GIS experience in an integrated and continuous manner from freshman through the senior year. At the freshman year the PaSCoR goal is to initiate students in the RS/GIS field. Their objectives with the freshman population were to develop student awareness of the RS/GIS field, motivated them to pursue an undergraduate certificate in RS/GIS and provided basic training in scientific skills. The objectives had been accomplished by two major PaSCoR initiatives: Revision ofthe Univ 101 course and 1999 Summer Station. The Univ course is offered during the first semester ofthe academic year and is taken only by freshman students.