The new computer equipment upgrades and expands the old limited geographical information systems (GIS) facilities at the university. This upgraded facility allows the development of new undergraduate courses incorporating the use of GIS and the upgrade of existing courses in three departments: Geosciences, Geography/Anthropology, and Environmental Science and Policy. Students benefit from exposure to a multiplatform setting. They gain experience in raster, vector, and cartographic design systems and the creation and manipulation of large databases, while working in IBM and UNIX environments. In addition, students are exposed to Arc/Info in both platforms, IDRISI, and ArcView 3. This project (1) increases the university's capacity to make GIS exposure available to a larger number of students than is currently possible, (2) expands systematic GIS exposure from one to three departments, and (3) expands the current GIS capability from a PC platform to a multiplatform system. The GIS facility acts to enhance the synergy among the three departments and to more effectively integrate course offerings benefitting from the use of GIS among the three. The system also serves to strengthen ties between the traditional student majors, local professionals with an interest in GIS, and state and local agencies with appropriate databases and GIS facilities. *
