Dear Colleagues,
Many of you might be interested to know that we will be piloting a new
hybrid course in the spring (blending distance education with
occasional face-to-face labs) called GIS for Municipal Applications.
We're developing this course in response to needs identified in recent
workforce studies in Maine.
Though the course won't be offered until spring semester, I'm writing
to let you know now so you can plan ahead. Also, the course will have
as a prerequisite our GIS 1 class or equivalent course work or
experience. So I'm touching base in time to enroll in an introductory
course in the fall, if needed.
The new municipal GIS course will cover three key skill sets using
ArcGIS software and introducing some low- and no-cost GIS software
options, as well:
1. Creating and editing tax parcel layers and maps
2. Strategies for making and using maps and data in planning and
decision-making, including comprehensive planning maps and options for
posting GIS maps on the web
3. Analysis techniques for creating zoning layers and conducting
suitability analysis
This three-credit course will be taught online with five face-to-face
Saturday sessions, one per month, in our lab in Machias. The class
will include streaming lectures, hands-on lab exercises and real-world
assignments and projects. For the pilot, this course will be listed as
GIS 301 Special Topics in Geographic Information Systems (GIS): GIS
for Municipal Applications. In future years it will have its own
course designator.
Again, GIS 1 or equivalent will be a prerequisite for the municipal
GIS course. We still have some room in the fall GIS 1 course that
begins August 30th, both hybrid (GIS 230-0020) and face-to-face (GIS
230-0010) sections. The hybrid version of the GIS 1 class is online
plus three face-to-face Saturday sessions in Machias on 9/11, 10/23
and 12/18. If you'd like to register for the class, visit this site
for instructions: http://machias.edu/mainestreet_register.html. Also,
universities and community colleges all over the state offer
introductory GIS courses, so you may wish to take the first course in
the sequence through a nearby institution.
Our courses come with a free one-year student version of ArcGIS
software and extensions, so you don't need to have a software license
to enroll in courses, just a computer that can run the software. Both
these courses count toward UMM's GIS certificate, UMM's environmental
studies/GIS bachelors degree, and the Associates in GIS Applications
at Washington County Community College. They may also transfer to
programs at other institutions, and we'd be happy to help explore
transfer options.
We hope that the two-course sequence (GIS 1 and Municipal GIS) will
provide a solid foundation to enable municipal employees to
efficiently and effectively use GIS in their work, and some may choose
to go on to earn certificates or degrees in the field.
Please spread the word, and let us know if you have any questions!
Tora Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tora Johnson
Director/ Instructor
GIS Service Center & Laboratory
Torrey 223
University of Maine at Machias
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(207) 255-1214
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