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September 7

Welcome to GEOG 102: Introduction to Physical Geography: Weather and Climate. This will be an awesome course as we learn about the world around us. 

This is a distance education course.  This creates some exciting possibilities for you – you get to study at your time and place and explore issues that interest you in greater depth.  You will also experience some challenges – you don’t get to see me, your instructor.  But yes, I do exist.  And I will do all I can to make this a positive, creative learning experience for you.

I have taught this course, distance education, for several years.  Most students really enjoy this style of learning (although it may take a bit of getting used to).

The course is asynchronous with the exceptions of

  • two mandatory office hours (on Zoom) – see the syllabus and course calendar
  • a set date and time midterm exam (on Canvas and Zoom) – see the syllabus and course calendar
  • an in-person, on-campus final exam; the date and time set by the Registrar

Some things you need to do right away (TODAY…):

  1. We will have a 30–45-minute welcome Zoom Meeting on Thursday, September 10 OR Friday, September 11, at 6 p.m.  Please plan to attend.   We will go over the syllabus, calendar, and assignments.  Link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/68747897401?pwd=6blJHd4waUhkbytaBJmL3zkfxHg0JN.1 Passcode: 2026
  2. Visit the course Canvas page. 
  3. Also find and bookmark the course website:  everything else you need is here: https://rossway.net/ccc102/. 
  4. Read the Syllabus carefully – make sure you have a printed copy to refer to.
  5. Read the Calendar carefully – post a printed copy on your bulletin board where you can’t miss it.
  6. Get the textbook (details on the course website and Canvas).  it’s only online now although 2nd-hand print copies of the 3rd or 4th Canadian Edition of Geosystems are acceptable.  Make sure it is the Canadian Edition.
  7. Begin to work through the assignments on the Calendar.  We start quickly.  Please read online notes 1-2 (on https://rossway.net/ccc102/) and the text Chapter 2
  8. Introduce yourself in the discussion forum on Canvas by Saturday, September 12.
  9. Upload your photo ID to Canvas by Saturday, September 19.  It is College policy that all students must provide photo ID to verify your identity when you write exams.
  10. If you have any questions, get in touch with me right away.  Email works best … bmartin@corpuschristi.ca.

My background is as a geographer and pastor.  (Cleric-scientists are a fine Roman Catholic tradition)

I have taught geography and pastored for many years. Currently I live in Lethbridge, AB, so unfortunately, I am not actually on campus – but I DO exist. 

I am a member of the Canadian Association of Geographers (the academic and professional association for geographers in Canada), the Canadian Scientific Christian Affiliation (a network of Christians in the sciences – students members are welcome.).  For continuing education I recently was a Visiting Scholar at Cambridge University, U.K. (the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, St. Edmund’s College).

I have lived in BC (Dawson Creek, Tsawwassen, Vancouver), Nova Scotia (Wolfville, Digby, Halifax, Truro), and Alberta (Edmonton, Lethbridge). My wife, Marianne, is from Rossway, N.S., on Digby Neck (hence the website name).  You can find out more about me on the website, click on the “Who is Bruce?” link.

Welcome.

Bruce Martin, Ph.D

College Professor, Geography