How do university Geography departments want to be perceived?
As seen through their websites and/or actual department buildings.
University of Texas at Austin:
There first thing one might notice if entering the Geography building through the main entrance, is the weather radio blasting current forecasts, pressure, humidity and wind speeds at whomever passes by. This is probably so common to those who work there or have classes in the building that they are no longer aware of how much this tiny raido says. Clearly Climatology is studied in a building with its own weather radio monotonously droning away and a chart below the speaker showing all the different symbols for weather patterns. Below that, is the smiling portrait, in miniature, of the man responsible for the radio. The photo portrays him as so windblown, he could be on a boat in the sea.
The second thing to notice would be the bookcase, proudly displaying all major publishings from faculty of the department. Then there are the maps.
There is scarcely a portion of the hallway walls visible within the building. A variety of items cover the walls. There is a world map which covers an entire portion of the wall, from floor to ceiling. Others are smaller and more specific. Some show river damming systems on the Colorado River. One shows the plotting of home countries for all PhD. recipients on a world map. One wall is devoted to the geography of the region around Austin with demonstrative photos showing the various elements. Some faculty are in the photos, showing the aspect of fieldwork. Fieldwork is pivotal to Geography. Geography, being the study of the land, must have its research and theories backed up with fieldwork, where research is undertaken outside the laboratory and library.
Geographers specialize not only in different divisions of the discipline, but in different regions. Some faculty are highly devoted to research in South America. Others to the Middle East. The clippings of cartoons and pieces from journals posted on the faculty doors show these interests. Some are in Spanish and other clippings express political ideas in regard to environmental policy or region specific issues.
These interests are also reflected on the department's website. The section showing the faculty presents photographs of many of them outside, looking nearly as elemental as the climatologist in the entrance. Some are with goats, some have their heads in a hole through a rock, while others stand over a city sprawled across the horizon.
University of Manchester:
Similar photos of faculty adorn the website for The University of Manchester's geography department. The faculty is photographically represented outside, mostly. Geography departments want to appear to be as involved in the actual regions they study as their teachings. They want to be knowledgeable of current issues environmentally, current problems of flood control and other situations such as these by showing themselves working in the actual places, gathering data, surveying the changes and looking for a solution.