Department of Geography Collection
Scope and Contents
The first series, Administrative Records, consists of department minutes. Included are minutes and a few agendas from Department of Geography meetings ranging from 1966-1987. Primary subjects include course offerings and curriculum; the geography graduate program; staffing needs and open positions; budgetary and salary discussions; departmental equipment; and enrollment. Also included in this series is a 1989 Departmental Review, which has been kept in its original order.
The second series, Correspondence, is arranged into two subseries. Types of materials include correspondence, memos, and invoices. The first subseries, General Correspondence & Documents, 1963-1988, contains materials related to budgetary/salary matters; departmental issues, such as conferences, positions, open positions, and graduate assistantships; guest lecturers; discussions of journals/publications and textbooks; College of Business and Behavioral Sciences matters; and topics related to the Middle East. Much of the material is to/from department head Basheer K. Nijim. The second subseries, Administrative Correspondence, 1959-1970; 1981-1982 consists of correspondence pertaining to departmental position openings. Included are letters from various scholars applying or asking about jobs, sometimes with accompanying resumes and references. The subseries is arranged chronologically. Also included in this subseries is a grouping of materials focused specifically on the 1971-1972 search for the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences dean position. This subseries is restricted and closed to researchers.
The Programs & Ephemera series, 1969-2013, consists of brochures, flyers, pamphlets, and announcements related to the Department of Geography. These items advertise talks either presented or co-sponsored by the department as well as department seminars, colloquiums, course offerings, and programs. Topics represented in this series vary, ranging from local issues specific to Iowa, to international subjects, such as the Middle East.
The final series, Publications, consists of two department publications, The Iowa Geographer and Geographical Perspectives.
Dates
- 1959-2013
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials primarily in English; one item in Arabic[?]
Conditions Governing Access
Most materials are open for research. Materials related to the confidentiality of personnel, student, medical, and other legally protected records are CLOSED to researchers for 70 years from the date of creation. Consult the archivist with any questions or concerns.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code § 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
The subject of Geography first appeared at ISNS/ISTC/UNI in 1892, as part of the History and Geography Department, before it became a standalone department from 1894-1896. Since 1969, the Department of Geography has been part of the university. Historically, it has covered many topics, such as urbanization, agriculture, population, economic behavior, and climates. Today, the department has built on those earlier subjects and also includes global warming, globalization, rural and economic development, and homeland security. Those in the department use technology in the course of their work to create maps and “interactive representations” of both people and Earth. For additional information, please visit the department website.
Extent
3.75 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
Arrangement
- Series 1: Administrative Records
- Subseries 1: Department Meeting Minutes
- Subseries 2: Department Review
- Series 2: Correspondence
- Subseries 1: General Correspondence & Documents
- Subseries 2: Administrative Correspondence
- Series 3: Programs & Ephemera
- Series 4: Publications
Processing Information
Finding aid created by Library Associate Dave Hoing, July 2017 and Tessa Wakefield, March 2019. Updated by Dave Hoing, December 2017 and April 2018. Linear feet updated August 28, 2017.
- Title
- Department of Geography Collection
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script