Cultivating the Growth of Capitol Reef Field Station

犹他州山谷大学(UVU)获得了一笔赠款，用于对国会礁野外站(CRFS)进行全面规划，以更好地支持该设施的研究、教育和保护使命(www.uvu.edu/crfs/)。CRFS位于国会礁国家公园内，该地区因其暴露的地质层和相关的各种栖息地而得到保护，这些栖息地是丰富多样的生物的家园。根据紫罗兰大学和国家公园管理局的合作协议，CRF于2008年成立，体现了一所大学和一个国家公园之间独特的合作伙伴关系。CRF的一项战略计划将加强对本科生的利用，这些本科生正在学习和开展各种STEM学科中由教师指导的研究。访问CRF的大多数学生来自UVU，这是一家致力于包容性和访问性的开放招生机构。该大学兼具地区性综合性大学和社区学院的双重使命。UVU处于一个不同寻常的位置，它拥有一所综合性大学的野外站资源，同时服务于全国各地野外站代表性不足的高比例社区学院学生。超过40%的UVU学生要么是第一代大学生，要么是少数民族。战略规划将加强该外地站向不同群体提供有意义的经验的能力。此外，除了让UVU本科生受益外，拟议的规划过程还将使人们更好地了解位于美国国家公园并贯穿于大学合作伙伴关系中的野外站，如CRF。作为规划工作的一部分，UVU将在其他类似的野外站中进行一项调查，以确定它们如何最大限度地利用大学与国家公园合作带来的机会和挑战。选定的调查参与者将被邀请参加在CRFS举行的会议，与UVU教职员工和国会珊瑚礁国家公园工作人员会面。然后，专题报告框架的工作人员将访问主要会议参与者的外地站点，其中一些人将被聘为顾问。咨询人将协助制定合作伙伴关系的战略计划。战略规划过程的成果将包括：1)空间站研究、教育和保护活动的书面5年计划；2)详细说明需要哪些额外设施和基础设施的文件，以及寻求资金满足这些需求的5年计划；3)在生物野外站组织会议上介绍美国国家公园与大学合作的野外站的数据情况；以及4)提交同行评议的手稿以供出版。

Utah Valley University (UVU) is awarded a grant to conduct comprehensive planning for Capitol Reef Field Station (CRFS) to better support the facility's mission of research, education, and conservation (www.uvu.edu/crfs/). CRFS is located within Capitol Reef National Park, an area preserved because of its exposed geologic strata and associated variety of habitats that are home to a rich diversity of living organisms. Established in 2008 under a cooperative agreement between UVU and the National Park Service, CRFS embodies a unique partnership between a university and a national park. A strategic plan for CRFS will enhance the utilization of this station for undergraduates who are learning and conducting faculty-mentored research in a variety of STEM disciplines. The majority of students who visit CRFS are from UVU, an open-enrollment institution committed to inclusivity and access. The university serves a dual mission as both a regional, comprehensive university and as a community college. UVU is in the uncommon position of having the field station resources of a comprehensive university while serving a high proportion of community-college-going students who are underrepresented at field stations across the nation. Over 40% of UVU students are either first-generation college students or ethnic minorities. Strategic planning will enhance this field station's ability to provide meaningful experiences to a diverse group of individuals. Further, in addition to benefiting UVU undergraduates, the proposed planning process will lead to a better understanding of field stations, like CRFS, that are located in U.S. national parks and run through university partnerships.As part of the planning effort, UVU will conduct a survey among other similar field stations to determine how they maximize opportunities and minimize challenges associated with university-national park partnerships. Selected survey participants will be invited to a conference at CRFS to meet with UVU faculty and Capitol Reef National Park personnel. CRFS staff will then visit the field stations of key conference participants, some of whom will be hired as consultants. The consultants will assist in the development of CRFS's strategic plan. The products of the strategic planning process will include: 1) a written 5-year plan for research, education, and conservation activities at the station; 2) a document detailing what additional facilities and infrastructure are needed and a 5-year plan for seeking funding for these needs; 3) a data-informed presentation on field stations in U.S. national parks with university partnerships at the Organization of Biological Field Stations meeting; and 4) a peer-reviewed manuscript submitted for publication.