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Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies

Geography labs

GATE Student & GIS Lab (A407A)

The GATE Student and GIS Lab is a resource space for geography students.

Students can access maps, air photos, rock samples, stereographs, computer software, journals, and other resources for their classes during lab hours.

A lab monitor is also present during the majority of lab hours.

Who is the geography lab open to?

The geography lab is open to all students who are geography majors and minors and students enrolled in geography courses, though priority for workspace and computers is given to students working on geography assignments.

Geography lab hours of operation

Hours vary each semester, so be sure to check the hours posted on the lab door. The lab is closed on weekends and holidays, but, generally speaking, the lab is open during peak hours (10-4, Mon-Thurs), including summers.

The geography lab monitor

Geography lab monitors are employed by the department to help maintain the lab and to help students with questions or materials.

Don’t forget—the lab monitor is there to help you. Ask for assistant if you need equipment, supplies, or answers to simple geography questions.

They are not there to answer the questions on assignments, however!

Rules and guidelines

  • Lab equipment and supplies are not to be removed from the lab.
  • All materials must be signed out by the lab monitor on duty.
  • Priority for computer and workspace goes to students who are working on geography projects.
  • Food and drink consumption is discouraged; it can seriously damage lab computers, maps and other equipment.
  • Students can be removed from the geography lab for behavior including, but not limited to:
    • Damaging lab equipment
    • Disrupting other students
    • Failing to give priority of space and equipment to students working on geography assignments
    • Harassing, intimidating or discriminating against other students
  • Theft of Geography department property will not be tolerated

Lab resources

  • 10 computer stations
  • Software: Most recent version of ArcGIS, plus MS Office suite, Minitab, Adobe Master Collection, Maple 18, NVDIA, SASS, and other programs
  • Maps
  • Air photos
  • Workspace
  • Lab monitors
  • Rocks and minerals
  • Stereographs
  • Plotter (to be used by instructors for student and research projects)
  • Scanner
  • A great view of Mt. Baker

GATE classroom (A413)

The geography lab classroom on the Abbotsford campus is located in A413. This classroom is booked through the department and is used heavily for geography courses, lab time, and meetings.

If you are from another UFV department and are looking to book this space for a meeting or class, please contact the department assistant.

Research labs