What are the dates that the camp is in session?
The 2011 Field Camp will run from Sunday, June 5th to Sunday, July 17th. Students should plan to arrive at camp on Sunday, June 5th. All students are required to be in camp by 4:00 pm on Sunday, June 5th. The first meal that will be served to the entire camp population will be dinner on Sunday, June 5th. Any students who need to arrive earlier than Sunday will be required to help with working on getting camp ready in exchange for room and board. All students need to leave camp by noon on Sunday, July 17th.
How will I get to camp?
You have three options. 1) You can ride for free in the department vans. The vans will depart from Baton Rouge at 7:00 am on May 31st. Students who ride in the van will be responsible for paying for their own hotel room for one night in Amarillo, TX and for their own food while travelling. Students who ride to camp in the vans will get to camp a few days early and will help with work around camp in exchange for room and board. 2) You can drive. You may choose to drive yourself to camp. Senior Field Camp students are permitted to keep their personal vehicle at camp. Freshman Field Camp students are not permitted to have cars at camp. 3) You can fly. The Colorado Springs Airport is 20 minutes from camp. Vans will be organized for airport transportation at the beginning and end of camp. If you choose to fly into or out of Denver, then you will be responsible for arranging your own transportation to Colorado Springs.
How much does the course cost?
The fees for 2011 Field Camp is TBA. This cost covers all food, instructional, and operational costs associated with camp. In addition to the fees, students will need to pay LSU tuition. Senior Field Camp Students will be registered for 6 credit hours while Freshman Field Camp students will be registered for 8 credit hours. You may want to have some spending money for outings on free days, souvenirs, etc.
Are there scholarships that can help to pay my way?
There are scholarships available to help with the cost of camp. The Scholarship Application forms are available on our website and are due with the Field Camp Application.
Is there an application deadline?
Yes. Senior Field Camp Applications are due by March 15th. Freshman Field Camp Applications are due by April 15th.
What are the prerequisites for the course?
The prerequisites for Senior Field Camp are Mineralogy, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Sedimentology, and Structural Geology.
What is the food service like?
Each day, hot breakfast will be served in the dining hall at 7:00 am. All students are required to be at breakfast. Lunches will be packed each day to be taken into the field. Lunch food will be set out at breakfast. Dinner will be served each evening at 6:00 pm in the dining hall. Students will work hard at Field Camp and therefore will be fed well. Our Kitchen Director, Pat Mahon, is a graduate of the Baton Rouge Culinary Institute and has worked as a chef and a culinary instructor for many years. He will serve nutritious, tasty meals and will follow the LSU Field Camp tradition of including a variety of Louisiana dishes. An article about Pat Mahon from the Baton Rouge Advocate can be seen here: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/latest/101277784.html
Can I have visitors at camp?
Students may have visitors at camp on free days only. The camp Director, Dr. Kelley, must be notified of all visitors immediately upon their arrival at camp. No visitors are permitted to spend the night at camp.
What do I need to bring to camp?
A list of supplies can be found on the Field Camp website.
Do I need to have insurance while I’m at camp?
LSU provides insurance for Field Camp participants, which will only cover injuries, and only injuries that occur as a result of Field Camp activities. This coverage will be issued on a reimbursement basis. You need to carry the same health insurance that you would normally have in order to have coverage for illness, etc.
What do I do if I’m not an LSU student?
All Field Camp students will be LSU students for the Summer term. In addition to completing the Field Camp Application which is available on this page, you will need to apply to and be accepted for admission to LSU. Heather Lee can assist in this process.
Who will be at camp?
The camp population will consist of a variety of people. There will be 25 Senior Field Camp students. Most of these will be from LSU, but some will be from a variety of other universities. There will be 15 Freshman Field Camp students. These will be students from all over the place who intend to start at LSU in the fall and plan to major in Geology or Petroleum Engineering. Dr. Kelley will be the camp Director and Instructor for the Senior Field Camp course. Stephanie Welch will be the Freshman Field Camp Instructor. There will be 3 TAs for Senior Field Camp, and 2 TAs for Freshman Field Camp. The Kitchen Director, Pat Mahon will be assisted with the cooking by two Kitchen Helpers who are students from the LSU Geology Department. Finally, there is a camp Caretaker who lives on the property year round and keeps everything up and running.